Posted on 03/19/2008 5:15:42 AM PDT by Lee N. Field
The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod's Board of Communications suddenly pulled the plug today on our friends @ Issues, Etc. Both Rev. Todd Wilkens and his producer Jeff Schwarz, were both let go without advance notice.
(Excerpt) Read more at kimriddlebarger.squarespace.com ...
I can't say I listened to Isses, Etc. a lot -- there's like a million hours of audio a week. I'd cherry pick what I wanted to listen to, and it was good.
Anybody up on LCMS internal politics, that can tell us what's going on.
Ping
This (and any forthcoming threads on “Issues Etc.”) needs a Lutheran ping!
The powers that be in the Missouri Synod do not like the good, solid, confessional Lutheran theology that Todd and Jeff have been promulgating.
I figured that. Thanks for confirming it. Since we're waiting to see what our vacancy pastorship brings, times are interesting.
Thats not good. I hope you are being cynical. Though I am not a member of a Lutheran church, I consider the LCMS a strong ally and defender of the faith.
I’d ping them if I know who had the list.
Awww, man! I’m not a Lutheran, but I loved listening to them on the radio.
Lutheran Ping!
Keep a Good Lent!
Quite a lively discussion about this taking place at ALPB Forum
I don’t know what happened. I sent that to my church to see if they know anything.
The powers that be in the Missouri Synod do not like the good, solid, confessional Lutheran theology that Todd and Jeff have been promulgating.
What I've seen on various blogs boils down to just that. Confessional vs. "evangelical" (in the modern American sense not the classic reformational sense), with fallout from some split that I vaguely remember from the 1970s (remember Seminex?).
p>"The President's Office is in receipt of your email message. Due to the high volume of correspondence received, you may not receive an immediate answer. However, please be assured that your message is important to the President and every effort will be made to respond as quickly as possible."May God's grace, mercy, and peace rest upon you.
"President Kieschnick and The Staff of the President's Office"
I suspect someone's email is getting hammered right now. :-)
Looks like the LCMS is still using it to raise money. This page is still live:
Mission and Ministry Giving Opportunities
http://catalog.lcms.org/GiveNow/Gift_Catalog.asp?Group=12
Here’s the official spin:
For programmatic and business reasons, the decision was made this week to discontinue the “Issues, Etc.” program on KFUO-AM.We look forward to bringing you new programming in this time slot in the near future. Also, we thank “Issues” host Rev. Todd Wilken and producer Mr. Jeff Schwarz for their years of service on behalf of the station. Those interested may still download past “Issues,Etc.” programs from the “Issues” archive on this website. Thank you sincerely for your continued support of KFUO’s radio ministry.
I guess they offended someone in the power structure (maybe over the women's ordination bit last week). If that is the case, then things are a lot worse then I thought, and I may be soon facing a decision I hoped I would never have to make.
For now I will focus on Holy Week. But on Monday, I will dig into this.
Indeed, and there will never be another official word about it.
For now, focus on Easter. Then look into this.
(maybe over the women's ordination bit last week)
LCMS starting to go squishy on that? Take heed to how others have fared, down that path.
This screams of a power play.
That it does. That it does.
"Todd -- you and Jeff, don't bother coming in tomorrow."
It used to be rather straight forward, but there has been a lot of upper level deals going on that make me wonder. There are some very active groups pushing for it, and some have the ear of the President.
IF (and that is a big IF) that is the case, and a move is made, then I am gone.
I have heard from some LCMS people here ( Southflanknorthpawsis) that the president has been going church-growth oriented... that at least one church out in CA had fought long and hard to get rid of a purpose driven pastor... they succeeded at least temporarily but could still see the leadership going that direction.
May have to check into Prosapologian tonight and see if FrChaz has any inside news.
That is absolutely the case. Always has been with this guy.
I just discovered this show and I have really been enjoying listening. Anything that might be done to get them to reverse this decision?
My exact thought - things are a lot worse than I thought.
