Letter to the BOD from Cascione

By: Rev. Jack Cascione
January 22, 2003


LCMS Board of Directors of
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

Dear Member of the Board of Directors of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod:

There are two issues that the Board is requested to consider in its February
meeting.

1.  In regard to the President's travel budget, President Kieschnick writes
on January 11, 2002:

"In general, I am on the road between one half and three quarters of the
time, including many consecutive days and nights away from home."

Again he writes:  "When she [Mrs. Kieschnick] is not expressly invited but
accompanies me to provide support and encouragement not only for her husband
but also for the pastors' wives and/or District Presidents' wives in
attendance at the event, her expenses are covered by the President's office
budget, consistent with the travel policy of the Synod, and/or by personal
resources."

The most recently published statement on travel policy (effective 9/1/02)
contained in the LCMS General Services Policy Manual states:

"E.  Spousal Travel
It is the general policy of the IC [International Center] organizations not
to pay for or reimburse the traveler for any expenses incurred by the spouse
of the traveler.  This includes meals, airfares, and hotel accommodations.

Exceptions may be made from time-to-time when travel of a spouse serves the
interest of the organization and is within the business nature of the
travel."

My question to the Board of Directors is:  Have President and Mrs.
Kieschnick's travel expenses been consistent with the LCMS General Services
Policy Manual?

The Reporter states that 28 missionaries have been recalled due to budget
constraints.  It also states that the President has hired another assistant.
Obviously, this is the time the Synod has to be exceptionally careful with
the resources God has given.

2. In regard to the charges filed against me under 2.27, on January 11,
2003, President Kieschnick wrote to the Board of Directors and the Council
of District Presidents as follows:

"Normally I would not involve the Board of Directors in a matter such as
this.  I do so in this case, however, because the aforementioned electronic
communication, initiated and circulated by a pastor whose membership on the
clergy roster of the Synod is on the agenda of the LCMS Praesidium in a case
alleging his repeated violation of the Eighth Commandment, has widely
published your e-mail addresses and is encouraging LCMS congregations and
individual members to contact you and the Treasurer of the Synod to raise
the same concerns.  I am responding at some length, sharing a copy of this
memo with the LCMS Council of Presidents for their information and also
because they are mentioned, unfavorably, in the referenced communication."

And again he writes:
"In addition, you are certainly free to share this memo with anyone who
inquires of you concerning the report of the unofficial electronic
communication referenced above."

President Kieschnick is correct when he says Reclaim News "is widely
published."  He also refers to me as "a pastor" who wrote this "electric
communication" when he was fully aware that I had signed the "electronic
communication."  He has also informed the Synod that the Praesidium has on
its agenda, "a case alleging his [my] repeated violation of the Eighth
Commandment."  He has also encouraged people "to share" his memo.

Since the release of his memo, many pastors and lay people throughout the
Synod have contacted me and asked what the charges are against me.

On December 23, 2002, Kieschnick wrote to me, "This letter is to remind you
of the importance of Bylaw 8.21e of the 2001 Handbook of the Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod, which states, 'e. While a matter in dispute is still
undecided or while an appeal is contemplated or pending, publicity shall not
be given to the issues in the matter by any of the parties involved.'"  The
CCM has recently ruled that all charges filed under Bylaw 2.27 now include
Bylaw 8.21e.

Another recent ruling of the CCM has exempted the Synodical President from
Bylaw 8.21e, as was seen in Kieschnick's publicity of Dr. Wallace Schulz's
handling of the Benke case.

Not only has President Kieschnick publicized the case against me, he has
also revealed his bias by characterizing Werning's charges as "a case
alleging his repeated violation of the Eighth Commandment."  President
Kieschnick is clearly attempting to discredit me before the Board and lead
the Board to ignore my questions about his travel expenses by publicizing
Werning's charges against me.

My question to the Board of Directors is:  Hasn't the President of the Synod
's revelation violated the CCM's new interpretation of 2.27, which he
repeatedly writes that I should follow?  President Kieschnick obviously
supports their ruling.  From my view, the CCM is rewriting the LCMS
Constitution.

Another question to the Board of Directors is:  By characterizing me as one
who has repeatedly violated the Eighth Commandment, isn't President
Kieschnick agreeing with Dr. Werning's heretical teaching on the Trinity?

If I have broken the Eighth Commandment, Werning's doctrine of the Trinity
is, consequently, the official doctrine of the LCMS.  If I have not broken
the Eighth Commandment, Dr. Werning is a heretic.

Another recent CCM ruling has made it impossible for me to file charges
against the LCMS President for defending a man who teaches "pagan
 polytheism" (Pieper Vol. 1:390).  The morass of Bylaws and their
internecine interpretations have made it possible for the Synodical
President to raise doubts about the Synod's doctrine of the Trinity and the
validity of baptisms in the LCMS.  In de facto, the CCM has given the
Synodical President the right to publicly support false doctrine about the
Trinity, a doctrine that states in Article II of the LCMS Constitution, "and
apart from this man [Jesus Christ] there is no other God." (Concordia
Triglotta" (par. 81 page 1045)

The first time I was made aware that Dr. Werning had filed charges against
me under 2.27 was from President Kieschnick's letter dated October 18, 2002.
However, Werning had also written to tell me that the Synodical attorney had
advised him to file under 2.27 and not under Dispute Resolution.

