A meeting was arranged with President A. L. Barry, at the LC-MS International Center on
Friday, January 14, in St. Louis. The host pastor of "The
First National Free Conference on C. F. W. Walther", Rev. Neil Schmidt of Hope Lutheran Church, in St. Ann, MO, a St. Louis
suburb, made the arrangements.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss concerns about Justification, the Pastoral
Leadership Institute (PLI), an increasing interest in Episcopal hierarchy and the
sacrament of ordination among LCMS clergy, and the numerous deviations from Walther's
doctrine and practice of Church and Ministry. The voice of the laity is being silenced as
their supreme authority to govern congregations is being removed by pastors who want to be
CEOs or Episcopal Bishops.
We were also delighted to see First Vice-President Kuhn join us in the meeting that
lasted for some 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Members of Synod in attendance were Rev. Neil Schmidt of St. Louis, Rev. William
Bischoff of St. Louis, Rev. Al Loeschman of Texas, Rev. Jack Cascione of Michigan, and
members of LCMS congregations were Congressman William Dannemeyer of Fullerton,
California, Mrs. Georgann McKee of Orange, Californian, Mrs. Florence Missildine of
Orange, California, Mr. Walther Dissen of Virginia, a member of the Fort Wayne Board of
Regents, and the Rev. Hermann and. Mrs. Grace of Otten of Missouri.
We wish to thank the President and First Vice-President for sharing their valuable time
and the warm reception they gave as we shared our concerns.
First on the agenda was our concern about the Doctrine of Justification. We encouraged
President Barry to continue his public teaching that the sinner is justified before God by
faith alone in Jesus Christ. We applauded his proclamation of the 1998 LCMS Convention's
opposition to the Joint Declaration on Justification signed by the Roman Catholic Church
and ELCA. Many LCMS Lutherans, let alone many Americans, are unaware of the LCMS's reasons
for not signing the agreement.
We asked Dr. Kuhn to encourage the LCMS Vice-Presidents to give Barry their public
support and condemn the opposing statement published by former LCMS President, Dr. Ralph
Bohlmann.
Further concerns were expressed that the Praesidium had not taken decisive action in
Wayzata, MN after they have found Dr. Nordlie's teaching incorrect on the Doctrine of
Justification. Barry assured us that the Praesidium had not completed its work in the
case. Barry revealed that President Ralph Bohlmann was advising Dr. Nordlie's congregation
in this matter and that Bohlmann was Nordlie's witness during the meetings with the
Praesidium. All in attendance sat in stunned silence.
We were also concerned that the current Dispute Resolution process can not deal with
doctrinal concerns as could the former Adjudication processes.
Third on the agenda was our concern with Doctor
Norbert Oesch and PLI (Pastoral Leadership
Institute). Attorney Walther Dissen described PLI as the signal greatest threat to the
Synod since the Seminex Walk-Out in early 1974. The members of Oesch's former Congregation in Orange California,
Mrs. McKee and Mrs. Missildine noted that the original published call to Oesch lacked
credibility because if came from eight pastors who have no standing to issue a divine call
in the LCMS.
Oesch led the congregation to believe that he was called to be the head of PLI when in
fact he was involved the formation of the organization.
Oesch claimed that he had the endorsement of President Barry, when in fact, Barry told
us in the meeting that he had sent PLI a letter stating that he did not endorse it. PLI
uses "LCMS" on all their stationary, even though they don't have RSO status.
We strongly objected to PLI's attempt to retrain pastors to be CEO's.
We questioned the right of LCEF to make a gift of $250,000.00 to PLI as an
entrepreneurial enterprise. If PLI wants to go into business, why must the lay people of
the LCMS fund someone else's business? PLI is also receiving funding from the LCMS
Foundation, The Council of District Presidents, AAL, LB, Wheatridge, and many other
cooperate and private donors.
The ladies asked, "How was it possible PLI could set up a Seminary without walls
that was not approved by the Synod?"
They reported that Oesch's website promotes cross denominational
training with Willow Creek, Community of Joy, Saddleback, the Beason Institute, and
the Crystal Cathedral.
The Website of the Board for
Congregational Services writes about PLI "This unprecedented, God ordained,
initiatives in the LCMS will help fulfill the great commission."
The women asked "Who says this is "God ordained" and who determined it
is "God ordained?"
The women questioned the cost of PLI at $6,000.00 per pastor per year for four years.
The Districts are to support each pastor with $1,500.00. Mentoring churches are to pick up
the tab for facilities usage and the pastors' time.
In a published report to the COP, Oesch claimed small congregations were dysfunctional
in terms of cash outlay by the District and that the $1,500.00 per candidate is a better
investment of District funds.
We encouraged the President to crash "the party" at Concordia, San Antonio on
January 26th, where representatives of the PLI mentoring congregations are to meet.
We want to know why no one can see PLI's curriculum?
We all agreed that the training of pastors should be done through the seminaries and
not through any independent organizations. Norbert Oesch does not have the authority nor
the Convention's approval to select faculty and curriculum for training LCMS pastors. This
is nothing than a return to Seminex through the back door. Should the BHE grant PLI
Recognized Service Organization status, PLI will have the authority issue calls to all the
faculty it chooses for its "seminary without walls".
