LCMS Doctrine of Trinity Under Attack
By Rev. Jack Cascione

Doctor Waldo Werning has maintained that his book, "Health and Healing for the LCMS," which was sent to every 2001 LCMS Convention delegate, teaches the correct doctrine of the Trinity. Werning is actually teaching heresy and has created a god of his own imagination. Werning's book was endorsed by "Jesus First."

Werning is charging me with slander because I pointed out the false doctrine in his book about the Trinity.

Officials of the South Wisconsin District have also publicly attacked me in writing for identifying the false doctrine in Werning's book. They agree with what Werning has written. The three officials who support Werning's position are South Wisconsin District Circuit 22 Counselor Rev. Ronald P. Krug, Vice President Borgman, and President, Dr. Ron Meyer.

These three officials have each signed letters supporting Dr. Werning's heresy and false teaching on the Trinity. If these men actually believe what Werning has written, they have given up the Christian faith. Missouri Synod doctrine may be crumbling with the World Trade Center.

Werning has sent their letters to the Michigan District President who is now requesting that Dr. Werning meet with me.

---

Werning's Deceit On Trinity:
Quotes from Pieper & Lutheran Cyclopedia

The following are paragraphs from Werning's book that redefine the Trinity according to Modalism.

Werning writes as follows on pages 33-34 of book "Health and Healing for the LCMS" as follows:

"A balanced Trinitarian faith is vital because it is also the foundation for building the functional and practical side of church life. Truly knowing the Father and the Holy Spirit, as well as Christ, guides to new experiences with God. It leads us to a deeper recognition of our strength in the Triune God, our limitations, our view of Satan and our adversaries, our fears, and our mission vision. Christians recognize God as Creator, experience Christ as Savior through prayer, and sense the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives, experiencing God in a three-fold manner."

"If we make each Person of the Trinity a different color to distinguish their Person and work, we might adopt the proposal made by Christian Schwarz, (The Three-fold Art of Experiencing God, 1999, ChurchSmart Resources, Carol Stream IL 60188), who says that as God revealed Himself in three ways, we can make the Creator with creation green, the Son, Jesus with salvation, red, and the Holy Spirit, with spiritual enlightenment, blue (pp. 8-11). Thus we have three colors, not just red as Scaer, Weinrich and friends contend."

"Schwarz helps us understand the true nature of the Triune God, as he shows in the three colors, three manners of being (God above us, God among us, God in us), three works, (creation, salvation, sanctification), three levels of reality (nature, history, existence) and three forms of address ('You shall!,' 'You may!,' 'You can!') Schwarz states, 'Once our view of God has been reduced to one of the three ways in which God reveals Himself (expressed in the three colors), we also reduce our possibilities of experiencing God . . . in worldwide Christianity, there are three main groups who, positively seen, can be considered as advocates for one of the three ways in which God has revealed Himself: the 'Liberals' as advocates of the creation revelation, the 'Evangelicals' (author's comment: LCMS, too) as advocates for the salvation revelation, and the 'Charismatics' as advocates for personal revelation (Holy Spirit).' Thus it becomes obvious that God has been isolated primarily into one of the three Persons by the Scaer and Weinrich theology, as the primary one is played off against the others, and each must now choose their favorite 'god.'"

Doctor Francis Pieper writes about Unitarianism as follows:

"A. The Christian Church and Unitarianism"
"Unitariansim - known also as Monarchianism and Anti-trinitarianism - has appeared in various forms. For practical purposes the Monarchians have been divided into two classes, modal and dynamic. The Modalists of the third century held that God is a Unity and therefore unipersonal. This unipersonal God has revealed Himself successively in three different modes, or forms: In the Father as Creator, in the Son as Redeemer, and in the Holy Ghost as Sanctifier. Father, Son and Holy Ghost are not three distinct Persons, or hypostases, but merely three roles, or parts, played by the one divine Person. Modal Monarchianism as advocated by Noetus of Smyrna, the Patripassian Praxeas, and especially Sabellius (excommunicated 260), at first appealed to many because it not only upheld monotheism over against pagan polytheism, but also taught a certain trinity in God's mode of revelation and apparently also emphasized the deity of Christ." Pieper Vol. I page 382.

---

"Modalistic Monarchianism. View that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not 3 persons but 3 modes or forms of God's activity; God revealed Himself as Father in the work of creation, as Son in the work of redemption (Patripassianism), and as the Holy Spirit in the work of sanctification. (Heretics who supported this false teaching: Noetus, Calixtus, Beryllus, Praxeas, Epigonus, Sabellius)

"Modalistic Monarchianism as developed under him is known as Sabellianism: God, the absolute monad, reveals Himself successively 3 prosopa (Gk. 'faces"), each representing the entire monad (Father: Creator and Lawgiver; Son: Redeemer; Holy Spirit: Lifegiver). Opposed by Dionysius of Alexandria. See also Unitarianism." (Lutheran Cyclopedia, CPH, 1975, page 553)

---

A Letter to the Michigan District

September 13, 2001

Dear Michigan District President Hoesman:

A copy of your letter of August 23 was received while I was on business in Chicago, Tacoma, Seattle, and Victoria BC. After arriving home the Saturday before Labor Day, there were many necessary preparations before Rally Day, hospital visits and a funeral. This Sunday evening, September 9, was my earliest opportunity to begin replying to your letter concerning Dr. Werning's desire to meet with me over formal charges in Dispute Resolution on the correct teaching of the Trinity in the LCMS.

