Not All is Well in WELS

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1649010391990081/1741465406077912/?notif_t=group_comment_reply

Christian Schulz Can anyone name a recent WELS mission plant which retained the historic liturgy and took its oath the Lutheran Confessions seriously -- especially in regards to AC 24? Knowing the answer is "no," why is that? Why is the WELS overwhelmingly supporting sectarian and heretical forms of worship over and against its sacred tradition from the times of the apostles and especially to its own oath -- the Augsberg Confession? This alone shows that the WELS is bent on adopting heretical forms of worship. There's seriously nothing you little (no offense) lay people can do to change it unless it's regarding a massive amount of tangible results for the leadership, i.e. money withheld. Otherwise they'll just head where they've already been -- straight to sectarianism, directly away from the Christian tradition and faith. There are reasons behind our worship and actions and WELS seems to not get that and continues to choose to act like heretics while unreasonably claiming orthodoxy.
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Christian Schulz Simply put, the reason why there aren't "traditional" mission starts and the reason why there are sectarian mission starts instead just shows you where the WELS is at and where its leadership sides.

Have we already forgotten about Pr. Rydecki who was defrocked from the WELS ministerium for teaching in accordance with the Lutheran Confessions (and Scripture, therefore) for teaching that sinners are justified by the God-given faith in Christ? There are so many issues at hand within the WELS. It's if we recognize and are willing to debate them in light of THE FACTS that will have any significant change.

Christian Schulz And I know I just quelled any further debate because I brought up the ominous UOJ. But again, the facts speak over and against WELS' position on that particular case....

Christian Schulz Yeah, I try not to comment much because I can't get over all the obvious injustices and obvious wrongs that are being allowed and supported by the WELS over and against obvious scholarship, historic writings of holy tradition (cf. Chemnitz regarding Tradition), the Lutheran Confessions, and of course, Sacred Scripture. I try to let those with better temperament talk for me, like Bryan Lidtke, Joe Jewell, et al. Most of these issues are very, very simple if we all had the same guiding norm. We obviously don't. We are of another spirit. We don't think of the Confessions on the same level, we don't think about the historical contexts of Scripture in the same way (i.e., the Psalm 150 twist), and we obviously don't think about the holy Sacraments, the Real Presence, and the efficacious Word in the same way. Because if we did, we'd come to the same conclusion on evangelism and how the holy Spirit operates. It shows a major lapse of unity. Lutherans evanglize in one way, false teachers\ in another. Both relfect a different teaching, a different doctrine, behind why they do it that way. We obviously think differently about what Scripture says and which is why I think this is much, much more than an "adiaphora" issue.

Sick Congregations Go For Gimmicks, Beer, Entertainment - Soon To Be Road-Kill

Article found here - http://www.heraldonline.com/2014/11/30/6576895/rock-hill-church-turns-former.html

http://welsdocument.blogspot.com/2014/12/from-nightclub-to-wels-church.html

Monday, December 1, 2014

From Nightclub to WELS Church

Rock Hill church turns former nightclub into sanctuary

By Don Worthington

November 30, 2014

The red, green and blue disco lights that dance across the floor are reminders of the building’s bygone days as a comedy nightclub and dance hall.

Kent Reeder turns off the lights, pauses and jokes that the lights are appropriate. “After all, we are Illumine Church!”

[GJ - The Illuminati?]

The disco lights are just some of the items that resourceful members of Illumine Church have have kept or salvaged as they turn the space on Riverchase Boulevard just off Celanese Road from a bar into a house of worship.

The horseshoe bar that once dominated the space is gone, but the tile sides have been turned into tables. The rails that once separated the dance floor from the bar have become table legs. A tiki bar is used as a buffet table for the church’s potluck dinners.

The bar’s kitchen still has some of the basics needed for commercial use. Reeder, the church’s 28-year-old pastor, envisions a day when it can be a community soup kitchen. His ultimate goal is to have a building that in some way serves the community each night of the week.

The only furniture with an obvious religious connection is a baptismal font donated by another church. It doesn’t fit the still spartan bar-like decor, and Reeder says Illumine will likely use it to collect aid for the poor.

The efforts to turn a bar into a sanctuary have been humorous, Reeder said. “We are the church with most bottle openers,” he said, and “we joke about sliding you a communion cup.”

But, “this is a good use of space that people were once comfortable with in a different context. It has reached a pinnacle in redemption. We have taken down the bar to serve the Gospel.”

