Meeting With Barry in St. Louis
By Rev. Jack Cascione

A meeting was arranged with President A. L. Barry, at the LC-MS International Center on Friday, January 14, in St. Louis. The host pastor of "The First National Free Conference on C. F. W. Walther", Rev. Neil Schmidt of Hope Lutheran Church, in St. Ann, MO, a St. Louis suburb, made the arrangements.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss concerns about Justification, the Pastoral Leadership Institute (PLI), an increasing interest in Episcopal hierarchy and the sacrament of ordination among LCMS clergy, and the numerous deviations from Walther's doctrine and practice of Church and Ministry. The voice of the laity is being silenced as their supreme authority to govern congregations is being removed by pastors who want to be CEOs or Episcopal Bishops.

We were also delighted to see First Vice-President Kuhn join us in the meeting that lasted for some 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Members of Synod in attendance were Rev. Neil Schmidt of St. Louis, Rev. William Bischoff of St. Louis, Rev. Al Loeschman of Texas, Rev. Jack Cascione of Michigan, and members of LCMS congregations were Congressman William Dannemeyer of Fullerton, California, Mrs. Georgann McKee of Orange, Californian, Mrs. Florence Missildine of Orange, California, Mr. Walther Dissen of Virginia, a member of the Fort Wayne Board of Regents, and the Rev. Hermann and. Mrs. Grace of Otten of Missouri.

We wish to thank the President and First Vice-President for sharing their valuable time and the warm reception they gave as we shared our concerns.

First on the agenda was our concern about the Doctrine of Justification. We encouraged President Barry to continue his public teaching that the sinner is justified before God by faith alone in Jesus Christ. We applauded his proclamation of the 1998 LCMS Convention's opposition to the Joint Declaration on Justification signed by the Roman Catholic Church and ELCA. Many LCMS Lutherans, let alone many Americans, are unaware of the LCMS's reasons for not signing the agreement.

We asked Dr. Kuhn to encourage the LCMS Vice-Presidents to give Barry their public support and condemn the opposing statement published by former LCMS President, Dr. Ralph Bohlmann.

Further concerns were expressed that the Praesidium had not taken decisive action in Wayzata, MN after they have found Dr. Nordlie's teaching incorrect on the Doctrine of Justification. Barry assured us that the Praesidium had not completed its work in the case. Barry revealed that President Ralph Bohlmann was advising Dr. Nordlie's congregation in this matter and that Bohlmann was Nordlie's witness during the meetings with the Praesidium. All in attendance sat in stunned silence.

We were also concerned that the current Dispute Resolution process can not deal with doctrinal concerns as could the former Adjudication processes.

Third on the agenda was our concern with Doctor Norbert Oesch and PLI (Pastoral Leadership Institute). Attorney Walther Dissen described PLI as the signal greatest threat to the Synod since the Seminex Walk-Out in early 1974. The members of Oesch's former Congregation in Orange California, Mrs. McKee and Mrs. Missildine noted that the original published call to Oesch lacked credibility because if came from eight pastors who have no standing to issue a divine call in the LCMS.

Oesch led the congregation to believe that he was called to be the head of PLI when in fact he was involved the formation of the organization.

Oesch claimed that he had the endorsement of President Barry, when in fact, Barry told us in the meeting that he had sent PLI a letter stating that he did not endorse it. PLI uses "LCMS" on all their stationary, even though they don't have RSO status.

We strongly objected to PLI's attempt to retrain pastors to be CEO's.

We questioned the right of LCEF to make a gift of $250,000.00 to PLI as an entrepreneurial enterprise. If PLI wants to go into business, why must the lay people of the LCMS fund someone else's business? PLI is also receiving funding from the LCMS Foundation, The Council of District Presidents, AAL, LB, Wheatridge, and many other cooperate and private donors.

The ladies asked, "How was it possible PLI could set up a Seminary without walls that was not approved by the Synod?"

They reported that Oesch's website promotes cross denominational training with Willow Creek, Community of Joy, Saddleback, the Beason Institute, and the Crystal Cathedral.

The Website of the Board for Congregational Services writes about PLI "This unprecedented, God ordained, initiatives in the LCMS will help fulfill the great commission."

The women asked "Who says this is "God ordained" and who determined it is "God ordained?"

The women questioned the cost of PLI at $6,000.00 per pastor per year for four years. The Districts are to support each pastor with $1,500.00. Mentoring churches are to pick up the tab for facilities usage and the pastors' time.

In a published report to the COP, Oesch claimed small congregations were dysfunctional in terms of cash outlay by the District and that the $1,500.00 per candidate is a better investment of District funds.

We encouraged the President to crash "the party" at Concordia, San Antonio on January 26th, where representatives of the PLI mentoring congregations are to meet.

We want to know why no one can see PLI's curriculum?

We all agreed that the training of pastors should be done through the seminaries and not through any independent organizations. Norbert Oesch does not have the authority nor the Convention's approval to select faculty and curriculum for training LCMS pastors. This is nothing than a return to Seminex through the back door. Should the BHE grant PLI Recognized Service Organization status, PLI will have the authority issue calls to all the faculty it chooses for its "seminary without walls".

