All of the LCMS Pastors and Congregational Presidents are receiving a mailing from Trinity Lutheran Church in Roselle, IL encouraging them to nominate Rev. Dr. Gerald Kieschnick, President of the Texas District, or Rev. Dr. Loren Kramer, former President of the Pacific Southwest District, or Rev. Dr. Donald Muchow, Chairman of the Board of Directors, for LCMS President. They all endorse Dr. Norbert Oesch's PLI.

They claim that the Synod is in "slow decline and aging." After more than a decade of rabid "Church Growth Movement" propaganda endorsed by the LCMS District Presidents, the entire movement is proving to be an utter failure. Now they want to blame the current Synodical administration.

The LCMS District Presidents have proven themselves to be the enemies of the name "Lutheran," the use of only one of the three Creeds in Worship, Lutheran Hymn books, and Supreme Voters' Assemblies.

After receiving a mailing from Trinity Lutheran Church in Roselle, IL, I decided to ask Rev. Vern Gundermann in St. Louis if "Jesus First" supported this information in the mailing. He told me that "Jesus First" supported the information in the mailing and that the candidates listed were "Jesus First's" candidates. He was also surprised to see that "Jesus First" was not mentioned in the article.

I also asked him if he supported Walther's Voter Supremacy. He replied, based on the Office of the Keys and Baptism, the Voters, as the representative body of the congregation, are supreme in the congregation. I don't applaud his candidates but I do applaud his stated understanding of LCMS Church polity.

However, Reverend Herman Otten has informed me that in an interview with Rev. Charlie Mueller Jr. of Trinity Roselle, Mueller told Otten that the Voters of Trinity were never consulted on this mailing. In fact, the Voters of Trinity are never consulted in such matters. This only affirms my earlier published opinions that the "Church Growth Movement," and PLI intend to impose corporate hierarchy on LCMS congregations. Dr. Bartelt and President Johnson of the St. Louis Seminary teach for PLI.

Trinity's candidates will be little more than puppets for the Synod's Foundation and Church Extension Fund reorganization schemes for LCMS congregations, which they finance. "Jesus First" endorses the work of Norman Sell, whose policies led to a $40 million dollar plus loss for the LCMS as published in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, November 21, 2000.

The loss of Voter Supremacy will also signal the loss of the Means of Grace to the congregations. Boards of Directors and CEO pastors are usurping the congregations' witness and confession of the Gospel and the Sacraments. The Board of Director's and CEO pastor's confession of the Gospel and Sacraments now becomes the faith of the congregation.

One has to ask if Vern Gundermann actually understands what he is supporting. We also wonder if Gundermann is aware the entire mailing is in violation of the U. S. Postal Code. It has a different return address than the address of the Bulk Mail Permit, No. 2180 in Cleveland.