First, a letter from Dr. Andrew Bartelt, Vice-President of Academic Affairs of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

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STATIONARY OF:
The Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod, founded 1839
CONCORDIA SEMINARY, St. Louis

801 DeMun Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63105-3199
Phone: (314) 505-7000

November 7, 2000

Rev. Jack Cascione
31011 Greater Mack Avenue
St. Clair Shores, MI 48082-1446

Dear Brother Cascione,

Thank you for the opportunity to speak directly on the phone. As I indicated, I wish you would show the courtesy of clarifying and verifying your facts, especially before making public statements and accusations. If my attention had not been called to your material in print, and if I had not taken the initiative in calling you, your misinformation may well have stood as a false witness against Concordia Seminary. In fact, you did not respond to previous letters from me and from the office of our D.Min program seeking to clarify and correct your statements.

Sadly you continue to misunderstand and misrepresent the relationship between Concordia Seminary and the Pastoral Leadership Institute. Certainly our Lord expects better of us as we follow the principles of Matthew 18, of the Eighth Commandment, and as we seek to speak the truth in love. Your article in "Christian News" neither speaks the truth, nor does it appear to speak in Christian brotherhood and love.

Let me confirm what we discussed in reference to the one conclusion you draw that does show a thread of logical argumentation. You asked how I can deny that Concordia Seminary is giving credit for coursework done in PLI when a syllabus that you have read indicates that such graduate credit will be given. I believe the statement you refer to actually says, "graduate credit to be determined." That statement is worded to indicate that graduate credit is, in fact, not being given. I am enclosing additional documents from PLI that states this very clearly. (These were sent to you with a letter from Dr. David Peter, Director of our D.Min Program, on October 7.) Concordia Seminary does not now nor has it ever offered graduate credit for participation in PLI.

It is also true that I have given a presentation within the program of Conference Event #1. I did that because I was asked to provide some theological insight from the perspective of Biblical and Confessional Lutheran theology. I fail to see how that would suggest that I intend to establish secular business standards as the criteria for the pastoral ministry. If you would have heard my presentation, you would recognize that quite the opposite is true. If you wish to challenge, charge, or accuse me, either privately or publicly, again I would request that you do so on the basis of factual evidence, reason, logic, and fraternal concern, both speaking the truth and speaking in love.

Fraternally yours in Christ's service,

Andrew H. Bartelt
Vice President for Academic Affairs

Cc: Christian News
Chairman, Board of Elders, Redeemer Lutheran Church

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Our reply to Dr. Bartelt

Dear Doctor Bartelt:

Thank you for your letter of November 7, 2000. I also appreciate your phone call prior to the letter. As the Vice President for Academic Affairs of the St. Louis Seminary, you are quite sure of the meaning of the following statement published by PLI:

"Coordinator: Dr Norbert Oesch, Executive Leader, Pastoral Leadership Institute
Credit: Credit to be established by Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Conference
Dates: May 17-21, 2000"

From my reading and the reading of many others, the above statement means that pastors participating in PLI will receive graduate credit from the St. Louis Seminary but the number of credits is yet to be established. However, you informed me over the phone, that the St. Louis Seminary is, at this time, not giving any graduate credit to participants of PLI. You are obviously in a position to know the facts. Therefore, I apologize for my misunderstanding and will publish the correct information.

Concerning the copy of the letter of October 7th, signed by Doctor Peter of the Doctor of Ministry Program, I have never seen such a letter. You enclosed it with your letter but if you notice, it has the wrong street addressed and is mailed to an e-mail address. If it was indeed sent on October 7th it could not have been delivered.

You ask why I didn't just communicate with you before publishing my opinion about PLI's statement? Why should I assume you would answer anything when you have not answered my letter asking if you agree with the following statement by Walther:

"Finally the congregation is represented as the SUPREME TRIBUNAL, Matt.18:15-18....' Note 7 on p 29 refers to this using the term 'highest jurisdiction' and referring in turn to the 'Power and Primacy Of the Pope,' 'highest and final jurisdiction to the church.." (Form of the Christian Congregation, C.F.W Walther, CPH, St. Louis, 1989, p.24)

"In public church affairs nothing should be concluded without the vote and consent of the congregation." (Form of the Christian Congregation, C.F.W Walther, CPH, St. Louis, 1989, p.48)

It is most troubling that you will not agree with Voter Supremacy as the official polity of the LCMS, but you and President Johnson have served as guest instructors for PLI. Your refusal over the phone to identify what polity you support for all LCMS congregations can only lead the Synod into further confusion.

Without Voter Supremacy, the validity of calls issued by an LCMS congregation and the presence of the Means of Grace in LCMS congregations are dubious and uncertain. Who exercises the Office of the Keys in place of the Voters Assembly?

It is clear that the following unit titles from PLI's course Syllabus are designed to change and restructure the polity of LCMS congregations.

UNIT ONE: "A Biblical View of Nurturing Change"
An examination of how change is both natural and Biblical
UNIT TWO: "Making the Vision Come Alive at Our Congregation"
Two case studies on change strategies in the local congregation
UNIT THREE: "Nurturing Transformation"
An ongoing process activity: Learning and preparing to use the eight-stage process of creating major change
UNIT FOUR: "Change: How to Do It and Live to Tell About It"
Recognizing, welcoming, and handling the challenges of change
UNIT FIVE: "Church on the Brink: Cultural and Theological Transformation in the 21st Century"
The impact of cultural change on the church
UNIT SIX: "Developing the Action Plan"
Local lay involvement, 12-month goal setting, developing a system of accountability, planning mentor events

The PLI course-reading list is a "Who's Who" of secular business leadership techniques including Covey, Glass, Drucker, Senge, and Gardner. Why isn't PLI teaching Luther, Walther, and Pieper?

Your telephone conversation of December 11, 2000 was most disarming. If, as you say, you are trying to reach out to the PLI "pastors" so they don't seek further training at Fuller or Willow Creek, are you encouraging them in their error or leading them to the truth?

At this point, I'm not convinced the proponents of Leadership Training are growing congregations and adding new members but are in fact, stalling-out and have reached a plateau before they begin to decline. This would remove the necessity of addressing their inevitable existence with triage theology.

If we are going to establish order in the LCMS why isn't Walther's "Church and Ministry" and "Form of the Christian Congregation" the position of the St. Louis Seminary?

If the St. Louis Seminary has a new polity for the LCMS, why isn't it first presented to the Convention?

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Jack Cascione

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.

December 16, 2000

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