Fourth on the agenda was our concern with the continued confusion on the doctrine and
practice of Church and Ministry. Many pastors are no longer supporting congregational
Voters' Assemblies as the only polity and supreme governing authority in LCMS
congregations. Rather, they are appealing to ordination as a sacrament, which places the
office of the ministry above the congregation. They are appealing to pre-Waltherian
European hierarchy taught by Loehe, Grabau, and Stephan in offence to the priesthood of
all believers.
A signed statement by Rev. Tom Bye of Oshkosh, Wisconsin was read at the meeting. It is
published at the end of this article.
In response, President Barry assured us twice, that he would indeed look into this
matter and take action.
The request was made that both Seminaries publish a clear statement as to what they
teach about the doctrine and practice of Church and Ministry in the LCMS. Do they support
Walther or what do they now teach?
In addition to these concerns President Barry was encouraged to speak out on the
Synod's opposition to evolution and proclaim that the world was created by God in six days
as stated in the Bible.
There was also much encouragement that Barry boldly speak out on the doctrines of the
Synod, regardless of the opposition.
Barry reported that all to often congregations in the Synod were not following the
Biblical practice of Closed Communion. Rather, pastors were simply labeling whatever
Communion practice they choose to follow Closed Communion. Published statements are to
clearly state that one must be in fellowship with the LCMS in order to Communion at LCMS
congregational altars.
We all thanked President Barry and Vice-President Kuhn for their time, interest, and
support for our concerns. President Barry closed our meeting with prayer.
Dear President Barry,
I am Tom Bye, Pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - Oshkosh, Wisconsin and have
been serving here for 18 years. I am also a member of the SWD board of directors, serving
my second six-year term. I am the secretary of the Mission Department, and was elected by
the Board of Directors to represent the board in response to the Rev. Stephen Wiest
dispute. I graduated from CTS-Ft. Wayne in 1981. The Class of' '81 was the first group to
complete all four years of the M.Div. program at the Ft. Wayne location. My Sem. IV year
Dr. Robert Preus hired me as a clerical assistant and grader for two systematic theology
courses. Systematic theology was my major area of concentration. Vicarage was served in
1979-1980 at Our Redeemer - Sheboygan, WI. I received a B.A. in History and religious
studies from Bradley University, Peoria Illinois where I served as president of the
Protestant Student Union my senior year. I have been married for 25 years to a fine income
producing registered nurse who is also an outstanding pastor's wife! We have two
daughters, 18, and 21. Our oldest is a junior at Loyola Univ.-Chicago, and youngest is a
senior at Winnebago Lutheran Academy (WELS) in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. My theology
reflects Pieper and Walther. My congregation uses TLH and the WS98.
I write you concerning problems within our South Wisconsin District involving pastors
of the "ordination as sacrament", high, high church genre popularly labeled
"hyper-euros" by some observers. I don't believe this is any new revelation to
you, however I wanted to mention three circumstances with which I have been well
acquainted as a member of the SWD Board of Directors. I am unable to be present with Jack
in your office today. You may be familiar with these already.
Please be aware that in SWD we have a very organized group of hyper-Euros who have,
with great activism, supported Michael Hill and Stephen Wiest , and Scott Marincic. Hill
and Marincic who destroyed churches are no longer on the Clergy Roster, and Wiest has been
CRM for two years.
There are others, one of whom is now in a dispute resolution situation where 20% of his
membership has departed; I will leave him unnamed as this is now in an official level of
address. Another was Rev. Gary Gehlbach who resigned as Secretary of the SWD because we
removed Wiest as M.A.L. at a campus ministry. He informed me that as a result of my
position against Rev. Wiest in the dispute resolution process "my immortal soul was
in peril along with other board members, and that we must repent because we are in
persistent sin."
The Dispute Resolution Panel chaired by Rev. Harvala announced its unanimous decision
in November supporting the actions taken by the SWD Board. During this time Rev. Wiest was
a guest speaker at the church of Rev. Burnel Eckhardt in Kewaunee Illinois. His topic,
this is no joke, : "Rev. Martin Stephan, First American Lutheran Martyr."
What these people have in common is the demand to be addressed as "Father,"
That ordination is a "proper" sacrament conferring special grace to the
recipient, and the recognition of a special clergy caste. What's worse is the mess many of
these people are making in their ministries. The Rev. Father is to be a benevolent
dictator of his parish, which needs no, nor should have, a voters' assembly.
I addressed some of my concerns and observations in a three-part article I wrote for
the Reclaim Walther Organization entitled, "Whoring after the Episcopacy."
Please know, dear brother, that the concerns that Jack presents to you on this
"Hyper-Euro" matter are not the product of some church politico-paranoiac with
an Italian surname. They are real and are recognized by creditable pastors who are
veterans of decades of congregational ministry.
You are indeed serving at an historic time as Synodical President as the LCMS struggles
in a riptide of theological and organizational threats. May God bless you and lead you to
a suitable response to the challenges of today and what lies ahead.
In Christ,
Thomas W. Bye