The September of issue of Affirm does its best to say the egg is not on
their 2001 LCMS Convention face after the defeat of Dr. Dean Wenthe.
Affirm (Tom Baker) says it "has a responsibility to its thousands upon
thousands of readers" to explain the victory of Gerald Kieschnick. This
is double-speak for "Who can we blame?"
When Affirm gets it right they take the credit and when they lose it is
because of those three culprits "1) Jack Cascione 2) Herman Otten 3) Anne
Driessnack." There is nothing like being number #1.
Baker claims the non-issues of Wenthe promoting ordination as a sacrament,
claiming Psalm 2 is not about Jesus Christ, supporting "A Plea For
Ministry to Homosexuals and Their Families", and then Ann Driessnack not
caring for the type of pastors Wenthe graduates, is what lost the election.
There is nothing like avoiding the problem, is there Tom? How about the
Fort Wayne Faculty's written refusal to answer if they support Walther's views
on Voters' Assemblies and "Church and Ministry?" Baker proceeds as
if the 2001 Convention didn't support a resolution endorsing Walther's
"Church and Ministry" by an overwhelming 73% on the advice of
Montana District President, George Wollenburg.
Or how about the last issue of Fort Wayne's publication "For the Life
of the World" before the Convention where Wenthe claims that the pastor
is equal to and not under the congregation?
And for a third example, how about Otten's publication, on the week of the
Convention, of a 2001 Fort Wayne graduate's article who renamed himself
Reverend Father Gorlitz. There in CN was Father Gorlitz defending the
sacrament of ordination against Jack Cascione's quotations from Luther who was
opposed to the sacrament of ordination. Who let the hyper-Euro-Lutherans out?
As Otten told me, "That's it, I've had it, Gorlitz is going on the front
page." There is a lot more that could be added to these three examples.
According to Baker, "Day Star" and "Jesus First" didn't
say anything negative about Wenthe and Fort Wayne. He obviously didn't read
their material.
It is amazing that a few people can meet together in secret and call
themselves the United List because they didn't invite Cascione, Otten, or
Driessnack, who disagree with them. Of course, if the United List listened to
anyone disagreeable before the election they wouldn't have anyone to blame
when they lost.
At the post Easter 2001 meeting of Lutheran Concerns Association (LCA) in
Chicago, some LCA members, who were also members of Balance, tabled a motion
to poll the meeting on its preference for LCMS President. It is called
silencing the opposition and then calling themselves the "United
List" in their dreams.
Baker knows that Preus was the choice of Cascione, Otten and Driessnack. If
the United List had backed Preus instead of Wenthe, Preus would have won.
Preus had more votes for Vice-President than Wenthe or Kieschnick had for
President. Yes, we agree with Baker that Wenthe would have been President if
Cascione, Otten and Driessnack decided to follow "Affirm's" love for
power at the expense of sound doctrine and practice. Cascione, Otten, and
Driessnack aren't going to sell their souls for an election.
If people wanted to read about 2001 Convention issues, they were not to be
found on the pages of Affirm, but in Christian News. "Affirm" the
former champions of Lutheran doctrine in the 1960's has mutated into the
champions of power politics. "Jesus First's" campaign tactics came
right out of the Affirm/Balance playbook. "Jesus First" out affirmed
"Affirm" so Baker says it must be Cascione's fault? Hence, a parish
pastor in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, is to blame for mighty Affirm not
electing its candidate. We have come a long way from Seminex.
Baker has identified Cascione as the major power broker for the 2004 LCMS
Convention. "Jesus First" and "Day Star" are incidental
players. Cascione, Otten, and Driessnack "C.O.D." will continue to
deliver the truth about doctrine and practice and promote candidates who
conform to the truth. It is better to lose an election than a soul. The truth,
not winning, is everything.