Two more Board items

Mollie here. One of the two most discouraging things to happen in Synod this year was the resignation in March of Pastor Edward Balfour from the board of directors. Balfour is this larger-than-life force of nature with a rather unlikely story. He was born and raised an Orthodox Jew in New Orleans and ended up a confessional Lutheran pastor in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and a stalwart against some of the church-growth shenanigans being pulled by some in leadership. I just LOVE Pastor Balfour. Anyway, the Board Briefs included a notice of his resignation.

The other notice was an oh-so-brief mention of the Issues, Etc. debacle:

Board for Communication Services Executive Director David Strand provided information regarding the cancellation of the KFUO radio program, “Issues, Etc.,” attributing his decision to his duty to balance the budget in light of the financial conditions being faced by the Synod, noting that the program constituted 18 percent of KFUO programming while being responsible for 40 percent of the AM station’s financial shortfalls over the past several years.

So I guess that’s how the Synodcrats are going to play it. If they just repeat this bullhonkey numbers enough, they believe them? I mean, take, for instance, the fact that Issues, Etc., was responsible for 100 percent of KFUO’s nationally syndicated programming. Or the fact that the numbers used to make these claims were based on questionable assumptions. I know — I was on the board that asked for itemized budgets. Or take that the LCMS Foundation skimmed 25 percent of the funds raised for every program. Or that the LCMS Foundation was completely asleep at the wheel on fundraising efforts. Or that funds that were given to Issues, Etc., by local listeners didn’t make it to the Issues, Etc. ledger. Or that the FM station that was supposed to be funding the AM station had been managed miserably for years. Or that David Strand and other synodocrats foiled my board’s attempts to improve the management of the radio station. Or that the litany of fundraising, programming and cost-saving measures that Todd and Jeff proposed to David Strand weren’t even considered.

But yeah, glad to see that the board is doing due diligence here. What a farce.

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