I was right... I hate being so right all the time. Man... I always second guess myself too. "maybe you're just being critical... jumping to conclusions.."
And then I end up being proved right with my initial take.
I don’t think he is being cynical.
I have heard whispers of the leadership going the way of church growth philosophy, following the purpose driven pied pipers.
Already being done... "programming decisions" blah blah blah
:-(
Here's my couple of posts on it:
Do you think they'll give the donations back if any come in designated for Issues Etc?
Which translates "We didn't want Biblical Discernment teaching going out anymore lest people discover our unbiblical agenda."
No, it's bigger than that.
I think they're going the seeker sensitive route that has become so 'popular.' Not realizing they're about 10 years too late and people are already figuring out seeker sensitive is not Biblical and fleeing those churches!
But then when it's about size and money, you don't care if you lose a few Bible Believing Christians. They can always go meet somewhere else.
Oy, Rick Warren’s apostasy is far reaching. This is so sad. They always put Jesus out of the camp and anyone that points it out, well they get put right out with him.
I would have joined an LCMS church when we left our purpose driven church, but I heard of these things going on in the leadership. And since once the leadership is on board with church growth philosophy, there is NO WAY they will listen to sound reason from Scripture. Every obstacle is seen as someone thwarting God’s “vision” for the church. (e.g. THEIR vision for the church) and they become a martyr.
Incidentally... what is with the “ablaze” program?
Sure hate to hear this! If you learn more, please let me know.
Sure hate to hear this! If you learn more, please let me know.
I’ve been told Chris Rosebrough is on it and can’t say much right now.
I do hope these guys don’t buy the line that to talk about the proceedings/goings on is gossip or the like. This is how purpose driven pastors keep their shenanigans out of the light of public or even congregational scrutiny.
Oh.. and Ingrid Schlueter (who is presently attending an LCMS church too) as well as plenty of others. I’m sure we will find out in due course. But waiting is VERY HARD to do. It’s like going through my whole purpose driven kangaroo court again. That was only 2 months long (4 meetings in two months where the offended parties never even got to speak with the presence of a mediator) and seemed like an eternity.
(2 months to kick out the music director and his wife who had been faithful attenders with no problems for approximately 6 years... easy come easy go I guess! They hired the local ELCA pastor’s wife to do music after that...~! WE HAD BEEN VOLUNTEERING!)
The power-hungry always make it to the top of any organization because true servants of the people don’t covet power and aren’t willing to go to extremes to obtain it.
The worst possible people for any job are going to be the first to raise their hands.
My parish right now has a mix of “PDL” and “Book of Concord” people. We just shot down a massive remodeling project that would have pretty much tore out the altar and turned the sanctuary into a theater. Now a “rules change” is being dictated so they can just do it without a vote.
There are many other parishes in the Quad Cities, so it isn't that big of a deal, but I wonder just how long the LCMS has at times.
I was tempted to give a small donation to see what happened, as I had the same question.
I am saddened and also angry. I had been a reader of the Issues, Etc. magazine for a number of years. They ran articles critical of the "Purpose Driven" fad. I was thinking about joining a LCMS church but now I am wondering. Confessional theology is being discarded for tired old pop psychology. What is left of Protestantism? The liberal churches teach antinomialism. The fundamentalist churches preach legalism. The "evangelical" churches push the New Age "human potential" movement.
There are over 2,100 signatures right now. It also has a comment line if you’d like to communicate your concerns:
http://www.petitiononline.com/Issues/petition.htm
what is with the “ablaze” program?
Googleing on "LCMS Ablaze!" gets this.
BTW, Scott Clark's Heidelblog (recommended!) reports today that "Reliable word is that Todd and Jeff were called to LCMS headquarters and offered severance in exchange for silence."
Yup I just heard that and posted it myself on my blog. ABOMINABLE!
They cannot possibly comply.
I hear ya.
If you can find a good AFLC church that might be worth a try. But even they can be hit or miss these days.
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