Benke Seeks To Silence The Opposition

Benke Seeks To Silence The Opposition

By: Rev. Jack Cascione

In this release:

1. Comments about Atlantic District President Richard Benke's desire to consolidate power in LCMS District Offices.

2. Benke's Letter to the LCMS District Presidents.

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1. Comments about Atlantic District President Richard Benke's desire to consolidate power in LCMS District Offices.

Former District President Richard Benke, sent a letter to all of the LCMS District Presidents asking them to silence the net works on the internet and print media who have criticized his activity in Yankee Stadium.

Benke seeks to make the LCMS safe for District Presidents. In other words, what is good for District Presidents is good for the LCMS.

Benke asks the LCMS District Presidents to take action, "that involves the diminution and/or elimination of these forums as part of appropriate ecclesiastical supervision."

Benke wants the District Presidents, "to investigate personally the contents of these forums for a more complete identification of problem areas."

Benke also wants a revision in the current Dispute Resolution Process, which is a watered down version of the former Adjudication Process. Again he seeks the perfect DP's world when he writes: "The rank and file in the LCMSwant change in bylaws to discourage and make very difficult formal complaints and to require the dialog the Bible describes."

Here is the plan. Silence the opposition. Make it impossible for opponents to get in the way of "progress." Do everything possible to tell people about Jesus just as long at they don't get in the way of the District President. Follow the leader. Obey the leader. This is what Jesus wants.

All this is from the Richard Benke School of Evangelism. Some might call it, praying next to idolaters for fun and profit. Perhaps all LCMS pastors would be so fortunate as to have a Jewish New York City congressmen tell a crowd of non-Lutherans in our church building support our ministry as Congressman Ackerman told the crowd in Benke's church building.

How Benke would list Rev. Eric Stefanski as a greater problem than Herman Otten is beyond this writer's comprehension?

Benke should publish exactly where on the Internet we can find all these comments about him and who said them.

President Benke has proven to be a invaluable asset to the COP.

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2. Benke's Letter to the LCMS District Presidents.

STATIONARY OF:

St. Peter's Lutheran Church and School
105 Highland Place
Brooklyn, New York 11208
(718) 647-1007
Fax: 647-9260
David H. Benke, Pastor
Clara DelValle, Director

October 30, 2002

Rev. Charles Froehlich
20 Candlewood Path
Dix Hills, NY 11746-5304

Dear Pastor Froehlich:

Greetings in the Name of Christ, our Lord!

As you prepare to attend the upcoming Council of Presidents meeting, I bring
to your attention some disturbing activities by Pastors in the LCMS that
have come to my attention, and to the attention of the people of God at St.
Peter's Lutheran Church in Brooklyn. I ask you to distribute this letter to
the entire Council for their consideration and action.

I have received by a variety of means some of the most hateful messages
imaginable over the past months from pastors in the LCMS. They have
webpages, internet connections, and newsletters/magazines through which they
are distributing and encouraging comments that violate the eighth
commandment and the rules of common decency. These are amassed and held as
they are received.

The particular persons involved in leadership of these networks are
Rev. Eric Stefanski (moderator, CAT41) - Mid-South District
Rev. Jack Cascione (Lutherquest, Reclaiming Walther) - Michigan District
Rev. Herman Otten - Walter Otten - (Christian News) - Missouri, Northern
Illinois
Rev. Marcus Zill (St. Andrew's) - Wyoming District
Rev. Albert Loeschman (Texas Confessional) - Texas District
Rev. Todd Peperkorn/Eugene Veith (Cranach) - South Wisconsin District

Some of these networks have open access and the "threads" of conversation or
the stream of articles can be accessed by anyone. Others are not as
accessible.

In these forums I have been called a murderer and a terrorist, and compared
with John Wayne Gacy and Osama Bin laden. Other pastors, notably from the
Minnesota North District, have participated actively in this line of
thinking. The parishioners of St. Peter's have also been vilified.

I am asking you to distribute this letter to the council of presidents for
their consideration and action.

It is my believe that supervision of this extremely divisive activity should
be one of the high priorities for the individual district presidents, the
leadership of the COP, and the President of the LCMS with an eye toward a
repentance that involves the diminution and/or elimination of these forums
as part of appropriate ecclesiastical supervision.

I would appreciate it if the Council would take up this matter in one of its
sessions, and if you could report back to me on directions being taken. I
do have the specific emails and chat contents on file; however, I believe it
is the responsibility of the District Presidents and their designees to
investigate personally the contents of these forums for a more complete
identification of problem areas.

As you have granted me permission under the terms of my suspension to speak
as the Pastor of St. Peter's Lutheran Church about our ministry in New York
following 9/11/01 both in the Atlantic District and around the country, I am
continually heartened by the vision for mission of Christ's people in the
LCMS. I am further convinced that the overwhelming majority of the
membership of the denomination desires to promote an attitude of dialog and
conversation rather than hostility and complaint. The rank and file in the
LCMS want change in bylaws to discourage and make very difficult formal
complaints and to require the dialog the Bible describes. They want a
denomination that understands the love in action contained in reconciliation
chapters like Matthew 18. They want an end to divisive church politics.
They want the Office of the President to be respected. Veteran members want
a return to the denomination they signed up for, the one that encouraged
Oswald Hoffman to take the Good News in proclamation and prayer all around
the world. His name comes up a lot.

The process in which I am involved is arduous and lengthy beyond any
reasonable limit. That much is clear. But the attitudes of the few, so
vitriolic and divisive, are what power the negativity. It all needs fixing.

Give everyone my love in the Lord.

In Christ,

Dave Benke

December 9, 2002