Many thanks to Pastors Ken Koethe, Bruce King and the others on the committee for
making all the arrangements for my speaking engagement at the
Concordia St. Paul Chapel on Dec. 2, 1999. The meeting was well attended with laity and
pastors.
Each time I speak, whether in Wisconsin, Texas, California, Michigan, Connecticut,
Missouri, etc., my goal is to find the most effective way to communicate the issues to lay
people. At Concordia St. Paul, I first presented information about the history, necessity
and origin of Voters' Assemblies in the LC-MS. I then spoke about the attacks by the
Church Growth Movement, PLI, and the COP on the Creeds, the name Lutheran, and worship.
If I was searching for the "hot" button, I found it. Those in attendance were
treated to a shouting match between LC-MS clergy over the rights of the clergy to change
the Creeds and a congregation's worship. I had presented the same doctrinal issues before,
but the additional focus on Voters' Assemblies led the laypeople to realize they had the
power and the duty to fight their pastors in the Voters' Meetings about changing Creeds,
worship, and weakening or eliminating the authority of Voters' Assemblies.
A number of clergy, who favor changes in Creeds, worship and support PLI, were incensed
when they realized I had effectively communicated the issues to the laity and had sent
them on a mission to stop the changes.
The attacks against me from the LCMS clergy me were the most vicious I have ever
experienced. At least three pastors were raving about the rights of the pastors to rewrite
Creeds, not use hymnbooks, and invent their own worship. Their claim was, they don't have
to follow LC-MS resolutions on these subjects.
I pointed out that these were constitutional issues and not subject to change by
resolution. One wonders if Minnesota Governor Jessie Ventura, a member of an LC-MS Church,
is aware that the LC-MS Clergy in Minnesota South are virtually inventing their own polity
and religion. This may have prompted some of his remarks about weak-minded people in
churches.
The following points were covered in the speech.
First point:
All LC-MS congregations have agreed to follow only one polity in the LC-MS, namely
Voter Supremacy. The COP and PLI pastors are trying to remove the authority of Voters with
Board's of Directors and CEO's so that pastors can invent the Creeds, worship and faith of
the membership. This enables them to use Church Growth market research and stay current
with changing America. At the same time the hyper-euro-Lutheran pastors want to remove
Voters' Assemblies and make themselves bishops of their congregations.
Second point:
When the 1995 Convention voted 67% to 33% to support the name Lutheran on LC-MS
congregations they were voting on the congregations' agreement with the LC-MS
Constitution. The Synod has no control over local congregations. We (the congregations)
invented the Synod. Any pastor or congregation that doesn't want to agree with the
Constitution should voluntarily remove themselves from Synod or be expelled from the Synod
by the Convention.
Dr. Barry should have stopped the Convention in 1995 and demanded that the 33% of the
Synod who did not want the name "Lutheran" on all LC-MS congregations should be
expelled from the Synod by the other two thirds. Of course, such a move was unthinkable.
It would pit "principle" against "pragmatism."
Third point:
When the 1998 LC-MS Convention voted 83% to 17% to maintain the use of three and only
three creeds, the 83% should have voted the 17% out of the Synod. The Creeds are the
required confession of the Gospel for any who seek membership in the LC-MS. I reminded
those clergy who claimed the Christian freedom to confess anything they wanted, they had
sworn on their knees when they were ordained that they would not change one word of the
Creeds. If they can change the Creeds, surely they can change the Augsburg Confession,
which is not as important at the Creeds. One pastor responded, saying, "'Jesus is
Lord' is the only Creed we need for salvation." I asked him if there was such a thing
as false doctrine. He said, "No."
Fourth point:
The 2001 LC-MS Convention must vote that Voters' Assemblies are the only official
polity of the LC-MS. If they don't, the laity will loose control of their congregations
and the LC-MS must become hierarchical. One can imagine a Synod in the future that
maintains the use of Word and Sacrament but has little use for the people in the pew. In
other words, a Synod that bares the marks of the Church but has little use for its own
membership.
Fifth point:
The COP and PLI have united forces with the Lutheran Church Extension Fund, LC-MS
Foundation, Lutheran Brotherhood, Wheatridge Ministries and AAL to fund PLI, promote the
Church Growth Movement and govern congregations with Board's of Directors instead of
Voters' Assemblies. They are using the laymen's money to enslave them in their own
congregations without a Vote of the Convention in the name of "progress." Not
only was the funding for PLI not approved by the Convention but PLI itself has no approval
from the Convention to retrain LCMS clergy.
During the question and answer session a man said the Synod was moving toward hierarchy
and Voters' Assemblies had outlived their usefulness. I reminded him that Israel wanted a
king and ended up with Saul.
I reminded the pastors who opposed me them that membership in the Synod is voluntary.
We invented the Synod and the Convention has a right to restrict membership to those who
follow its Constitution.
The laity who viewed and heard the debate between LC-MS clergy on these issues, quickly
learned that much of what they had taken for granted in the Synod is in jeopardy,
including their Voters' Assemblies. The clergy are not going to come to their rescue. If
the laity does not take action to keep control of their congregations, doctrine and
worship, they will lose them.
Video Tape
available including handling and shipping for $20.00
Send order to:
Rev. Ken Kothe
Redeemer Lutheran Church
1301 East County Rd. 42
Burnsville, MN 55306
or email your order to pastorcascione@juno.com
Report on Cascione At Concordia St. Paul Minnesota
By Michas M. Ohnstad
Dear Pastor Cascione:
It was a stimulating experience to hear your presentation at Concordia College, St.
Paul, Minnesota last Thursday evening, December 2. Surprising indeed, was the vehemence
with which those who disagreed with you, disagreed with you! My perception upon hearing
fulminations of this sort - to the point of personal attack - is that the speaker got too
close to the truth for them to be comfortable. In any case, I believe you were right on
target and I thank you for your well-reasoned remarks.
I am just starting to read your "Reclaiming the Gospel in the LCMS" and I
look forward to reading "In Search of the Biblical Order." I appreciate the
copies you autographed. I am wondering if there is away to mass-distribute them to
"other" Lutherans who don't belong to Missouri so that they might likewise be
challenged.