In May, I received a copy of Doctor Werning's latest book, "Health and Healing For the LCMS." A copy was also sent to every LCMS Convention delegate. It was strongly endorsed by the "blind guides" of "Jesus First." Werning has made me the primary figure in his 204 page 8 ½ by 11 book. He lists my name in one vicious attack after another at least 140 times. He is obsessed with my name.

However, far worse than Werning's hatred for me is the basest false doctrine he writes about the Trinity. As an LCMS pastor, speaking out against open and published false doctrine and slander against the Trinity is a far higher priority than defending myself from Werning's diatribes.

Werning accuses me of breaking the Eighth Commandment for pointing out his false doctrine, which is the duty of every LCMS pastor. If Werning is correct, then the entire Reformation was sin because Luther taught that the Pope was the Antichrist and the LCMS owes the Pope and the Catholic Church an apology. If Werning is correct, Jesus broke the Eighth Commandment for publicly accusing the Pharisees of false doctrine.

Enclosed with this letter is a copy of Werning's false teaching on the Trinity on pages 33-34 of his book. There are also selections from Pieper and "The Lutheran Cyclopedia" that explain Werning's error about the Trinity. After publicly pointing out Werning's false doctrine in late June, Werning has been relentlessly defended his heresy in nearly 50 pages of letters to our Board of Elders, Christian News, the Michigan District President, and me.

He sent a formal list of charges dated June 26th to our Board of Elders, the Michigan District President, and Christian News. I do agree with Werning that notifying Christian News is the first place to begin Dispute Resolution in the LCMS. Doctor Herman Otten must be notified in order to proceed.

Our congregation has been waiting for the Michigan District President to initiate the Dispute Resolution Process, which you have now done. Our Elders weren't convinced that you would involve yourself in Werning's confusion, but I assured them that you would.

If you recall, in our last meeting between four of our officers and yourself, you refused to agree that LCMS pastors cannot write their own Creeds and have their congregations confess them. Fortunately, the 1998 LCMS Convention did not agree with you and members of the Michigan District Board of Directors. As Judge Ward said to me, "You want it your way." How right he is. It is a shame that the clergy present were not concerned that Judge Ward didn't understand Lutheranism.

The following are examples of Werning's blatant Modal Monarchism and his claim to experience God directly apart from the Word of God.

1. ". . . the Triune God, as he shows . . . three forms of address 'You shall!,' 'You may!,' 'You can!'?"

2. " . . . experiencing God in a three-fold manner."

3. "three manners of being (God above us, God among us, God in us)"

4. "who says that as God revealed Himself in three ways,"

5. ". . . new experiences with God."

6. " . . . experience Christ as Savior through prayer,"

7. " . . . and sense the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives,"

8. " . . . possibilities of experiencing God"

9. "God revealed Himself in three ways, we can make the Creator with creation green, the Son, Jesus with salvation, red, and the Holy Spirit, with spiritual enlightenment, blue . . ."

In addition, in a separate letter to our Elders, Werning wrote the following false doctrine about the Sacraments:

10. "The Sacraments do not even fit in the Christology [study of Christ] issue."

There more problems with his book, but at this time I only listed these 10 charges of false doctrine in Werning's book.

On pages 33 and 34 of his book, Werning insults the Trinity by speaking in terms of Unitarian Modal Monarchianism, with God as three colors, three levels of reality, and three forms of communication. He also talks about "experiencing God," verbiage we expect from the Assembly of God. Werning keeps speaking about "God as" instead of "God is."

Unlike Werning's false god, the true God does not "reveal himself in three ways." He does not have "three forms of address," "three levels of reality," or "three manners of being." No one is "experiencing God in a three-fold manner." This is modalism and fanaticism! Werning has redefined the Trinity into an idol.

Werning can't produce any writings from the Bible, Luther, the Lutheran Confessions or Pieper that say that God has "revealed himself in three ways," "three forms of address," "three levels of reality," "three manners of being," or that anyone is "experiencing God in a three-fold manner." Only the devil teaches that we " . . . experience Christ as Savior through prayer." Prayer is not a means of grace.

This false doctrine was sent with impunity to every delegate and endorsed by "Jesus First." According to the Athanasian Creed, those who intentionally confuse the doctrine of the Trinity are eternally damned. We pray that Werning, age 81, doesn't know what he is saying.

Werning has many fine words about the Trinity in a book mingled with a heresy so grotesque that if any actually defend it they have given up their soul salvation according to the Athanasian Creed and can no longer be regarded as Christians, let alone Lutherans.

