BHE to Vote On PLI For a Third Time
By Rev. Jack Cascione

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod's Board for Higher Education (BHE) will be asked a third time to give PLI (Pastoral Leadership Institute) RSO (Recognized Service Organization) status. The Synod's Council of Presidents, COP, wants Dr. Norbert Oesch to retrain 225 LCMS pastors to serve LCMS mega-churches in line with the Church Growth Movement. Saint Louis Seminary President, Dr. John Johnson, has said PLI could receive accreditation from the St. Louis Seminary as soon as PLI gets approval from the BHE.

Many pastors, including those who attended the First National Free Conference on C.F.W. Walther held in St. Louis on November 5 & 6 at Hope Lutheran Church are opposed to PLI, Pastoral Leadership Institute.

Doctor Carl Mundinger, states in "Government in Missouri" published for the LCMS Centennial by CPH:

"In a certain sense, one may call the constitution of the Missouri Synod the result of a seven-year battle for congregational rights [at Trinity Lutheran Church]." (Page 179)

And again Mundinger writes:

"The removal of Martin Stephan on May 30, 1839, and all the misery that followed that event, gave the laymen the necessary jolt to press for lay participation in the government of the Church. This misery drove them into the writings of Luther, and here the laymen found the weapons which they needed to win the battle for CONGREGATIONAL SUPREMACY from the power-jealous pastors." (Page 205)

The December 1997 issue of the REPORTER noted on page three that the Council of District Presidents (COP), under the "leadership" of newly elected President Arleigh Lutz, plans to retrain 300 selected LCMS pastors over a period of six years.

At this time PLI is receiving a grant of $350,000.00 from LCEF, six figure grants from AAL, LB, and additional grants from the LCMS Foundation, the COP, and Wheatridge. Without a vote of the Convention the LCMS hierarchy and financial institutions have decided to fund the retraining of LCMS pastors according to the Mega Church model.

On his own website, www.PLI-Leader.org, Dr. Oesch writes at follows:

"Pastors will have the opportunity to:

• Participate in a seminar of three or more days, sponsored by a cross-denominational group;
• Explore with colleagues the intersections of vision and values with their own settings;
• Identify what is relevant and applicable to their home congregation and ministry;
• Design a strategic plan for action and implementation given practical and theological considerations.

Possible qualifying organizations include:

• Robert Schuller Ministries, Institute for Church Growth
• Beason Institute
• Willow Creek Ministries
• Saddleback, Purpose Driven Church Seminars
• Joy Ministries, Community of Joy Lutheran Church"

The Convention gave the sacred trust of training its pastors exclusively to the Synod's Seminaries. Why have the Synod's financial institutions and the COP usurped this authority without a Vote of the Convention?

Any endorsement and/or support for PLI is an attempt to replace congregational governance by Voters' Assemblies with the Church Growth/Leadership Training style Board of Directors. The very structure on which the Synod was founded is being dismantled without any vote from the Convention, any review of the CTCR, or any Report from the Seminary faculties. An endorsement from the Board of Higher Education for PLI must be viewed as a direct attack on the Synod's doctrine of Church and Ministry. Is Martin Stephan returning in a three-piece suit with a brief case?

After 152 years of training seminary students, the strongest objection to PLI that Fort Wayne can raise is "…we are opening ourselves to influences that may not be consistent with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod's position on doctrine and practice." What influences? Where is the certainty of actions based on clear doctrine?

Fort Wayne should be commended for writing two resolutions opposing PLI. However, as called teachers of the Synod, they must say what is the alleged incorrect doctrine and practice of PLI and then say what is the correct doctrine of Church and Ministry in the LCMS. One is hardly in a position to say what is wrong if one can't say what is right.

Fort Wayne's first resolution opposing PLI appeals to the "Shepherd" model of ministry. Every major denomination and PLI would agree to this model. How can PLI jeopardize the doctrine of Church and Ministry if there is no agreement in the Synod on the doctrine of Church and Ministry? Any appeal to political and procedural remedies in place of confessing and applying specific doctrines does not serve the congregations or the Convention.

The congregations must also ask how the Synod's Board for Higher Education is now qualified to revamp the historic congregational polity taught to all LCMS Pastors.

In PLI's three-page report titled "Theological Foundation," prepared with the assistance of St. Louis Faculty members, PLI appears to articulate the correct exposition of the Lutheran Confessions and Holy Scripture. However, on September 9, 1999, PLI issued a three-page evaluation report from the COP conducted by Les Stroh of "Cornerstone." On page one, Stroh quotes Dr. Oesch as follows:

"Regarding the district cost of $1500.00 per candidate, I believe it is the best investment we could make with our district monies. The cost per capita is minimal while the cost that districts need to pay for serving small congregations which are dysfunctional, both in terms of cash out lay and of district time, is as much as ten times what we spend on PLI pastors."

