Messages

1

Your Turn / Re: What a Wonderful, Blessed Day!

« on: April 30, 2023, 03:03:53 PM »

I just returned from a fabulous celebration of the newest member of the diaconate in the LCMS.  Deaconess Miriam Yakimow was commissioned and installed at St. Paul Lutheran in Hamburg, MI, this morning.  I had the honor and privilege of "pinning" her with the Deaconess pin.  Fortunately, she makes up for all of the faults of her husband by being such a gracious and friendly person.    What a joy to see a pastor and congregation so excited to welcome and embrace this servant to their church.

Pastor Engelbrecht, I had a lovely chat with your sister, Amy, this morning who was in attendance.

2

Your Turn / Re: Concordia University Texas

« on: April 24, 2023, 11:47:23 AM »

The reality is that we are not going back to the Synod being a major source of college funding and their primary function producing church workers. As much as we would like to do that, the resources just are not there.

I happen to love the ripe mission field in front of me every day when I step into the classroom at Concordia Ann Arbor.  There simply aren't as many people interested in pursuing church work vocations these days (for a multitude of reasons). The demand would be there for our Concordias if they were.  Perhaps we should simply consider that the mission has shifted through the years as a result of numerous factors.  Also, I'm privileged to be unapologetically Lutheran every day.  Lutheran identity is alive and well.

3

Your Turn / Re: Cardinal Stritch University Closing

« on: April 12, 2023, 11:29:47 AM »

CUW had a social media statement indicating they are praying for the school and reaching out to those who will need to find alternative venues to continue their degrees.

Here is a link to a news piece on CUWAA's offer to accept transfer students from the school.

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Your Turn / Re: Abuse Scandal Report

« on: April 07, 2023, 09:02:22 AM »

Thanks for your notes,  deaconess.  You must have a handsome  husband! I've not experienced this but I was in an office setting rather than a pastoral setting for about half my service. We've lived in parsonages so my wife has always been close,  which may have helped; she's my right arm in children's ministry.

I do have a pretty darn good-looking husband, yes.   But in all honesty, from my experience and what other women will often say, you guys don't usually see it coming the way other women can.  And looks aren't really a factor . . . it's the position of power and authority and that presumed kindness the pastor always exhibits that is the draw.

And as noted above, yes, a healthy marriage between the pastor and his wife on display for the congregation is a helpful thing, but it still doesn't prevent this phenomenon entirely.  Sin will be sin.

5

Your Turn / Re: Abuse Scandal Report

« on: April 07, 2023, 08:54:27 AM »

Playing devil's advocate here, but I wonder what you all really think? Are such workshops and training the way to defeat the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh?

A church with firm policies in place to prevent child sexual abuse sends a strong signal to a potential perpetrator that THIS CHURCH will not be an easy target.  Can it prevent all instances of abuse?  No.  But it can definitely aid in prevention.  Publicizing that training and background checks are required for staff and volunteers alike can be a deterrent.  Ensuring that effective policies are in place when it comes to actual involvement with children is an even stronger deterrent.  This piece may be helpful in further explaining this.

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Your Turn / Re: Abuse Scandal Report

« on: April 06, 2023, 10:35:09 AM »

Charles,  you mentioned women who "prey" on clergy. What do you mean by "prey," I wonder. Most often the problem goes from the person in authority to a person under authority rather than the opposite.

I've seen this more times than I can count.  There are some women who just have a thing for the man in the white robe up front and in charge who preaches the Gospel and changes cold hearts.  They credit the man and not the Word.  Plus, if they have issues at home or no man in their lives, that seemingly perfect man becomes even more attractive.  As a pastor's wife and deaconess, I've had to implement interventions on more occasions than I would have liked.

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Your Turn / Re: Abuse Scandal Report

« on: April 06, 2023, 09:31:02 AM »

Another heartbreaking report released.

https://apnews.com/article/baltimore-archdiocese-sex-abuse-report-7d5d3af098da59a1c9313a246566638c

Usually the articles describe prosecutions and torts. Does anyone know what measures are introduced to prevent these issues going forward?

What standards are there in the Lutheran denominations to prevent these issues from arising?

I was privileged to chair the Task Force on Domestic Violence and Child Abuse when I still worked for the LCMS.  Here is a link to resources on child abuse for churches that the task force assembled and/or developed.

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Your Turn / Re: Rolling Stone Magazine Article About LCMS LC Controversy

« on: March 05, 2023, 03:25:41 PM »

. . . among other things taking Edward Engelbrecht to task for his laziness in not trying to find out who college student Ryan Turnipseed is.

