A Tale of Two LCMS Seminaries and PLI
by Rev. Jack Cascione

Parish Leadership Institute (PLI) is now training pastors for Church Growth in the LCMS.

Parish Leadership Institute (PLI) is training LCMS pastors for "leadership" under the direction Dr. Norbert Oesch, former pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church in Orange, California. The assumption is that LCMS pastors are not being trained for Leadership and therefore are not able to properly lead a growing congregation.

There are many organizations in the Church Growth Movement promoting "Leadership Training" such as Fuller Theological Seminary, Crystal Cathedral, Leadership Net Work, INJOY, Community of Joy, Beeson Institute for Advanced Church Leadership, Saddleback, Church Consultants Group, and Willow Creek. There is no Biblical or confessional basis for "Leadership Training." Their teachings come from the secular world of the Harvard School of Business, Covey Leadership Center, Peter Drucker, Peter Senge, Resource Services Inc. and nearly 14,000 corporations on the Internet that provide training and processes consulting in "Leadership Training."

The basic tenant of Leadership Training is transformational dialectic processing, substituting market driven motivation for fact based education in order to create change.

The Lutheran Church Extension Fund has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to PLI as well as AAL, and other sources. District Presidents from across the Synod are hand picking candidates for training for PLI. The cost is $6,000.00 per year for four years. Many Districts are also helping to pay for the PLI education of these pastors. All this is taking place without the approval of the Convention, either Seminary Board of Regents, or the Board for Higher Education. The Lutheran Church Extension Fund is funding the retraining of LCMS Pastors to operate Church Growth Congregations who in turn build mega-churches and borrow money from the Lutheran Church Extension Fund.

The Lutheran Church Extension Fund is functioning as a renegade cooperation within the LCMS promoting the Church Growth Movement with a religion and philosophy counter that taught by the LCMS. They have no authority to carry on this work. The Convention has not approved PLI nor was it asked to. Even though the Executive Director for the Board for Higher Education, Dr. Bill Meyer strongly endorses PLI the full Board continues to deny PLI its request as a Recognized Service Organization (RSO) of the LCMS because Oesch has not submitted a full curriculum for PLI for Board examination.

Dr. Norbert Oesch wrote to his former congregation, St. John’s Lutheran Church in Orange, CA on February 6, 1998, "In consultation with Concordia Seminary President, Dr. John Johnson, with Dr. Bill Meyer of the Board of Higher Education, and with President Gerry Kieschnick of the Texas District, the idea of the Pastoral Leadership Institute was shaped." Doctor Bill Meyer, Executive Director of the Board for Higher Education wrote on July 13, 1998, to a concerned member of Oesch’s former congregation: "Your former pastor, Norbert Oesch, is my life-long friend. I firmly believe he will provide effective leadership for PLI."

The LCMS Reporter wrote in December of 1997 and September 1998 that with the encouragement of the COP the St. Louis Seminary will include PLI in a doctoral degree program. Now, however, President John Johnson has made a 180 degree turn. On May 14, 1999 he wrote: "The Doctor of Ministry Degree Committee of the Seminary states their willingness to consider the matter but no decisions have been made. Nor, I might add, will such decisions be made unless PLI becomes in some way officially associated with the LCMS (as an auxiliary or Recognized Service Organization, for instance)."

The LCMS Board for Higher Education has thus far twice declined to give RSO status to PLI.

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A letter from Victor W. Bryant, Senior Vice President - Marketing, of The Lutheran Church Extension Fund, defending its own support and the support of St. Louis Seminary President John Johnson for PLI to Mrs. Georgann McKee, a member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Orange, California.

July 14, 1999

Mrs. Georgann McKee
12791 Wheeler Place
Santa Ana, California 92705

Dear Mrs. McKee:

Thank you for your letter. I have read it carefully. I suspect there is probably nothing that I could write you that would give you the satisfaction that you desire, but you should be aware of the following (and hopefully in the process, I will answer some of the questions you raise):