The cost for retraining each pastor in PLI is approximately $6000.00 per year for four years or $24,000.00. The solution may be to close up the District offices so that they will no longer have to suffer such financial losses because of all of the small dysfunctional congregations.

Christ tells us that, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20) Now we read that small congregations are dysfunctional and a financial burden to the District. Perhaps those are the congregations that only Jesus can love. As expected, the COP, with the agreement of their agent PLI, has moved from an advisory to supervisory role of the Synod's congregations. They have taken upon themselves the task of making "dysfunctional" congregations into "healthy" congregations by the devil's standards.

PLI may claim to agree with every doctrine of Synod but in practice it views Willow Creek, Community of Joy, Saddleback, and Crystal Cathedral as positive "healthy" models for LCMS pastors. The Missouri Synod's only position on Church and Ministry is congregational autonomy and Voter supremacy established by C.F.W. Walther. Rather than PLI, the BHE must endorse Walther's Church and Ministry.

MENTORING PASTORS AND CONGREGATIONS

The following is a list of LCMS Church Growth Pastors whose congregations and pastors are participating in retraining pastors for PLI and the COP. At this time the Synod's Districts, LCEF, the LCMS Foundation, AAL, LB, Wheatridge, the COP and other groups are funding the retraining and restructuring of congregations without a vote of the Synod's Convention.

Rev. Gregory K. Smith, Pastor
Christ Memorial Luth. Church
5614 Hillridge Ct.
St. Louis, Missouri 63128

Rev. John H. Kieschnick, Pastor
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
18220 Upper Bay Rd.
Houston, Texas 77058

Rev. Wm. G. Thompson, Pastor
Concordia Lutheran Church
1826 Basse Rd.
San Antonio, Texas 78213

Rev. Stephen A. Wagner, Pastor
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
1923 Westminster Dr.,
Carrollton, Texas 75007

Rev. Charles S. Mueller, Jr., Pastor
Trinity Lutheran Church
434 Ridge Ct.
Roselle, Illinois 60172

Rev. Warren B. Arndt, Pastor
Faith Lutheran Church
2775 Saratoga Dr.,
Troy, Michigan 48083

Rev. Michael S. Ernst, Pastor
Hales Corner Lutheran Church
S79W15273 Foxboro Pl.,
Muskego, Wisconsin 53150

Rev. Stephen D. Hower, Pastor
St. John's Lutheran Church
230 Killarney lane
Pacific, Missouri 63069

Rev. Vernon D. Gundermann, Pastor
Concordia Lutheran Church
34 Cedarbrook Lane
Kirkwood, Missouri 63122

Rev. Victor V. Hippe, Pastor
St. Luke Lutheran Church
33750 - 29th Ct. SW
Federal Way, Washington 98023

Rev. Wayne E. Graumann, Pastor
Salem Lutheran Church
16020 Lutheran School Rd.,
Tomball, Texas 77375

Rev. John A. Messman, Pastor
St. Paul Lutheran Church
4351 Dove Meadow Ct.
Ft. Worth, Texas 76133

Rev. Mark A. Mueller, Pastor
Our Redeemer Lutheran Church
14845 W. Janice Ct.
New Berlin, Wisconsin 53151

Rev. Darrell Stuehrenberg, Pastor
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
4311 SW 73rd Ter.
Davie, Florida 33314

Rev. Mark R. Teike, Pastor
St. Peter Lutheran Church
1012 Tanager Dr.,
Columbus, Indiana 47203

Rev. Mark P. Zehnder, Pastor
King of Kings Lutheran Church
14909 Dorcas Cir.
Omaha, Nebraska 68144

Rev. Wm. B. Hemenway, Pastor
Christ Lutheran Church
760 Victoria St.,
Costa Mesa, Calif. 92627

Rev. Arthur Deueker, Pastor
Hope Lutheran Church
1301 Vintage Lane
Rochester, New York 14626

Rev. Walter Waiser, Pastor
Peace Lutheran Church
941 W. Bedford Euless Rd.
Hurst, Texas 76053

Rev. Charles K. Simonson, Pastor
St. John's Lutheran Church
10615 Rising Sun Dr.
Bakersfield, Calif. 93312

Rev. Richard C. Noack, Pastor
Trinity Lutheran Church
6310 Elmgrove Rd.,
Spring, Texas 77389

Rev. Ronald L. Marten, Pastor
St. Paul's Lutheran Church
1250 E. Heim Ave.,
Orange, Calif. 92865