According to President Kieschnick's interpretation of 2.27, any pastor can
be charged and judged by the LCMS President and Praesidum with violating the
Eighth Commandment if the pastor says someone is teaching false doctrine
about any doctrine in Article II.

Doctor Waldo Werning addressed his charges against me to President
Kieschnick.  Since June of 2001, Werning has repeatedly written that I broke
the Eighth Commandment because I have publicly condemned his false doctrine
of the Trinity as found on pages 33 and 34 of his book, "Health and Healing
in the LCMS."  A free copy was sent to every delegate of the 2001 LCMS
Convention.  The book did not go through Synodical doctrinal review.
Kieschnick sent the case to the Praesidium.  This raises the question:  Is
President Kieschnick more concerned about the Eighth Commandment than the
First Commandment?

Werning charges that I teach, "all of God died on the Cross on Good Friday."
I do, indeed, teach this.  Each person of the Trinity is the entire God
apart from whom there is no other, yet there is only one God.  The
Athanasian Creed states:  "not dividing the substance."  No Person of the
Trinity is a part of God.

Werning also charges that I teach, "All theology is Christology."  I do,
indeed, teach this.  Without Christ there is no theology and no faith.  I
also teach, "All theology is the Word of the Father," and that, "All
Scripture is given by inspiration of the Holy Ghost," and that, "All of the
Bible is the Word of God."

For showing bias in this case, President Kieschnick should recuse himself,
but this is the last thing that I want.  As a member of the Praesidium, it
is crucial that he continues to participate in voting on this case so the
world knows what he believes about the Trinity.  Is the LCMS still a
Christian church body, or is it now under the curse of the Athanasian Creed?

Kieschnick is the President of a confessing church body.  Must we be kept in
suspense?  Will he answer these questions in public?  First question:  "Is
each Person of the Trinity all of God, apart from whom there is no other
God, and yet there is only one God?  Second question:  "Is all theology
Christology?"

Luther writes: "The entire Holy Trinity is known in the Person of Christ."
(LW 23:89)

"'The Son is the one and only God' John 5:20": (Koehler "A Summary of
Christian Doctrine" page 32)  "Each person of the Godhead is the entire God
(totus Deus)." (J.T. Mueller "Christian Dogmatics" page 148)  According to
Cassell's "New Latin Dictionary" (1960) "totus" means "whole."

Pieper tells us that every person of the Trinity is fully God, not one third
of God, yet there is only one God (Vol. I: 385, 386, 390, 405).  Thus, we
read in TLH hymn 154, verse 3, "When God the Mighty Maker died" not "When
one third of God the Mighty Maker died!"

"Of these Persons each one is the whole God, besides whom there is no other
God." (Luther, J. T. Muller Christian Dogmatics CPH page 148).  According to
Merriam Webster's "New Collegiate Dictionary" (1949) the first definition of
"all" is "the whole of."

"Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness, that God was
manifest in the flesh." 1Tim. 3:16, (not a part of God manifested in the
flesh).

The Athanasian Creed states, "There is one Almighty, not three Almighties.'"
The Son is Almighty and we may not divide the substance.  God can never be
less than all of God.

"That is to say, Scripture bears witness that the three persons and the
entire Trinity are the one true God, and that each person is perfectly and
in ALL respects that one true God." (Martin Chemnitz, "Loci Theologici" CPH
1989, Page 74, and 75)

In numerous letters, Werning vigorously defends each of the following false
statements about God on pages 33 and 34 of his book:
1. "experiencing God in a three-fold manner"
2. "three manners of being (God above us, God among us, God in us)"
3. "three levels of reality [in God] (nature, history, existence)"
4. "three ways in which God reveals Himself"
5. "three forms of address [from God] ('You shall!,' 'You may!,' 'You
 can!')"
6. "one of the three ways in which God has revealed Himself"

Yes, or No?  Does President Kieschnick support these six statements from
Werning's book?  President Kieschnick should tell us, because I am being
charged with breaking the Eighth Commandment for calling all of these six
statements lies about God.

No one experiences God.  We only experience what God has made.  Three
revelations, experiences, beings, realities, and forms of address from or in
God are the utterings of "pagan polytheism." (Pieper Vol. 1:390)  Werning
continues to teach his manufactured divisions in God with the encouragement
of his District President, who also claims I have broken the Eighth
Commandment.

"In other words, each Person in the Deity is the entire God, and not a third
of God.  Luther:  'Of these Persons each one is the entire God, outside
which [Person] there is no other God.'  And the Christian congregation sings
with Luther in the 'battle hymn of the Reformation': 'Jesus Christ it is . .
. And there's none other God.'" (Pieper Vol. 1:390)

(See Colossians 2:9, LW 15: 304, 305, 310, Concordia Triglotta Formula, Of
the Person of Christ, Thor. Decl. VIII Par. 44, 1029-1030, Par. 81, 1045,
Pieper Vol. 1:390, Martin Chemnitz, "Loci Theologici" CPH 1989, Page 74-76.)

"Jesus First" has publicly endorsed Werning's book and false doctrine of the
Trinity.  Reverend Vern Gundermann is the chairman of "Jesus First."
President Kieschnick attends Gundermann's church.

The CCM has made the President's doctrine the Synod's doctrine.  By his bias
in the Werning case and his association and support of those who support Dr.
Werning's doctrine of the Trinity, there are strong indications that
President Kieschnick is part of a conspiracy to change the doctrine of the
Trinity in the LCMS.

Yours in Christ,



Pastor Jack Cascione

January 22, 2003