Reeder was sent to Rock Hill to plant a church after completing his training at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. The Minnesota native had some experience in South Carolina, serving as an intern at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Summerville.

The experience taught Reeder he wasn’t just planting a church, he was planting a church in the South, in a community that has a church on every corner, and in a community where every denomination is represented.

He was also planting a Lutheran church in a community where the Lutheran church is considered by some as one of the more liberal denominations. Illumine Church, he says, is part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and it is “the most conservative Lutheran church.”

“I rely heavily on the meaning of grace,” Reeder says, “with the Holy Spirit walking inside you.”

Preaching, he continues, “is simple, all you have to do is reflect God’s word as clearly as possible.”

Reeder started Illumine with a core of 15 people, most of whom had been worshiping at Grace Lutheran in Charlotte.

They held services at the Regal Manchester Cinema before moving to the Riverchase Boulevard building. Members of the congregation are still transforming the building, and a grand opening is scheduled for Dec. 14.

The work is consistent with Illumine’s three-part focus. Members worship, learn, and serve their community.

With that outlook, Reeder admits his job is part pastor and part entrepreneur. People who come to Illumine will find themselves putting their talents to work for the church and community.

“This is not one shepherd and a lot of sheep,” Reeder said. “We need more shepherds; everyone needs to be involved.”

To grow Illumine, Reeder wants to focus on those not in church, “not those already being fed.”

Two challenges Illumine faces, Reeder says, are the strength of the matriarchal church and a move to more secularism.

When he talks to people who do not go to church, many often say if they went back to a church, “it would be their mother’s.” But, he says, there must have been a reason they left that church.

The secular challenge will rise as Rock Hill brings in more technology-based businesses with more young workers, people who are less likely to be connected to a church. It will be Reeder’s job – and that of others – to help those workers “be responsible for their own spiritual journey.”

“Life in Rock Hill as we know it will change,” Reeder said. “Christendom will no longer be the reigning force.”

But, that’s OK, he says. “Jesus will still win.”

Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2014/11/30/3462274/rock-hill-church-turns-former.html#storylink=cpy

Why Is Horst Gutsche an ELCiC Pastor? Why Is David Koenig Working with Him? Why Does the CLC (sic) Support Koenig and Paul Tiefel?

ELCiC Pastor Horst W. Gutsche did advance work for CLC (sic) Pastor David Koenig,
for their conference in Germany.

ELCiC Presiding Bishop - Gutsche's boss - is Susan Johnson.
Who is minding the store?

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Ask Pastor Paul Tiefel what he thinks of Gutsche and Koenig
working together - that should be fun and enlightening.

CLC (sic) Pastor Dave Koenig likes to stomp around,
pounding anyone who dares to criticize his false doctrine.
Why is he working with ELCiC?

GJ - We keep hearing about the Catholic Church sweeping these things under the carpet, especially in San Francisco - and how awful and evil ELCA and ELCiC (Canadian ELCA) are. But here is a CLC (sic) pastor - David Koenig - working with Horst W. Gutsche, whom Dan Fleischer brought into the CLC (sic).

Koenig is a great buddy of the Church Growth fanatics in WELS, and always defends them. The only doctrine he hates is Lutheran. He gave a one-hour tirade in his congregation about how horrible Lutheran doctrine is, so the CLC (sic) sent him overseas as a world missionary!

Koenig can do no wrong in the CLC (sic) because he is a Paul Tiefel buddy.

The European Lutherans are very upset
about the role of Horst Gutsche in arranging a theological conference.
That is no problem for CLC Pastor David Koenig and the CLC leaders.
Gutsche is currently serving an ELCiC congregation,
the Canadian equivalent of ELCA,
even though ELCA kicked him out of his San Franciso call
after his arrest.

WELS Documented - New WELS Blog Proves the Apostasy of the Abusive Sect

Monday, December 1, 2014

http://welsdocument.blogspot.com/2014/12/church-growth-by-gospel-or-by-gimmicks.html

Church Growth: By the Gospel or By Gimmicks?

Are WELS churches in danger of turning worship into a flashy concert? Of watering down the message so nobody is offended; of forgetting the simplicity of the Gospel?

It is truly sad that modern churches use cheap gimmicks to get people to attend. The church service has been changed from heart-felt worship to Hollywood style entertainment complete with special effects. Churches that once focused on Bible study classes now compete against one-another like businesses for new members. In an attempt to increase numbers, they advertise pot-lucks, dinner theaters, bake sales, soup kitchens, bingo, camping trips, exercise classes and various support groups ... things which have nothing to do with religion or the Bible. If it brings in the numbers, they will do it. Yes, these churches are full every Sunday, but most members would quit if the "cake and ice cream" that initially attracted them were no longer offered. 

