Schulz Tells How LLL Covered Up Facts About His Removal

Schulz Tells How LLL Covered Up Facts About His Removal

By: Rev. Jack Cascione

Schulz's Reply to Second Set of Stipulations

November 12, 2002

Dear Members of the LLL Board of Governors:

"For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come" (Hebrews 13:14).

I have before me the November 1, 2002 letter from the LLL signed by Mr. Hebermehl, along with still another Contract which offers severance in exchange for my silence.

I had hoped my letter of October 9, 2002 would be my last; however, I am again forced to respond. Here is why. When I did not accept the stipulations presented to me (stipulations I had no input into whatsoever), I was told I thereby terminated myself! I must admit, this was a very clever way of getting rid of me. Now, however, I am faced with still another trap door. If I don't respond to the letters I am sent regarding severance, I will again be causing my own loss of severance. Communication will stop, severance will become a dead issue, and I will be the one blamed for not responding to the demands put before me.

THE LARGER AND KEY ISSUE

While the above described scenario would obviously not be a pleasant experience for anyone, there is a much larger issue here than my termination, the destruction of my reputation, and loss of any severance. This issue involves the entire church.

After the LLL went to extraordinary efforts to publicize my alleged sin (so wrong that I had be suspended and eventually removed from preaching the Gospel on the Lutheran Hour), additional efforts have been, and continue to be made to "hide" from the LCMS pastors and congregations how, or even whether, this matter is being settled. This is not acceptable. What has happened with me at the Lutheran Hour in recent months is not a minor "business" or "employee matter." This is a serious spiritual matter, and must be dealt with spiritually. What happened to me is not the most critical issue. But what is now happening to the church, the Body of Christ, is always most important.

The following is summarized background information indicating why this entire matter did not have to be, but is now a spiritual matter that needs to be resolved spiritually.

On July 10, at the "Anna's for Lunch," restaurant I was unexpectedly confronted by LLL Board Chairman Al Waldron, Executive Director Rodger Hebermehl, and Pastoral Advisor Barry Keurulainen, with the request for me, in Mr. Waldron's words to "do the right thing," or, to resign from preaching on the Lutheran Hour. Let me be very candid with you. I understand that some LLL leaders continue to go around the LLL saying that I was not asked to resign on July 10 at "Anna's for Lunch." To me this denial is incredible! As a matter of fact, when I left the meeting and drove home, I told my family I had just been asked to resign from the Lutheran Hour. I then also told this to several close personal friends. This is a demeaning thing to be asked to resign. Do you know of anyone who would willfully demean himself in this way? It is extremely important to know that, at that restaurant meeting, I told Mr. Waldron directly, and repeatedly, that if he could/would present me with a written request from the entire Board of Governors for my resignation, I would do so immediately and I would do so quietly. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that these three men recall this since I made a special note that I would not make an issue of my resignation as long as the entire board requested it. In fact, at one point Mr. Waldron did say that he did not have such a written request for my resignation "in his pocket"; however, if he had, he would give it to me.

MY OFFER REJECTED

My offer to resign and leave quietly at the request of the entire board, however, was obviously not acceptable. I had to be crucified publicly and the whole world had to be told clearly of my alleged sin, a sin so terrible I had to be immediately suspended from the Lutheran Hour and eventually removed.

Consider the intentional public humiliation of me and how this has negatively impacted the entire church. In his opening address at the Ottawa convention Mr. Waldron strongly urged all assembled delegates, "listen carefully," as he outlined my guilt. Mr. Waldron did everything possible to make sure my alleged sin was clearly understood, even though arrangements had been made to prevent me from attending the convention to defend myself .

Then, with me as an LCMS pastor barred from the convention (while Mr. Peter Faur as an ELCA PR specialist was already working at the LLL Ottawa Convention press room), Faur then teamed up with LLL staff person James Telle and began to pour forth endless press releases to make sure that everyone knew of my horrible sin, which, by that time, had already caused me to be suspended from preaching the Gospel on the Lutheran Hour.

[Reclaim News has learned James Telle is also writes articles for President Kieschnick]

Previously recorded sermons had been pulled from the stations where they had been sent for broadcast.

SPECIAL NEWS RELEASES TO GIVE CREDIBILITY TO A FALSE CHARGE AND CONVICTION

Special news releases were provided to the LCMS Board for Communication Services, which then became headline news in The Reporter.

LLL staff persons, such as Jim Telle of the LLL staff, by interview, provided further highly scurrilous information about my sin and supposed intention to commit worse sin to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, a newspaper read nationwide. I have included the St. Louis Post-Dispatch article with commentary (Editorial note: this will be posted in a second email post).

LLL staff members sent news of my egregious sin to top Lutheran leaders in other countries. If you need this information, I will be glad to provide it. Thus, every possible effort was made to publicize my grievous sin as widely as possible, all the while denying me any opportunity to defend myself, something the secular world demands be done even for the worst of criminals!

THE CONCERN EXPRESSED HERE IS NOT PRIVATE

Please note that I am not the only one saying that the handling of my termination from the Lutheran Hour has become a serious matter in the church. At least a half dozen LCMS pastor and teacher conferences have passed resolutions expressing their concern regarding this matter, which could have been settled privately, but the LLL leadership has decided to make it a very public matter. The Lutheran Church of Canada has also registered its concern.

Let me add that several LCMS pastors have expressed their concern that this matter be resolved openly and spiritually since they fear that this high-profile case in the LCMS may set a precedent and therefore what has been done to me could be used as a precedent to treat other pastors, teachers, or even lay people the same way.

MY OVERALL RESPONSE

Let me also mention what I did while I was being slandered openly and publicly by leadership of the LLL.