I found this to be really rude.  He isn't the only one who wasn't taking this guy seriously.  My goodness.

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Your Turn / Re: 2023 LCMS Convention news, notes, and hard-hitting commentary

« on: February 07, 2023, 03:04:19 PM »

No Preus is speaking at this year's conference.  My nephew, Hans Fiene, is a Fiene, not a Preus.  His father, John, faithfully served the congregation in Zionsville for many years.

Hans is a good guy.  I recall being in a class or two with him while I studied in the deaconess program.  We were also able to visit his church in St. Louis while we were still living there.  His dad was one of my professors and also a well-known church planter who provided my husband with great wisdom on the subject throughout and beyond his seminary years.  I never picked up on even an ounce of negativity from either one of them, and I would put them both in the category of respectful teachers when it came to defending their positions and persuading others to reconsider theirs.

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Your Turn / Re: Individualism and feminism

« on: February 06, 2023, 04:44:25 PM »

Well, submission means something “below,“ something less than, something of lesser priority. You can dress it up with all the weasel words you want, but it means what it means. Furthermore, the word has a long, long, long, long history with regard to male/female relationships. If you’re gonna make this concept fly, you better find another word, there’s no putting lipstick on this pig.
And even then. . .

Well, we are Lutheran, after all.  Five uses of the word "submit" alone can be found in the Table of Duties.  It's not such a dirty word when used in the correct context.

11

Your Turn / Re: Individualism and feminism

« on: February 06, 2023, 04:20:50 PM »

Thank you Pastors Preus, Speckhard and Fienen, for your above comments.  Social media makes it so easy to make assumptions about people and then tear down those who don't believe as they do.  But, as in my case, prolonged periods of patient teaching can really have an impact on people who are struggling to understand the ways of the church versus the ways of the world.  I know I'm preaching to the choir, as each of you engage in this every day as you minister to your flocks.  But some guys on social media have got to cool it with the over-the-top rhetoric.  The world is watching, and the world needs the compassion and love that Christ modeled for us on a consistent basis.  This does not make a man any less manly by exhibiting these qualities.  It actually demonstrates strength.  I grew up with two older brothers, spent six years in the Army, and have enjoyed almost 32 years of marriage to the most manly man I've ever met.  He doesn't view me as his property.  He exhibits daily his willingness to sacrifice everything for me, and that helps me joyfully submit to his authority.  (And I don't believe I'm any less of a woman by today's secular feminist standards for doing so.)

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Your Turn / Re: Individualism and feminism

« on: February 06, 2023, 03:03:29 PM »

Permit me to add a fifth: How can we work to overcome the incredibly strong, but completely incorrect, popular notion that submission = inferiority?

Well, it really helps a lot when LCMS men refrain from acting like jerks when espousing this concept.    It certainly took a little while for me to understand and appreciate this tenet of the faith, but when both husband and wife act on their Biblical responsibilities in a faithful manner, it is a thing of beauty.  There are some who are very gifted in teaching this in a way that it can be received well by women with even the hardest of hearts, and then there are others who fail miserably because they think it's manly and Godly to lord it over women.  I've been on the receiving end of both, and the gentle and respectful teachers by far make better inroads.

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Your Turn / Re: 2023 LCMS Convention news, notes, and hard-hitting commentary

« on: February 04, 2023, 07:13:36 AM »

This is what you meant, I'm sure.

Ha!  That guy's eyes resembling a little nut found in Ohio represented by this guy.

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Your Turn / Re: 2023 LCMS Convention news, notes, and hard-hitting commentary

« on: February 04, 2023, 07:11:02 AM »

Oh, the irony of  Buckeye Deaconess  working on the campus of Concordia
University Ann Arbor which is the same city of her arch rival the Michigan
Wolverines.

Irony, indeed.  I can't believe we're living here.  But I am loving my vocation and the great students I am privileged to serve.  I didn't so much love how my door was "decorated" before the OSU/MI game this year by none other than The Yak.  Oh, and he showed me the depths he goes in pursuit of intellectual knowledge recently . . . let's just say he reads books with blank pages.  So much for continuing education.

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Your Turn / Re: 2023 LCMS Convention news, notes, and hard-hitting commentary

« on: February 03, 2023, 08:30:33 PM »

With your campaign slogan, i can only assume the Board for International Missions would probably become a drug cartel under your leadership.

Oh, for sure.  I have to see this guy almost every day now, and he is trouble.  Now if he changed his campaign slogan to Go Bucks! . . . he would be a sure thing.