One of the troubling trends in evangelical churches is the rise of meaningless gimmicks that pastors are using. The use of gimmicks is a sure sign of just how desperate pastors are becoming as they see rising expenses, declining revenues, and a dispersal of their congregations to other churches. Sadly, these gimmicks in the long run will hurt their churches. 

Are some WELS churches in danger of becoming like these two churches simply to increase the numbers?

Scum of the Earth Church; Denver, Colorado – 
It doesn’t sound like a church name … on purpose. We really want to connect with people who have no interest in “church” by society’s definition. There are plenty of churches for “normal people” and we think we have a unique calling to reach out to our otherwise unreached friends. Our name is integral to that process. Michael Sares is an evangelical pastor who has made a ministry kicking against the current. He pastors Denver’s Scum of the Earth Church, an evangelical congregation famous for welcoming those other churches might turn away. Their monthly newsletter is called “Rubbish” and among the “rejected slogans” on Scum’s website homepage is “Our congregation can kick your congregation’s ass.” Whether outcast by society (e.g., punks, skaters, ravers, homeless people…) or by the church itself, many who come can identify with the name “Scum of the Earth” since they have been previously treated as such.
http://www.scumoftheearth.net/SOTEC/Welcome.html

Crossroads/ Loft Church; Lansing, Michigan – 
A pastor in Michigan has found a new means to draw non-believers into the Christian fold. Kevin Brown, a pastor at Crossroads Church in Lansing, Michigan, is holding services not by prayers of repentance or songs but reaching his congregation by giving out free beer and popcorn at an upstairs bar called the Loft. Pastors of the experimental congregation have also promised to buy the first drink for everyone who comes to them the first time. Every first timer gets a free drink paid for by our pastors.   They have a good selection of mixed drinks, domestic, import and craft beers on draft and in bottles, as well as, soft drinks like soda, and Red Bull. "We think it communicates something to people that are very leery of church and very leery of the church being very judgmental about things," he said.
http://www.churchattheloft.com/

How do these WELS churches compare? Is this the direction they are heading also? If not, why not? Where does it stop?

The CORE; Appleton, Wisconsin (WELS) - 
The CORE exists to transform lives for Christ through faith that is Real, Relevant, and Relational. We come face to face with sin and the havoc it creates in our lives. You don’t have to pretend your life is perfect.  At The CORE you will find a friendly relaxed place where you will be encouraged, challenged, and taught through God’s Word how to connect to your Savior.
http://922church.com/the-core

Victory of the Lamb; Franklin, Wisconsin (WELS) - 
Enjoy Hospitality – Goodies, coffee and all kinds of yummy stuff.  All completely free!
Dress Comfortably – Wear clothes. Whether they’re in style… that’s up to you!
Casual Atmosphere – Reclining movie theater seats with cup holders. Need we say more?
Modern Worship – Relevant messages, musical variety, helpful videos.
Relax – There are other people like you. We’re all just getting guidance for our lives.
http://victoryofthelamb.com

Crosswalk Church; Phoenix Arizona (WELS)   -
If you hate going to church, CrossWalk was built with you in mind.  At CrossWalk we're casual in our approach, yet what we have to communicate is extremely serious stuff.  We strive to make every message and every service relevant and applicable to real life, as well as excellent in quality.  At the same time, you can come to church in your jeans, or your shorts (or even in your jean shorts) and feel perfectly comfortable in one of our services.  Grab a cup of coffee and a bagel on your way in and settle in for a high-octane hour of power-learning about God.
http://www.crosswalkphoenix.com

Christ the Rock; Round Rock, TX (WELS) - 
Christ the Rock strives to be a “church for unchurched people.” That means that we’re all about meeting people where they’re at.
http://www.ctrtx.net/

Amazing Love; Frankfort, IL (WELS) - 
There is a celebration going on.  We feel Sunday morning is the highlight of our week.  We celebrate that God loved us so much he give his life for us. We use music that helps us celebrate whether it be a Chris Tomlin (http://www.christomlin.com/home) song you hear on Christian radio or great hymns like, "How Great Thou Art."
http://www.amazinglove.org

