Megadeth Bassist to be an LCMS pastor thanks to SMP

[Mike Gehlhausen]

Mr. Gehlhausen writes:
 For Drs. Just and Rast, we are talking over fifteen years away from parish experience. Now, while it might very well lead to a softer parish experience since parishes might well contend for the honor of having such prestigious pastors serve them,

I muse:
What world do you live in?  How many times have you gone through a call process with a congregation? The last thing congregations look for in their pastor is "prestige" or a reputation as a theologian.

Perhaps, but they should.  My experience may be anomalous, but we considered the accomplishments and theological reputation of the pastors we considered in the call committee I was part of a couple of years ago.

Things may differ in the ELCA I suppose.

Mike

[pr dtp]

Not all theologians are cut out to pastors, and not all pastors are cut out to be theologians, or seminary level teachers.  I ran into a couple both ways over the years.
 
Dan

I can see this for systematics - and church history - but sems have to teach pastoral care and homiletics.

Perhaps this is why both PLI and Doxology are so well thought of by their alum - because they provide things pastors who are in the field need to comprehend - but weren't covered or covered deep enough?

[Dave Benke]

Just opened my unrequested copy of the latest missive from New Haven, MO to discover the full-dudgeon attack mode on both the Specific Ministry Pastor program and (of course) the Council of Presidents.  It turns out, according to the editor, that "the LCMS bureaucracy and seminary leaders did not appreciate Gard's (our Chaplain Gard) opposition to the SMP.  He was demoted from his administrative position at the Ft. Wayne Seminary." 

Is this news?  Is this true?  Is this true news to Chaplain Gard?  It is news to me.  I just don't know if it's true.

The SMP is attacked as "A Dumbed Down Clergy", with special rancor headed in the direction of the St. Louis Seminary and especially its admission of the guitarist Ellefson.  All of this, with the exception of the Gard Penalty Clause, is typical of the ultra-conservative modus operandi in the ramp-up to the 2013 convention, and far from the more genteel and helpful dialogs found here.

Of juicier interest to me is the article headed "A 50 Year Battle with the LCMS' COP Bureaucrats," a sub-heading of which is entitled "The Secret Lodge."  "It is no wonder," the editor opines, after revealing that the presenting problem with the COP is that they refuse to answer his questionnaires, "that some laymen are referring to the LCMS's Council of Presidents as a 'secret lodge.'"

Two comments -
a) who are these laymen?  Are they the non-ordained children of the editor?  Why are they never listed by name?  Is this number growing, shrinking or staying the same?  Are these people alive or dead?  Step up and be counted!
b) I cannot and will not reveal the secret handshake. 

Dave Benke

[Rev. Matthew Uttenreither]

Three of my practical theology and/or homiletics profs:

Dr. Carl Fickenscher was in the parish from 1984-1999

Prof. John Pless was campus pastor at ULC for 17 years.

Bishop Pittelko was in the parish for like 30 years and than bishop of the English District for over a decade before he became a prof at the sem.  He retired from teaching sometime after 02.

[John_Hannah]

b) I cannot and will not reveal the secret handshake. 

Dave Benke

For fifty years I have been scrutinizing you guys (DPs) when you get together. I may have mastered the secret by now. I wonder how much Otten would pay....

[swbohler]

Dr. Benke,

Dr. Gard used to be Dean of Graduate Studies (he was so listed in the 2007-2008 CTS academic catalog) as well as Supervisor of Military Chaplaincy Programs.  According to the current online faculty listing, he is listed as Dean of Military Chaplaincy Programs, while Dr. Detlev Schultz is Dean of Graduate Studies.  Perhaps this change is what was mentioned as a demotion.

[Dave Benke]

When we're reduced to guessing the points of reference of an editor who's totally self-referential, we're in deep water, SW.  Only the Chaplain knows for sure whether he was demoted or not. 

And of course those of us who are in possession of the secret handshake.  All knowledge and power pertains to us.  And only to us.  It is an exclusive club.  And on this board, I am the only one in the club.  I know this to be the case.  You know this to be the case.  What I know that you do not know is what should concern you.  But then again, it should not concern you.  Because you will never know it.  Whatever "it" is. 

Code 237b.alpha.

Dave Benke

[Scott6]

When we're reduced to guessing the points of reference of an editor who's totally self-referential, we're in deep water, SW.  Only the Chaplain knows for sure whether he was demoted or not. 

And of course those of us who are in possession of the secret handshake.  All knowledge and power pertains to us.  And only to us.  It is an exclusive club.  And on this board, I am the only one in the club.  I know this to be the case.  You know this to be the case.  What I know that you do not know is what should concern you.  But then again, it should not concern you.  Because you will never know it.  Whatever "it" is. 

Code 237b.alpha.

