Passed April 9, 2008 – South Dakota District Pastor’s Conference, Dakota Dunes, SD
Whereas, the “issues, etc.” radio program on KFUO-AM, St. Louis, has been a great blessing to many of the pastors and laity of the South Dakota District; and
Whereas, pastor and people are at a loss to understand the decision to cancel a show that winsomely engaged the culture and offered a distinctly Lutheran perspective on the issues of the day; and
Whereas, official explanations for the show’s cancellation have not satisfied ore answered the concerns of many, and
Whereas, there is extensive public support for the continuation for Issues, Etc. and
Whereas, we wish to demonstrate pastoral concern for Rev. Todd Wilken, the show’s host and Mr. Jeffry Schwarz, the shows producer;
Therefore be it:
Resolved, that the Pastoral Conference of the South Dakota District gathered in solemn assembly at Dakota Dunes, SD this 9th day of April, in the year of our Lord 2008, give thanks and praise to God for the ministry of Issues, Etc. and the hard work of Pastor Wilken and Mr. Schwarz and be it finally
Resolved, that the Pastoral Conference of the South Dakota District officially petition the Board of Communication Services to revisit the decision by its Executive Director, David Strand, to cancel Issues, Etc. and also petition the Board to reinstate both Pastor Wilken and Mr. Schwarz to their positions, restore the ministry of Issues, Etc.
To KFUO Management April 10 2008
ReplyDeleteDear Sirs/Ma’am,
I am writing this to officially inform you of my request to stop my monthly automated withdrawal from my checking account in support of KFUO. I spoke with you a couple of days ago, but felt I should write you in order to make my reasons more clearly understood.
First let me thank you all for the timely and respectful way in which you responded to my inquiries and complaints regarding the inexcusably sudden and unexplained termination of Jeff Schwartz and Pastor Wilken and the Issues Etc. radio program. I do realize that the management at KFUO has been unjustly caught in the middle of this firestorm. As the leadership of the LCMS had taken this action without proper planning or warning, they have subjected you all at KFUO to a great deal of difficulty, I’m sure. Their unapologetic and inexcusable methods were very unprofessional and even displayed a total lack of love and concern for most all of their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I have called them and written them repeatedly, but they refuse to answer any of my questions. I assume that they are treating you all the same way. It must be difficult to work under the authority of the LCMS leadership when you know that your fate at KFUO could in an instant be similarly executed. It seems that they have generated a state of fear within the LCMS. I apologize on behalf of the leadership of the LCMS for that.
When I called you all to cancel my support you pointed out to me that KFUO does have other good programming such as Law and Gospel and that it may suffer as a result. I have thought carefully and prayerfully about this. Here is my reasoning;
Firstly, if I am to take the leadership of the LCMS at their word concerning monetary loss as the only reason for the inexcusable suddenness of their actions “programmatic and stewardship reasons“, then they force me to communicate to them in the only language it appears they respect or understand. Therefore, I must cancel my support.
Secondly, the suddenness of their inexcusable, unprofessional actions, with no proper warning or planning or consideration for those seriously affected tells me that the leadership of the LCMS must be held as suspect. Not only on this issue, but on all issues that it implements. With that in mind, based upon the research I have done, there can be little doubt that proper teaching of ESSENTIAL christian doctrine will seriously undermine the Ablaze marketing technique which seems to be the LCMS leadership’s primary priority. I’m certain that Issues Etc had to go in order to maintain the Ablaze marketing technique. With that in mind, how long do you think it might be before Law and Gospel is either censored or terminated in the same shameful manner anyway? Therefore, I must cancel my support.
Thirdly, I do understand that there may very well be some collateral damage as a result of withholding funding from all non-essential programs under the control of the LCMS leadership. Please know that I take this decision seriously and that it is a difficult one to make. But virtually all necessary confrontations contain some amount of collateral damage, that is one reason why confrontations are so difficult. Please know that this is an absolutely necessary confrontation, therefore, I must cancel my support.
Lastly, I visited the website of Jefferson Hills church which is one of the latest recipients of Ablaze grant money. It took me less than 10 minutes to discover that this church is in serious biblical and doctrinal error, not to mention its heavily flawed marketing technique. (I would invite you all to take a few minutes to check their site at jhchurch.org.) But the leadership of the LCMS can find a way to fund this organization while allowing no funding for Issues Etc! Some might say that I may be throwing the baby out with the bathwater by canceling my support of all non-essential programs controlled by the LCMS leadership. But I would ask you to put the blame for this where it should lie. For it is the leadership of the LCMS which has not just thrown out the baby (issues etc), but has actually chosen to retain the bathwater (Ablaze marketing techniques)! Therefore, I must cancel my support.
In closing, as this is an open letter, I am urging all LCMS Lutherans everywhere to withhold all funding from all non-essential programs controlled by the leadership of the LCMS. The tradition of Martin Luthers Reformation must not be reduced to a mere 500th anniversary celebration. It must be maintained as a LIVING tradition in order to resist the unfruitful works of darkness!
Ephesians 5:11 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
Sincerely, Mike Hillyer
Mrmike1998@hotmail.com
P.S. I understand that some of us must, frighteningly, remain anonymous in our criticism of the LCMS leadership and the Ablaze marketing technique along with the canceling of Issues Etc. I want to make it clear that my Pastors at my church are not aware that I am writing this and that no one in any way has suggested or encouraged me to write this letter or to make these suggestions. PLEASE, DON’T TAZ ME BRO!
3 down, 31 geographical districts to go:
ReplyDeleteSouth Dakota
Southern Wisconsin
Southern Illinois
Is it me or am I seeing a pattern? LCSS (Lutheran Church Southern Synod)?
I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for Pacific Southwest, Mid-South, or the other "South" Districts to do something like this.
ReplyDeleteb sullivan, don't forget CID Board of Directors, who started the ball rolling.
ReplyDeleteThe "LCSS" sounds good to me!
ReplyDeleteJoe Warnke
Georgia
I seriously doubt that Oklahoma will be a part of this. The DP, my former pastor, and the OK district seems to be Ablaze with Kieschnick-itis.
ReplyDeleteSouth Dakota is the next state North of us (Nebraska) -- maybe it'll spread!
ReplyDeleteOklahoma doesn't have a Spring Pastors' conference - it is a church workers' conference - and besides, at any of the ones I've been to the pastors have never passed a resolution. So I don't expect anything from us in OK officially.
ReplyDeleteOklahoma is a rather free state - all the District officials are part time so there isn't any full time mechanism for promotion. There are some congregations that have done tons - then you have my circuit which has done. . . not much at all. And we by in large get left alone. It's sort of nice. We all play nice in Oklahoma.