Hope Church; Oconomowoc, WI (WELS) – 
At Hope, we are here to create a church that unchurched people love. We are thrilled that we are having success in our goal of reaching unchurched people. However, we have a problem looming on the horizon that we must address if we are going to be able to continue to reach our community. We are trying to solve a seating capacity problem. Our vision is to reach unchurched people. If we are faithful to the pursuit of this vision, we are going to run out of space to welcome our unchurched guests. There aren’t any larger facilities available in our community that we can rent. We estimate that an adequate facility will have a total cost in the $3,000,000 ballpark.

http://www.hopeinjesus.org


The Bridge; Muskego, Wisconsin (WELS) -
The Bridge meets in the Trinity Gym, where you’ll find a casual atmosphere and modern music and lighting (video of service - http://vimeo.com/98684196) The Bridge includes band-led singing, helpful spiritual messages, and moments for prayer and encouragement. You’ll notice that our pastors wear jeans. We are serious about our faith, but try not to take ourselves too seriously. The word “sacrament” simply means “sacred act.” These actions are personal, tangible ways that God says to you as an individual: “I love you. I forgive you.” The Lord’s Supper is another “sacred act” that Jesus gave us to assure us of his love. In the Lord’s Supper Jesus promises that when we eat the bread and drink the wine in this sacrament, in a miraculous way we are also receiving his body and blood to assure us that he died for our sins. Kids Club is our free Sunday morning kids program for children from 3 years old through grade five.  You’ll see the Kids Club check-in as you walk into the Trinity Café.
http://www.thebridgemuskego.org/home/

Horst W. Gutsche Helps CLC (sic) with Conference in Germany. Why Is David Koenig - CLC (sic) - Working with a Former ELCA/Current ELCiC Pastor - Who Also Used to Be CLC (sic)?

"The CLC missions board recently helped sponsor a free conference in Germany with several attendees from across Europe:" 

lfk.lutheranmissions.org" - LutherQuestRevelation
A study of the book of Revelation by Pastor David Koenig.
Koenig worked with Gutsche on this conference

Horst Gutsche is working with Pastor David Koenig - Church of the Lutheran Confession (sic)

His LinkedIn Profile

Pastor

St. Michael Evangelical Lutheran Church at Mystery Lake, Alberta

December 2010 – Present (3 years 11 months)

pastor

St. John Ev. Lutheran Church

September 2008 – April 2010 (1 year 8 months)

St. Matthew Lutheran Church

San Francisco, California USA

February 2004 – December 2007 (3 years 11 months)

http://www.stmatthews-sf.org/about/church-history/

"Pastor Horst W. Gutsche succeeded Pastor Pielhoop in 2004 until his departure in October 2007."

St. Matthew's and ELCA forced Gutsche's resignation from the congregation.

Skills

• 8Pastoral Care
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• 6Preaching
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• 3Theology
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Connections

• Shared (2)

• David Cohrs1st
  Working Chair at Shepherd's Canyon Retreat
• Roman Heidemann1st
  Pastor at Evangelical Lutheran Pari

His current parish -

Martin Luther The Evangelical Declaration The Waterloo Declaration Witness

ST MICHAEL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH ELCIC » ELCIC Directories » Find a Ministry Find A Congregation More searches Back Welcome We are providing pastoral care for an elderly community and supporting their sense of Christian faith in the heritage and future of the church and cemetery. Much visitation is done in the three homes for retirees in Barrhead and one in Legal. There are regular visits to the Barrhead Health Care Centre (Hospital)and a ministry which includes one family in Westlock and a few in Edmonton as well, all of whom do not have a church home. We provide confirmation instruction and baptismal counselling as well. Pastor Gutsche is active in mission contact work in Eastern Europe, especially in the Republic of Moldova and in the Russian Federation

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Horst W. Gutsche Books on Amazon

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https://www.facebook.com/Gammalsvenskby/posts/508136439221556

Horst Wilhelm Gutsche‎I support Gammalsvenskby - The Old Swedish Village in Ukraine

April 8, 2013 · 

Hi,

I am a Lutheran pastor residing in Barrhead, Alberta, Canada. One of my father's second cousin married a Malmas whose roots were in Gammalsvensky and there is also a Mr. Traxel still alive who was born there. He resides here in Alberta and was a member of my congregation in Edmonton.

I hope that support continues for this community. Perhaps one day Swedish will be taught there again (and perhaps German as well as the people must have spoken Swedish, German, Russian and Ukrainian. Mr. Alzheimer would have arrived very late in this community!

God Bless!

Pastor Horst W. Gutsche