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August 27, 2002
Dear Mr. Hebermehl and members of the LLL governing board:
"But now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ
Jesus, who
abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the
gospel" (2 Tim. 1:10).
In the afternoon of August 7, I received a call from Mr. Hebermehl's
secretary to meet with Mr. Hebermehl in his office the next afternoon.
This
was the only communication I had received from the LLL since the
convention
in July.
I went to Mr. Hebermehl's office at 3:00 p.m. on August 8.
Immediately
after he gave me the stipulations, I asked Mr. Hebermehl whether the LLL
board had seen these stipulations. Mr. Hebermehl said
"No." I asked
whether the board would see these stipulations, Mr. Hebermehl said
"No."
Mr. Hebermehl then read the stipulations to me after which I inquired
whether there was anything further he was going to say. He said
"No."
In other words, there was to be no discussion. I had no input into the
stipulations and no discussion was invited.
I was given until August 30 to either sign or I would be terminated.
I
truly and sincerely wonder if there is any pastor in the entire Synod that
would like to be treated this way. Would any pastor sign anything under
these conditions?
I have discussed at great length these stipulations with over a half dozen
top leaders of the LCMS. Without exception they urged that I not
sign them.
Without exception they also urged that these stipulations be made public
as
soon as possible.
Why? The LLL staff has made these private matters public through
releases
at the Ottawa convention, through LLL publications, through information
released for a front page story in the Reporter, through an interview with
the St. Louis Post Dispatch, and even through communications to foreign
church leaders, as shown by material I have attached. Now that thousands
and
thousands of people around the world have been "worked up" over
this matter,
and especially our LCMS clergy, now this suddenly becomes a private
matter??
If I were to sign these carefully written stipulations I would be caught
in
a Catch 22 and I would be compromising my ordinations vows. I would
also be
undermining the Synod because, by accepting these stipulations, my apology
would come to bear on the work I am now involved in as an officer of the
Synod.
I find all of this very difficult in a personal and Christian way.
Over the
twenty-five years that I have served as a speaker on the Lutheran Hour I
have never "bucked" the board on any issue. I have known
many of you as
close personal friends, eaten at your tables, and slept in your guest
bedrooms, visited with your children, and shared common dreams and hopes
with you of the positive future of the Lutheran Layman's League and the
Lutheran Hour.
It is for this reason that, when I was called by Mr. Hebermehl for a
meeting
on July 10, I was shocked. I had no warning whatsoever what was
planned by
the LLL Executive Committee. No one gave me even a hint of what the
meeting
was going to be about.
When I arrived at the restaurant near the LLL for the meeting, I was
surprised to see LLL President Waldron and the Rev. Keurulainen already
there. We exchanged a few remarks and then ordered our meal.
Then, for at
least an hour I was hammered endlessly to resign from the Lutheran Hour.
And, even though it is going to anger some, with all due respect, I need
to
say this.
During that hour of hammering, I don't recall Mr. Hebermehl saying much of
anything. Mr. Waldron did the hammering, coached carefully by the LLL
Pastoral advisor the Rev. Keurulainen. I said several times to these
gentlemen that if I had in writing a request by the entire board that I
should resign, I would do so. Mr. Waldron said the board did not
know I was
being asked to resign. I was absolutely shocked!
If you don't think that type of surprise treatment will affect you, let me
simply say this: I did not touch my meal once. The waiter finally came and
got my salad just as he had brought it one hour earlier. How would
anyone
of you board members like to be surprised with a meeting like this?
It is
highly dishonest for the LLL staff to disseminate widely the untruth that
I
totally disregarded the request that the Executive Board of the LLL made
of
me.
When I received the request of the Executive Board to recuse myself from
adjudicating the Benke case, I explained that the responsibility for the
adjudication procedure belongs to the LCMS Presidium and not to myself.
The
Presidium receives this responsibility from the LCMS Constitution and
Bylaws.
At my urging, the LLL Executive Committee then expressed their concerns to
the LCMS Presidium. The LCMS Presidium took up their concerns and,
after my
leaving the room, reassigned the task of adjudicating the Benke case to
me.
Thus, the LLL Executive Committee has a difference with the Presidium of
the
Synod. Again, letters on record will show that it is highly
dishonest to
spread the untruth that I remained indifferent to the concerns of the LLL
Executive Committee.
Why is all of this so shocking and confusing? Let me quote from a letter
written to me on February 19, 2002 and signed by the Executive Committee.
After indicating their concerns over my involvement in adjudicating the
charges against President Benke, the Executive Committee then states
"we do
want to add that should the Lord lead you otherwise, we will support you.
Your decision, either way, will in no way affect the good relationship we
share with you nor the respect (confidence) we have for you as a person or
in your role with Lutheran Hour Ministries."
So, let me say once again, I cannot sign the stipulations of which I had
absolutely no input. I cannot sign stipulations that are set up like
a
Catch 22, which would force me to violate my ordination vows; and, I
cannot
sign stipulations that would go against procedures the Synod in convention
has established to govern itself.
I have absolutely no animosity, anger, or hatred toward anyone regarding
my
relationship with the LLL and its leadership. In the course of many, many
presentations I have given on behalf of the LLL over the past quarter of a
century, I have frequently referred to, and rested upon, the wonderful
life
giving words of hope God has given us: "Let all bitterness and wrath
and
anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as
God in Christ also has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:31-32
Can things be resolved? Of course they can. With God all things are
possible. He accomplishes this all through the power of His Word.
I have no idea where this is going to end except what I have been told in
the stipulations given to me by Mr. Hebermehl on August 8: Unless I sign
these stipulations, the LLL will terminate my employment. I am not
playing
"hard to deal with." I am simply saying I cannot go against
advice given to
me by top church leaders, my conscience and, most importantly, God's Word,
even as the LLL Code of Ethics stipulates that "Responsibilities
shall be
conducted consistent with the Scriptures and Confessions."
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation
through
our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we are awake or
asleep,
we may live together with Him" (1 Thess. 5:9-10).
Kindest Personal Regards In Christ,
Wallace Schulz
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