To Request the Restoration of "Issues, Etc." on KFUO AM, the Disclosure of Board for Communication Documents Related to Its Cancellation, and an Independent Audit of KFUO:
Whereas, members of Iowa District East have voiced their confusion and frustration at the handling of the "Issues, Etc." cancellation and firing of its host and producer; and
Whereas, "Issues, Etc." has been a blessing to many people - Lutherans, other Christians, and the unchurched - listeners in the KFUO broadcast area, listeners of stations across the country which carry this program in syndication, and thousands of listeners from around the world who download audio files of the show on the Internet; and
Whereas, "Issues, Etc." has been a valuable resource for pastors and congregations, keeping us abreast of current issues at the intersection of theology and American society, and helping us to respond to these issues in a truly biblical, evangelical, and Lutheran way, indeed serving as a model LCMS outreach effort; and
Whereas KFUO recently cancelled "Issues, Etc.", pulled it from and subsequently restored it to the KFUO web site, and dismissed its on-air host, Todd Wilken, and its program director, Jeff Schwarz, for widely-disputed reasons; and
Whereas, over 7,000 Christians from around the world and across denominational lines, including soldiers serving in Iraq, have signed an online petition requesting KFUO to reinstate "Issues, Etc." with its host (www.petitiononline.com/Issues/petition); and
Whereas, resolutions attesting to the faithfulness and value of the "Issues, Etc." program have recently been passed in Central Illinois, Southern Illinois, South Wisconsin, and South Dakota Districts, and quite a number of LCMS seminary professors, pastors, and district officials, and laity have signed the aforementioned petition; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the Iowa District East of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, requests that the Board for Communication Services and KFUO AM publicly apologize to the dismissed staff and their listeners and strive toward a mutually agreeable arrangement under which Rev. Wilken and Mr. Schwarz may continue their exemplary production and airing of this program, and reinstate "Issues, Etc." to its previous broadcast times as soon as possible; and be it also
Resolved, That the Board of Directors of Iowa District East of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod requests, for the sake of trust and unity, that Mr. David Strand and the Board for Communication Services make public all internal documents and memos concerning this cancellation, and, in addition, allow for a complete, independent, and publicly documented audit of KFUO finances, including directly comparable financial performance of all of the station's programs.
Passed by IDE BOD April 22, 2008
8 comments:
Let's hear it for Iowa! Not sure if the public apology will be effective. (My forced apologies to my brother never were genuine.) But I sure like the 'sunshine', or transparency, or Freedom of Information. I know I am dreaming, but hopefully if more resolutions like this are passed, someone will listen. Right? Right? (Why do I hear crikets chirping.) Jeremy
Now, what will be interesting to see is if this was unanimous and/or without dissent -- i.e., will it have any interplay with last week's no-dissent statement from the COP.
Any statements or resolutions that come out from district boards from here on out will do so in light of last week's missives, meaning that each DP might possibly have some 'splainin' to do.
I do like the IDE BOD's resolution, though. It's refreshingly devoid of suck.
Way to go BOD of Iowa District East, the district I grew up in. I saw that the pastor at the congregation I was confirmed in also signed the petition.
I believe our Heavenly Father has sent a crop of faithful pastors into our Synod who will not be afraid to defend the truth of the Gospel.
Thank the Lord for His faithfulness to us.
This is an excellent resolution because it calls for some specific actions that are well within the bylaws, namely an independent audit.
Well done, Iowa-East!
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Barb Sullivan
It is encouraging to hear this from Iowa, and it is very very well stated. BUT, do resolutions do any good when the COP refuse to take a stand? Will these resolutions cause any action/repentance?
We'll have to see. At the COP, the presidents are all together. But each one has to back home and deal with his own district and BOD.
Can someone please tell me, what it takes to get the president or whoever fired?
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