1. After I was suspended on July 12.2002 I never made a single phone call to one governor to plead my case. 2. I have never asked any person or group in the entire LCMS to "get behind me to support me." 3. I have never asked, or even hinted, that I should be reinstated. In fact, in an earlier letter I stated that there are other LCMS pastors who can serve as well as if not better, than I, on the Lutheran Hour. 4. I have not asked that anyone begin a "defense fund" for me. 5. I have not asked for any type of severance, even though my last pay check from the LLL arrived one month ago. 6. I have neither contacted nor hired any lawyer or PR person or group to advocate for my case. 7. The bottom line is this: I have remained entirely silent on these matters except that I have written letters to you board members in response to letters I received from the LLL Executive Director .

"But," you may say, "If Wallace Schulz claims to be so silent, why is he writing all these letters?" My response is simply this: Even though it could have been handled otherwise, the LLL leadership has made public this scandal of such international importance that this same LLL leadership is now responsible to make public to the LCMS pastors and people a resolution of the issue.

In the November 1, 2002 cover letter, I am told, "We consider this agreement to be a confidential issue between employer and employee, and ask that it not be disseminated publicly." Let me respond by candidly stating that it would be a great offence to the pastors, congregations, and people in our LCMS to first permit them to be intentionally "worked up" over an issue in their Synod and then deny them the knowledge of how this matter is being settled. The fact that so many pastors and teachers conferences passed resolutions regarding this matter is a clear signal that they will be highly
incensed if they are told, "This is a private employer / employee matter and none of your business." Thus, any attempt to and any communication to cover this serious sin with hush money will be published so that LCMS pastors and people can know what is going on within this church. THEY GIVE SACRIFICIALLY FOR THE GOSPEL, THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW. The LCMS is not a secret lodge, and the LLL dare not operate like a secret lodge.

Furthermore, since most pastors and teachers do see this as a serious spiritual matter, I am sure they would be just as offended as I was to learn that the LLL leadership has twice urged me to retain a lawyer. Point 4d of the second "Agreement" states: "Dr. Schulz acknowledges that the League advises him to consult an attorney..."

ATTORNEYS DO NOT RESOLVE SPIRITUAL MATTERS

Let me be very clear regarding attorneys in the matter. I will in no way involve attorneys to resolve a matter that is essentially spiritual. Furthermore, I would urge all pastors in our LCMS to not permit spiritual matters to be dragged into secular courts, matters which should be settled only by the Law and Gospel of God's Word as our Lord desires them to be resolved, and not by the law of the world. Martin Luther agrees with this when he writes: "It is not proper to advise strife and lawsuit but rather peace and patience. " (footnote 1)

Let me now ask several questions on a more personal level.

1. Some of you will probably "bump into" me at some time in the future. If we are unwilling to resolve this LLL situation spiritually, how are we going to greet each other? Are we going to be hypocrites, claiming to bring "Christ to the Nations" when we cannot even bring His integrity to matters when we deal with each other?

2. Do you as board members feel it is the Christian thing to do to charge and convict someone publicly and then prevent them from responding or defending themselves publicly?

3. I was originally appointed by the LLL board. I was recently interviewed by board members and others selected by the board for the most recent appointment to Lutheran Hour Radio Speaker. Why is it that I am now disposed of by the staff?

4. If the Lutheran Laymen's League expects support from LCMS pastors and teachers, don't their publicly expressed concerns mean anything? Early in this fiasco, an LCMS District President called me, explaining he had called the LLL and explained to Mr. Hebermehl that unless this matter is resolved, it could greatly damage the LLL. Mr. Hebermehl's response, according to this respected LCMS District President, was in effect: "If it happens, it happens!" This LCMS District President was absolutely dumbfounded.

ALL MATTERS LIKE THIS ARE RESOLVED BY THE CLEANSING AND HEALING WORD OF THE LORD

None of us is without sin (Ecclesiastes 7: 20) .We dare not take this word from our Lord lightly. In all our doings with each other, and especially in the church, each of us (beginning with myself) needs to be reminded of the seriousness of what we do, and especially of what we say and write." Jesus said, 'But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment"' (Matthew 12:36). I think of this many times in my day-to-day relations with others.

In our personal devotions, sermons, and Bible classes, we learn of God's grace in Jesus Christ. In spite of our sins and failures, He takes us back. This is such good news it is indescribable! We see this good news especially in the Old Testament when God took back sinful Israel. Today, we are our heavenly Father's New Israel - He always wants to take us back.

CHRISTIANS ARE TO DEAL WITH EACH OTHER SCRIPTURALLY

Just as God deals with us in a spiritual rather than a secular way, we need also to deal with one another in a spiritual, rather than in a secular, way
in resolving this issue. Again Luther urges "We want to hear scripture in our dealing with one another."(footnote 2) Therefore, even though I am now "history" as far as preaching on the Lutheran Hour is concerned, I plead with you leaders of the LLL, yes, I beg of you to resolve this matter in a spiritual and God pleasing way, and in a way that can be openly reported to Christ's church. This is not a small private employer/employee matter. This matter, which originally could have been settled privately, has now engulfed and worked up a large segment of our church. Thus, as I have said before, if you feel you want to send me and my family some severance money, we would appreciate it. If you don't we will not be angry. In any case, I will never sign anything that would even imply there was an agreement of silence in return for money. However, the most important thing is that this matter gets settled in a Godly and spiritual way AND THAT IT IS REPORTED HONESTLY TO THE ENTIRE CHURCH.

"Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen" (Heb.13:20-21).

Kindest Personal Regards In Christ,

Wallace Schulz

Footnotes:
1. LUTHERS WORKS, vol 48, p. 141
2. What Luther Says. vol 2, page 1061

December 4, 2002