The Rev. Dr. Wallace Schulz Will Not Return to Lutheran Hour Ministries

By: Rev. Jack Cascione

The following News Release was sent out by the International Lutheran Layman's League.   The League believes that Second Vice President Wally Schulz's duties in the LCMS placed him in conflict with the goals of the LLL.  The LLL no longer supports the LCMS Constitution.  This is why the LCMS Board of Directors questions the LLL's right to Recognized Service Organization status in the LCMS.  The polarization that Luther caused in Europe would also make him ineligible to be an LLL speaker.

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The Rev. Dr. Wallace Schulz Will Not Return to Lutheran Hour Ministries

St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 18, 2002--The Rev. Dr. Wallace Schulz will not return to his duties as Lutheran Hour Radio Speaker, according to Rodger Hebermehl, executive director of Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM).

"Dr. Schulz would not agree to stipulations deemed necessary for his return to service," Hebermehl said. "Our desire was to reach an agreement that would restore him to his duties.  We regret that this could not be achieved.  We appreciate Dr. Schulz's long years of service to "The Lutheran Hour" and to the International Lutheran Laymen's League, and we pray for God's continued blessings on him and his ministry."

Dr. Schulz was relieved temporarily of his duties with pay on July 12. On July 21, the LHM board of governors declared unanimously that Dr. Schulz violated the organization's code of ethics and its conflict of interest policy.  At the same time, the board indicated its desire to bring Dr. Schulz back into the LHM team ministry.  It also affirmed the authority of the executive director to develop stipulations and to obtain Dr. Schulz's agreement before he could be restored to service. Dr. Schulz declined to agree to the stipulations.

LHM experienced turmoil and polarization after Dr. Schulz, in his role as second vice president of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, chose to rule in a case involving the church body's Atlantic District president, who participated in a post-Sept. 11, 2001, prayer service at New York's Yankee Stadium.  LHM leaders have consistently taken no position on the matter or on Dr. Schulz's ruling.  They anticipated, however, that any involvement could bring potential controversy and harm the organization's mission of "Bringing Christ to the Nations-and the Nations to the Church."  In February, LHM asked Dr. Schulz to recuse himself from the matter, but he did not do so.

His action polarized Lutheran Hour Ministries and negatively affected the organization's ministry, Hebermehl said.  In seeking the stipulations, LHM's intent was to be constructive and to ensure that Dr. Schulz clearly understood what was required of him to be reinstated into the team ministry, Hebermehl said.

Lutheran Hour Ministries, with headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., is a service of the International Lutheran Laymen's League (Int'l LLL) a volunteer organization of 130,000 members. The Int'l LLL is an auxiliary of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and Lutheran Church-Canada.

A Web site version of this news release is located at: www.lhm.org/enews.htm

For further information, please contact: Jim Telle at 1-800-944-3450, sta. 4171 jim.telle@lhm.org

September 18, 2002