Pastor Joel Brondos has written a fascinating test that analyzes the theology of the Ablaze! movement by offering side-by-side statements. The first statement represents positions which are clearly in line with the Scriptures and Lutheran Confessions while the second statement … Continue reading
(Editor’s Introduction: We thank David Atkinson, a BJS steering committee member, for this description of the confessional group that meets regularly out in Orange County, California. They will be keeping us abreast of their activities via their entry on the … Continue reading
Ablaze has its evangelism counter and BJS has its Confessional Reading Groups counter. The news in the synod lately and my recent vacation have distracted me from keeping the counter up to date. It is important for us to keep … Continue reading
A few of the comments to various stories about the synod convocation have asked for a description of what went on. The following is based on discussions with a pastor who attended. Overall, it was perceived by this person … Continue reading
(Editor’s Note: we welcome Pastor Ben Ball from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Brookfield, Illinois. He will be offering analysis and commentary on the church in this regular column.) Calls and Catechesis I received a letter in the … Continue reading
Check it out here. Update: A reader sends along his highlights from an initial reading: No more decision making boards in the Synod. All boards merely advisory. All executives report to The LCMS President, who would also hire them. All … Continue reading
(Editor’s note: Pr. Preus’ spot in the Brothers’ Cafe has several posts about synodical restructuring that you may want to re-read.) One upon a time there was pastor. He had been leading a church for a half a dozen years … Continue reading
Pastor Charles Henrickson passed along this timely summary of a report given to the synod back in 1961 when structural changes were being considered. It was written by LCMS historian August Suelflow and is summarized for us here by Dr. … Continue reading
Driving through the radio broadcast wasteland in the Canadian Shield north of Lake Superior in Canada could be a mind-numbing trip if not for some great friends and their wonderful son-in-law Erich K. (For those of you in New Haven … Continue reading
Being steadfast in part means being vigilant, i.e. keeping watch. For the next three days it is crucial for steadfast laymen (and pastors) to keep watch on what is going on in St. Louis at the synod’s third theological convocation … Continue reading
So now that Kari Jobe (who I’m sure is very nice and dedicated but not, you know, Lutheran) is no longer the “lead worshiper” at “Glorybound 2008” — the Texas Lutheran Youth Gathering, who’s “leading” the worship? Kari’s now just … Continue reading
(Editor’s note: We thank Pastor Dennis Bestul from Cupertino, California for this excellent article reminding us that traditional, liturgical worship exemplifies true diversity, reaching the lost from every background and walk of life.) After our 11:00 divine service one Sunday, … Continue reading
by Pastor Walt Otten The Brothers of John the Steadfast have asked this 1959 Concordia, St. Louis graduate to prepare a bi-monthly post for this website entitled “This Was Your Grandfather’s Church.” The editor’s instructions to me were, “Just Look … Continue reading
By Rev. Klemet Preus August 15 is the Feast of St. Mary the mother of our Lord. Now I know that at Glory of Christ in Plymouth, Minnesota, my congregation, we tend not to observe the saints days even when … Continue reading
While theology does not change, management style and theory do. And these days we are experiencing a leadership style which is painfully similar to that of my Grandfather’s church but without effectiveness. The Baby Boom took place from 1946-1964. … Continue reading
Readership Totals We have some great statistics from the month of July for the John the Steadfast website. We had 5,358 unique visitors in the month of July, making 19,490 visits and viewing 95,079 pages. (Some readers may be checking … Continue reading
I found out a little bit more about the KFUO budget situation. Recently we discussed how odd it is that the 2008/2009 budget for KFUO would increase over the previous year. Remember that BCS Executive Director David Strand claimed that … Continue reading
Our good friends down in the nation of Texas, the Texas Confessional Lutherans, are holding a free conference early next month, September 5-6 at Grace Lutheran Church in Brenham, Texas. The theme is “Ministry and Priesthood: A Distinction of Kind.” … Continue reading
I will be sending President Hennings a personal e-mail and giving him a phone call on Monday to address the issue that we have been discussing for the past few days here concerning the Texas District Youth Gathering. This is … Continue reading
Steadfast Parish of the Month – Memorial Lutheran Church, Houston, Texas Once upon a time – a half century ago, to be exact – a little boy named Scott Murray was born in Kitchener, Ontario. He can’t remember wanting to … Continue reading
After all this serious (but necessary) discussion of the Texas “Lutheran” Youth Gathering, we need some levity. If it strikes his fancy I am sure Pastor Blazek will draw a cartoon based on the gathering but for now we will … Continue reading
Recently we discussed how odd it was that the KFUO budget would increase for the coming year when David Strand claimed that Issues, Etc. had to be canceled for financial reasons. It gets stranger. One of my sources tells me … Continue reading
Mollie here. Remember how David Strand claimed that Issues, Etc. was terminated for “programmatic” reasons? Remember how everybody wondered what in the heck he meant? Remember what he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the programming at KFUO-AM? The church … Continue reading
Where do I start? Pastor Wilken has introduced us to a nightmare called the Texas Lutheran Youth Gathering. The problems with this event go far beyond the fact that they have chosen a non-Lutheran, woman pastor to be the Lead … Continue reading
(This is another of our regular posts from Confessional groups around the synod and beyond.) The name really says it all. Northern Illinois Confessional Lutherans (NICL) is a group of pastors in the northern Illinois area (not only the Northern … Continue reading