The Athanasian Creed says: "Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic [i.e., universal, Christian] faith. Which faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly."

The Athanasian Creed continues to say, "And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the Substance." "Confounding," means confusing the facts about the three Persons of the Trinity. Claiming a three-fold experience, manner, reality, way of revelation, or communication about God confounds, confuses, misrepresents and lies about the Trinity. But party spirit is so strong that South Wisconsin District officials are following Werning's teaching, and many more will inevitably follow their District President in defending this heresy.

Currently, three officers of the South Wisconsin District, instead of attempting to save Werning's soul by correcting his error, if he really believes what he writes about the Trinity, have joined in endorsing and defending Werning's heresy. They blithely discard the truth confessed by martyrs for the rankest cronyism and expediency. "Church Growth" is really a buzzword for Unitarianism.

In support of Werning's position South Wisconsin District Circuit 22 Counselor Rev. Ronald P. Krug, in a letter addressed "To whom it may concern:" writes, "After questioning and discussion of the issues under question in the orthodoxy of Rev. Waldo Werning, I have found him to be solidly on the foundation of Lutheran exegesis of the Scriptures." In his letter Krug accused me of breaking the Eighth Commandment.

In support of Werning's position, South Wisconsin District Vice President Borgman writes, "To reiterate: it was clear to me that you [Dr. Werning] believe, teach and confess the Orthodox position concerning the Holy Trinity as the Church confesses it in Scripture, the Ecumenical Creeds, and the Lutheran Confessions." Borgman claims that I published Werning's false doctrine in Christian News when Werning also sends his complaints to Christian News and sent a copy of his book about the Trinity and me to every LCMS delegate and Rev. Herman Otten.

In support of Werning, the South Wisconsin District President, Dr. Ron Meyer writes: "To Whom It May Concern: In contrast to the inaccurate and hurtful statement and suggestion made concerning Dr. Waldo Werning's theology, it is my duty and privilege, herby, to affirm the clearly stated, Lutheran position of Dr. Werning on the doctrine of the Holy Trinity . . ."

These three officials never spoke with me, they agree with Werning's writings, which are false doctrine, and all three letters attack me for defending the correct doctrine of the Trinity. Werning's book did not go through LCMS doctrinal review but, according to the officers of the South Wisconsin District, it is now the LCMS's official position.

Werning's writing about the Trinity on pages 33-34 are no more compatible with the Bible, the Athanasian Creed, the Lutheran Confessions, and Lutheran orthodoxy than "Playboy" is compatible with Holy Scripture and the Communist Manifesto is compatible with the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

I fear that many souls will be lost in the LCMS because ignorant clergy and lay people will follow their leaders instead of the Word of God and give up the correct teaching about the Trinity. Those who ask, "What difference does it really make?" should be reminded that the Early Church excommunicated Sabellius and cursed him and all his followers to hell for over what Werning is now teaching.

Yes, President Hoesman, now that Dr. Werning has initiated the Synodical mechanism for Dispute Resolution over the doctrine of the Trinity I will meet with Doctor Werning here at Redeemer Lutheran Church. One would have hoped that after the Convention there would have been time for a little peace, but false teachers on the LCMS clergy roster keep attacking sound doctrine.

By the grace of God, Redeemer is the congregation in the Synod that fought to keep the name "Lutheran" on all LCMS congregations at the 1995 Convention, that fought to keep the unadulterated confession of three and only three ecumenical Creeds in LCMS worship services at the 1998 Convention, and that fought to reaffirm Walther's "Church and Ministry" at the 2001 Convention. Evidently, it is now our duty to defend the doctrine of the Trinity in the LCMS because the Seminaries and District Presidents have acquiesced in their duty to guard souls from false teaching about the Trinity.

I will not risk my soul salvation and agree with Werning's heresy while the Synod's confession of the Trinity appears to be collapsing from within like the floors on the World Trade Center.

Our new Synodical President, Dr. Kieschnick, whom you copied in your letter, is the chief doctrinal officer of the LCMS. He demonstrated his weakness in doctrine by endorsing PLI while he was the Texas District President. It is now his official duty to tell us if he supports Werning's written statements enclosed with this letter. If President Kieschnick fails to speak out, Werning will continue to lead pastors and lay people to eternal damnation over his false teaching on the doctrine of the Trinity.

Yes, President Hoesman, with your letter, we at Redeemer will not shirk our duty to defend the correct teaching of the Trinity in Dispute Resolution for the entire LCMS against Dr. Waldo Werning, the "blind guides" of the South Wisconsin District and "Jesus First."

By the grace of God, we will speak out on the true confession of the Trinity no matter how great the earthly cost.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jack M. Cascione

cc. Dr. Waldo Werning
President Gerald Kieschnick
Rev. Ronald Krug
Rev. Paul Borgman
Rev. Dr. Ronald E. Meyer, President
Rev. Herman Otten