• LCEF's mission statement calls for us to "...provide funds and services in support of the Great Commission through the LCMS." LCEF began to explore what eventually would become PLI because of the request of pastors searching for additional leadership training.
• LCEF met with a group of pastors of large congregations to brainstorm the situation and then funded several planning meetings, resulting in the formation of PLI.
• LCEF has the necessary authority to conduct such pilot projects without requiring approval by either the Synod in convention or the board of regents of the two seminaries.
• LCEF did contact every possible organization to advise them of the pilot project and to assure that there was neither competition or duplicative effort with any LCMS organization.
• In January 1998, a meeting with PLI board members was held at Dr. Barry's request. Attending with Dr. Barry was Dr. Walt Rosin, Secretary: John Schuelke, Administrative Officer; and executive officers from Congregational Services, Board for Higher Education, Human Care, Missions and virtually every department interested in the ministry of PLI. After the purpose and history of PLI was explained, all present supported the concept and the administrative officer praised LCEF for initiating the project.
• Dr. Oesch was chosen by board members of PLI, not LCEF. They evidently hold him in high regard.
• The concept of PLI was presented to a meeting of the Council of Presidents (35 districts) and they, too, were and are supportive.
• Dr. John Johnson, President of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, has been a strong advocate of PLI and currently serves on the PLI board of directors.
• PLI has requested Recognized Service Organization status under the Board for Higher Education with plans to offer Doctor of Ministry credits for those who attend. Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, has expressed support for that initiative.
• I have written and talked extensively with Mrs. Helen Eggers and do not recall her asking for the LCEF Constitution and Bylaws. Based on your comments, I am mailing these to her today. They are public documents and available to anyone who wishes to see them.
• The LCEF goal is to work with all congregations - large or small - to provide our services to them. We do not discriminate based on the size of congregation. Recent data in LCMS seems to show that new members appreciated the larger diversity of services that a larger congregation can provide.
• It would be inappropriate for me to comment on your statements regarding your personal concerns about Pastor Oesch during his time at St. John's, Orange, Calif.
• LCEF has received a few negative calls and letters, mostly from members of St. John's about PLI. However, across the Synod- Districts, congregations, and even seminaries - the support for PLI is very positive.

In closing, I hope these comments have helped you to better understand the positive work that can be accomplished through PLI. I ask for your support of a worthwhile initiative that has received widespread support that can help prepare our pastors for new and growing challenges! If you felt it would be helpful, I would be happy to answer any specific questions you have about PLI. Please feel free to either write or call me at 1-800-854-4004, Ext. 1810.

Regards,

Victor W. Bryant
Senior Vice President - Marketing

C: Officers of Synod: Barry, Kuhn, King, Weinrich, Pittelko, Schulz
Board of Regents, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
Presidents of Seminaries, Johnson and Wendt
LCEF President Merle Freitag

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The following resolution condemning PLI was adopted by the Board of Regents at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne.

Resolution

WHEREAS, members of the Board of Regents (BOR) of Concordia Theological Seminary, Inc. (CTS) received a letter from the President of The Lutheran Church of our Savior of Fullerton, Cal. dated June 15, 1999, with attachment of a "BUSINESS PLAN FOR THE PASTORAL LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE" (Plan and PLI respectively); and

WHEREAS, the said Plan at p. ii states in part under the VALUE PROPOSITION that, "The PLI will provide annual conferencing events and small, collegial group interaction and mentoring church opportunities, as well as help facilitate international mission and cross-denominational events for each participant"; and

WHEREAS, the said Plan at p. ii also states in part under the "WHY NOW AND WHY THE PASTORAL LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE?" that, "LCMS clergy are not able to get leadership training at the Seminary level."; and

WHEREAS, the Lutheran Church of our Savior has referred in its said letter to the statement of the PLI that, "LCMS clergy are not able to get leadership training at the Seminary level." and have asked: (a) "If this statement is true, what are you doing to correct the curriculum at the seminary to provide leadership training to our future clergy?" and (b) "If it is not true, what are you doing to bring the proponents of the PLI to account for their false statement?"; and

WHEREAS, the BOR of CTS, based upon conversations with faculty, graduates, and a review of "1998-1999 ACADEMIC CATALOG" of CTS, is of the opinion the quoted statement of the PLI regarding "leadership training" is untrue with respect at least to CTS; and

WHEREAS, Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions squarely address the sin of bearing false witness against one's neighbor; therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, that the President of CTS, as chief executive officer of the BOR, be directed to write the Board of Directors of the PLI seeking (a) withdrawal of the statement, "LCMS clergy are not able to get leadership training at the Seminary level." and (b) a public apology to the church at large for its misrepresentation of the pastoral training provided by CTS, said communication to articulate the pastoral ("SHEPHERD" - John 10:11; Acts 20:28) training given to CTS students and CTS's Confessional understanding of the high office of the public ministry in the context here involved.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the President of CTS, as chief executive of the BOR, be directed to promptly register objections to the Synodical President, the Synodical Board of Directors, and the Board for Higher Education of any recognition of the PLI as a Recognized Service Organization or Auxiliary Organization of the Synod.

August 31, 1999