Fourth on the agenda was our concern with the continued confusion on the doctrine and practice of Church and Ministry. Many pastors are no longer supporting congregational Voters' Assemblies as the only polity and supreme governing authority in LCMS congregations. Rather, they are appealing to ordination as a sacrament, which places the office of the ministry above the congregation. They are appealing to pre-Waltherian European hierarchy taught by Loehe, Grabau, and Stephan in offence to the priesthood of all believers.

A signed statement by Rev. Tom Bye of Oshkosh, Wisconsin was read at the meeting. It is published at the end of this article.

In response, President Barry assured us twice, that he would indeed look into this matter and take action.

The request was made that both Seminaries publish a clear statement as to what they teach about the doctrine and practice of Church and Ministry in the LCMS. Do they support Walther or what do they now teach?

In addition to these concerns President Barry was encouraged to speak out on the Synod's opposition to evolution and proclaim that the world was created by God in six days as stated in the Bible.

There was also much encouragement that Barry boldly speak out on the doctrines of the Synod, regardless of the opposition.

Barry reported that all to often congregations in the Synod were not following the Biblical practice of Closed Communion. Rather, pastors were simply labeling whatever Communion practice they choose to follow Closed Communion. Published statements are to clearly state that one must be in fellowship with the LCMS in order to Communion at LCMS congregational altars.

We all thanked President Barry and Vice-President Kuhn for their time, interest, and support for our concerns. President Barry closed our meeting with prayer.

 

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A signed statement read to President Barry from Rev. Tom Bye, member of the South Wisconsin Board of Directors, representative of the chaos in Church and Ministry taking place through out the Synod.

 

Dear President Barry,

I am Tom Bye, Pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - Oshkosh, Wisconsin and have been serving here for 18 years. I am also a member of the SWD board of directors, serving my second six-year term. I am the secretary of the Mission Department, and was elected by the Board of Directors to represent the board in response to the Rev. Stephen Wiest dispute. I graduated from CTS-Ft. Wayne in 1981. The Class of' '81 was the first group to complete all four years of the M.Div. program at the Ft. Wayne location. My Sem. IV year Dr. Robert Preus hired me as a clerical assistant and grader for two systematic theology courses. Systematic theology was my major area of concentration. Vicarage was served in 1979-1980 at Our Redeemer - Sheboygan, WI. I received a B.A. in History and religious studies from Bradley University, Peoria Illinois where I served as president of the Protestant Student Union my senior year. I have been married for 25 years to a fine income producing registered nurse who is also an outstanding pastor's wife! We have two daughters, 18, and 21. Our oldest is a junior at Loyola Univ.-Chicago, and youngest is a senior at Winnebago Lutheran Academy (WELS) in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. My theology reflects Pieper and Walther. My congregation uses TLH and the WS98.

I write you concerning problems within our South Wisconsin District involving pastors of the "ordination as sacrament", high, high church genre popularly labeled "hyper-euros" by some observers. I don't believe this is any new revelation to you, however I wanted to mention three circumstances with which I have been well acquainted as a member of the SWD Board of Directors. I am unable to be present with Jack in your office today. You may be familiar with these already.

Please be aware that in SWD we have a very organized group of hyper-Euros who have, with great activism, supported Michael Hill and Stephen Wiest , and Scott Marincic. Hill and Marincic who destroyed churches are no longer on the Clergy Roster, and Wiest has been CRM for two years.

There are others, one of whom is now in a dispute resolution situation where 20% of his membership has departed; I will leave him unnamed as this is now in an official level of address. Another was Rev. Gary Gehlbach who resigned as Secretary of the SWD because we removed Wiest as M.A.L. at a campus ministry. He informed me that as a result of my position against Rev. Wiest in the dispute resolution process "my immortal soul was in peril along with other board members, and that we must repent because we are in persistent sin."

The Dispute Resolution Panel chaired by Rev. Harvala announced its unanimous decision in November supporting the actions taken by the SWD Board. During this time Rev. Wiest was a guest speaker at the church of Rev. Burnel Eckhardt in Kewaunee Illinois. His topic, this is no joke, : "Rev. Martin Stephan, First American Lutheran Martyr."

What these people have in common is the demand to be addressed as "Father," That ordination is a "proper" sacrament conferring special grace to the recipient, and the recognition of a special clergy caste. What's worse is the mess many of these people are making in their ministries. The Rev. Father is to be a benevolent dictator of his parish, which needs no, nor should have, a voters' assembly.

I addressed some of my concerns and observations in a three-part article I wrote for the Reclaim Walther Organization entitled, "Whoring after the Episcopacy."

Please know, dear brother, that the concerns that Jack presents to you on this "Hyper-Euro" matter are not the product of some church politico-paranoiac with an Italian surname. They are real and are recognized by creditable pastors who are veterans of decades of congregational ministry.

You are indeed serving at an historic time as Synodical President as the LCMS struggles in a riptide of theological and organizational threats. May God bless you and lead you to a suitable response to the challenges of today and what lies ahead.

In Christ,
Thomas W. Bye

Rev. Jack Cascione is pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS - MI) in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He has written numerous articles for Christian News and is the author of Reclaiming the Gospel in the LCMS: How to Keep Your Congregation Lutheran. He has also written a study on the Book of Revelation called In Search of the Biblical Order.
He can be reached by email at pastorcascione@juno.com.

January 18, 2000