The December 1999 LCMS "Reporter" is one of the most remarkable examples of self congratulations for spending and losing other people's money in the name of God.

On page two we find the article titled, "Leadership talks stress 'Making a Difference.'" The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Foundation and the Church Extension Fund spent approximately 3/4 of million dollars flying in 900 LCMS "leaders" to San Diego, California on "Nov. 19-21 for this year's Fall Leadership Conference." That included air fair, lodging, meals, conference rooms and a banquet hall for the COP, LCEF and Foundation Board members and representatives, staff workers, financial planners, Synodical officials, etc, and their wives.

What did they hear? On page 4 they heard a report titled "'Trusted employee ' blamed for foundation loss." The Foundation and LCEF lost $40,000.000.00 and they say it was one man's fault. Of course, "The former employee's name was not disclosed."

What did he do? The "20-year employee had violated investment policies." "As a result, the $40 million was lost from funds managed by the employee."

How did he lose the money? He invested in "exotic unhedged derivative investments."

What was the policy he was supposed to follow? "Had policy been observed, the manager could have had up to $20 million in such investments. But at June 30, 1998, $98.9 million- more than twice the limitation- had been placed by the manager in derivatives." Pardon me gentlemen, but my math tells me that the manager in question exceeded policy by nearly five times, not two times.

In other words, this man put one seventh of the entire LCMS Foundation in "exotic unhedged derivatives" and no one knew about it?! That's quite a chunk. Loosing $40 million of $100 million in a few months means these highly "exotic" investments also have tremendous potential to make $40 million dollars profit at the same time. Would the Synod have been informed of such a windfall?

The "900 leaders" were also treated to a speech by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the LCMS, Dr. Donald Muchow, titled "The State of the Church Tomorrow."

"Muchow warned against letting floating debris scuttle the church's 'voyage of rescue and love.' Debris, he said, includes 'controversies surrounding worship styles, hymnody, communion practices [and] congregational polity,' as well as 'increasing Biblical illiteracy, insufficient catechesis,.and troublesome fellowship relationships with other faith groups. The audience interrupted Muchow with applause when he said, 'Nothing, not nothing, must take precedence over God's Great Commission for our journey.'"

One quickly learns what is not included in Muchow's definition of the church’s "voyage of rescue and love." In other words, if the clergy want to be CEO's or archbishops and get rid of supreme Voters' Assemblies that is not Synod's concern. If the COP want PLI, Pastoral Leadership Institute, funded by the Foundation and LCEF, to get rid of hymnbooks and establish Church Growth Mega Churches in the LCMS that is not Synod's concern. If people don't know their doctrine, Bible, and catechism like they should that is not Synod's concern. If there are problems with open Communion and the ELCA's fellowship with Reformed Congregations and agreement with the Pope on Justification that is not Synod's concern. Synod's concern is the church's "voyage of rescue and love."

We need to flesh out this word "love" here. I think it is about the 900 leaders spending the joy of other people's money. The 900 leaders interrupted Muchow's speech four times. They were the best crowd money could buy! The COP is having a great deal of joy encouraging their operatives in the LCEF and Foundation to fund their favorite projects including PLI. There are approximately 5 and 1/2 billion dollars in all the LCMS financial institutions and lots more billions coming from where those billions came from.

The 900 also heard a speech from Ted Kober, a member of the Synod's Board of Directors. He is also the Synod's trainer for all Reconcilers in the LCMS. You can read about Ted's nondenominational, Biblically based organization, called "Peacemaker Ministries" by logging on to www.peacemaker.org and www.hispeace.org.

Among a list of five concerns Kober noted that there is a "A significant feeling of mistrust and suspicion among many of our pastors." He made this comment at the same meeting that heard Muchow above and heard a report on the loss of $40 million. He said "The doctrinal problem is not the issue, but the way we have treated one another since that event [the Seminex walkout] took place. Kober quoted 1John 8 and 9. He speaks about forgiveness but says nothing in the article on page 3 about repentance.

Repentance would mean Kober leading the entire 900 leaders in confessing that they have just lavished 3/4 million dollars of other people's money on themselves with no vote from the Convention.

Repentance would mean confessing that the COP, the Board of Directors, the Foundation, LCEF, PLI, have all teamed up to replace Voter's Assemblies with corporate hierarchy and cut the layman's legs off for their own personal gain, in the name of the Lord.

Repentance would mean that confessing that the highest priority of the Board of Directors would be to uphold the Constitution of the Synod, particularly conditions for membership under Article VI.4, "Exclusive use of doctrinally pure agenda, hymnbooks, and catechism in church and school," and not call them "debris."

Big brother wants us to love each other and forgive each other and forget about the doctrinal problems and forget about the money. Kober should have advised Martin Luther and we would still be in fellowship with the Pope.

Then we read that former President Ralph Bohlmann just issued his public objection to the press about President A. L. Barry's public explanation of why the LCMS is not part of the fellowship agreement between the Catholic's and the ELCA on the doctrine of Justification. Where is the love? Did Bohlmann talk to Barry? Did Kober talk to Bohlmann?

Perhaps Kober should take his advise and sit down with the COP and Bohlmann and Barry and get them all to publicly agree on justification, worship, catechesis, hymnbooks, agenda, confession of three and only three Creeds, use of the name Lutheran on all LCMS Congregations, and fellowship before he starts giving advise to pastors who have "a significant feeling of mistrust and suspicion."

Just coincidently, Bohlmann is of the same political stripe as the COP. Criticizing Barry in the press about justification just might have something to do with protecting the cash flow out of the LCMS's financial institutions for those joyous COP "projects."

Interfering with the joy of spending other people's money could be the most loveless, heinous thing I could have said.