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The following four letters were exchanged between
Pacific South West
District President Larry Stoterau and Congressman Bill Dannemeyer, President
of The Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Fullerton, California. These
four
letters were referenced in Dannemeyer's letter to Stoterau, dated October
29, 2002. Reclaim News published the October 29 letter in our last
release.
In the previous release Dannemeyer expresses his disappointment that the
District considers its financial support to PLI a private and not a public
matter. The District appears to avoid public accountability for
congregations' funds given to PLI. All too often the "Leadership
Training"
of PLI indoctrinates leaders who don't have to answer questions from their
parishioners or constituents.
STATIONARY OF:
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR
1521 West Orangethorpe Ave.
Fullerton, Calif. 92833-4533
(714)-525-5584
May 16, 2002
President Larry Stoterau
PSWD-LCMS
1540 Concordia Drive East
Irvine, Calif. 92612-3203
Dear Mr. Stoterau:
Our congregation recently learned that on February 15, 1998, the PSWD issued
an interim call to Dr. Norbert Oesch to be the Executive Director of the
Pastoral Leadership Institute.
As you probably know the Board For Higher Education of the LCMS has declined
to grant RSO status to PLI.
We have also learned that late in August, 2000, the CCM of the LCMS rendered
an opinion that the authority of a District of the LCMS in granting a call
extends only to the confines of the District which issued the call. In
other words, it is operative and valid only in the District, which extended
the call, in this instance the PSWD.
At this point we want to make clear that our congregation has no quarrel
with the concept that there is need in our church for post-graduate training
for our Pastors who have a need and desire to obtain it. The question
still remains, who should direct it? We sincerely believe that any
such post-graduate training be under the direct supervision and control of
our two Synodical Seminaries by Professors of the Seminaries.
Our congregation has also learned that PLI received funding from Synodical
LCEF funds, which caused an opinion to be rendered by the CCM, an agency of
Synod that these funds were granted without any authority and need to be
repaid.
We think it is time for the President of the PSWD and the members of the
Board of Directors to answer certain questions concerning PLI:
1. What was the intended duration of the "interim" call, which was
extended to Dr. Norbert Oesch on February 5, 1998?
2. Irrespective of the answer to question (1), has the interim period
expired and will you advise Dr. Norbert Oesch that the interim call has
expired?
3. Have you written to Dr. Norbert Oesch and advised him that by virtue of
the fact that the call of the PSWD to him is valid only in the PSWD and
therefore when he conducts his training program outside the PSWD that he has
no authority as a called clergy member of the LCMS?
4. Has the PSWD entered into a financial arrangement with PLI in any way
whatsoever, and if so, what is the nature and extent of this arrangement?
Very truly yours,
Bill Dannemeyer
President, Lutheran Church of Our Savior
STATIONARY OF:
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH - MISSOURI SYNOD
PACIFIC SOUTHWEST DISTRICT
1540 Concordia East
Irvine, California 92612-3203
May 23, 2002
Mr. Bill Dannemeyer, President
The Lutheran Church of Our Savior
1521 West Orangethorpe Avenue
Fullerton, California 92833-4533
Dear Mr. Dannemeyer:
Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I pray that God is continuing to use the ministry of The Lutheran Church of
Our Savior in Spirit-driven ways to reach the unchurched people of your
community.
In response to your letter of May 16, I can answer all of your questions
very simply. While the Pacific Southwest District Board of Director's
did issue an interim call to Dr. Norb Oesch for PLI at its inception, the
Board also respected the ruling of the CCM in August of 2000. When
informed of the understanding of the Bylaws of Synod that districts cannot
call someone to serve beyond their district, Dr. Oesch resigned his call
issued by the Pacific Southwest District. Other conversations and
communications between Dr. Oesch and me are not necessary to be shared at
this time. But the bottom line is that Dr. Oesch no longer holds a
call from the Pacific Southwest District to serve as the director of PLI.
Concerning financial arrangements, the Pacific Southwest District has no
financial arrangements with PLI. We do continue to support and
encourage our pastors who participate in PLI because we believe that it is a
worthwhile program of continuing education, and our pastors and their wives
who participate are receiving great benefits from such a program.
Thank you for your concern and interest.
May the Lord continue to bless you as you serve Him.
Serving with you our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
THE REVEREND DR. LARRY STOTERAU, President
The Pacific Southwest District-LCMS
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STATIONARY OF:
The Lutheran Church of Our Savior
1521 West Orangethorpe Ave.,
Fullerton, Calif. 92833-4533
714-525-5584
September 30, 2002
The Rev. Dr. Larry Stoterau
President, PSWD
1540 Concordia East
Irvine, Calif. 92612-3203
Dear President Stoterau,
Thank you for your letter to me dated May 23, 2002, which responded to my
letter to you dated May 16, 2002.
You kindly answered some of my questions and I thank you for them. It
would help my understanding of the relationship between the PSWD and Dr.
Oesch of PLI to know the date when the call to Dr. Oesch was terminated.
In the fourth paragraph of your letter, you used this language:
"the Pacific Southwest District has no financial arrangements with
PLI." It is sometimes not correct to read words into what someone
else has written, but your letter is dated May 23, 2002, and what you may
have been saying is that the PSWD has no "current" financial
arrangements with PLI? You will note that the fourth question in my
letter was not limited to only "current" financial arrangements,
but to "a financial arrangement with PLI in any way whatsoever."
Please respond.
Very truly yours,
Bill Dannemeyer, President
Lutheran Church of Our Savior
STATIONARY OF:
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH - MISSOURI SYNOD
Pacific Southwest District
1540 Concordia East
Irvine, California 92612-3203
Phone: 949-854-3432
October 14, 2002
Mr. Bill Dannemeyer
Lutheran Church of Our Savior
1521 W. Orangethorpe Avenue
Fullerton, CA 92833-4533
Dear Bill and Members of Lutheran Church of Our Savior:
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I thank
you for your continued outreach with the Gospel of Jesus to the people of
your community and your partnership in the Gospel.
I have received your letter of September 30 requesting further information
concerning the relationship of PLI and the Pacific Southwest District.
Your earlier letter stated that the members of Lutheran Church of Our Savior
had questions about the relationship of PLI and the District. As I
shared my answers with you, I thought that I was responding to a
congregation of the PSW. I was disappointed to see that my letter to
you was posted almost immediately on Reclaim News.
If the members of Lutheran Church of Our Savior have questions concerning
PLI and the Pacific Southwest District, I will be more than happy to attend
a meeting with your pastor and members of your congregation. Please
contact my assistant, Joy Jones, for a date for such a meeting.
May the Lord continue to bless you as you seek to reach unchurched people in
your community with the love of Jesus Christ.
Serving you our Lord and Savior, Jesus,
THE REVEREND DR. LARRY STOTERAU, President
Pacific Southwest District-LCMS
Cc: The Reverend Timothy Muller, Pastor
Lutheran Church of Our Savior
The Reverend Beryl Droegemueller,
Region Vice President
Pacific Southwest District -LCMS
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