Dave Benke

The waffle is buttered.

[Mike Gehlhausen]

When we're reduced to guessing the points of reference of an editor who's totally self-referential, we're in deep water, SW.  Only the Chaplain knows for sure whether he was demoted or not. 

And of course those of us who are in possession of the secret handshake.  All knowledge and power pertains to us.  And only to us.  It is an exclusive club.  And on this board, I am the only one in the club.  I know this to be the case.  You know this to be the case.  What I know that you do not know is what should concern you.  But then again, it should not concern you.  Because you will never know it.  Whatever "it" is. 

Code 237b.alpha.

Dave Benke

The waffle is buttered.

 

I liked it better when you were quoting high-school students' sentences.  They were less cryptic.

Mike

[Dave Benke]

Secret societies depend on being cryptic, Mike.  Your use of the word "less" next to "cryptic" indicates that you are ineligible for membership in any secret society.  Of course, the Council of Presidents is not just ANY secret society.  It is The Secret Society.  You are ineligible and will remain ineligible for membership. 

It would be best for you and those near to you not to pursue this any further.  It would be highly appropriate for you to cease the use of "smileys" as well.  They are not only what you believe they seem to be.  Not at all.  They contain imbedded cryptic materials impenetrable to cryptographers far beyond the signified facial expressions.  Code0201Beta.f.  Do not examine the left frontspiece of your cellular device for any reason at this time.

Dave Benke

[pr dtp]

Secret societies depend on being cryptic, Mike.  Your use of the word "less" next to "cryptic" indicates that you are ineligible for membership in any secret society.  Of course, the Council of Presidents is not just ANY secret society.  It is The Secret Society.  You are ineligible and will remain ineligible for membership. 

It would be best for you and those near to you not to pursue this any further.  It would be highly appropriate for you to cease the use of "smileys" as well.  They are not only what you believe they seem to be.  Not at all.  They contain imbedded cryptic materials impenetrable to cryptographers far beyond the signified facial expressions.  Code0201Beta.f.  Do not examine the left frontspiece of your cellular device for any reason at this time.

Dave Benke

I have a cryptic theory, would either affirm or re-affirm it potentiality?

For 50 years, the center of all opposition to the COP and often the BOD, including checking them to see if they XYZ'd seems to be from a place in Missouri.

In the history of the church there has never been a time where there wasn't a group that opposed those in leadership.  Indeed, such revolutionary types often were put up against the wall and shot, when their revolution was successful, and things often returned to how they were in the first place. (look at the latent forms of both Gnosticism and pelagianism that exist in the RCC as an example. ) Basically, in order the uhm.. cream - yeah that's it - to rise to the top - there must always be a force pushing against it.

But what if that force was in league with the cream?  What if there was a conspiracy by the leadership and the opposition which would always secure to both the fame, privilege, and notoriety they all thought was beneficial (best construction) to the running of the kingdom, and the sale of cheap american imitations of Lutheran Beverages?   

What if the secret handshake included the seemingly disloyal opposition?  What if the controversies were simply... created - to keep us looking in a different direction, manipulating us to buy more beer, in order to hide from the frustration?....what if these were all members of the Knights Templar, with Ties to the Masonic Lodge, all controlled by the Busch/Coors cartel?

I mean - if we are going to say this is a conspiracy - let's at least have something Dan Brown could get people to believe..

[Dan Fienen]

Would this relate to the secret history that reveals that the John Birch Society approached Eisenhower and offered to support or denounce his candidacy for president, whichever would do him the most good?
 
Dan

[Jim Butler]

Two comments -
a) who are these laymen?  Are they the non-ordained children of the editor?  Why are they never listed by name?  Is this number growing, shrinking or staying the same?  Are these people alive or dead?  Step up and be counted!
b) I cannot and will not reveal the secret handshake. 

The use of the term "some" has been one of the editor's favorite tricks over the years. It's always "some laymen" and "some conservatives." I think I was in college when I first wondered "Who is this 'some'? Why aren't any of them named?"

Of course, he never mentions the fact that "some laymen" and "some conservatives" disagree with him.

BTW, I think you're right. I think the laymen and the pastors all consist of family members.

It's OK if you don't tell me the handshake. I already got it from a NED Prez.

[Dave Benke]

Definitely keeping the NED President in prayer for continued recovery and healing.  No handshake needed for that. 

Agreed on "some," or "a growing number."  These are the tools of the trade for any ever-ready journalist interested in making a point from a pre-defined point of view.  Another is single anonymous source "reporting."  No confirmation of facts is needed before publication, so anyone can send anything in and if deemed editorially useful, out it goes.   

Dave Benke

[Charles_Austin]

When a responsible journalist says "growing number," there is usually - not always, but usually - information in the story proving that the numbers are growing. Maybe polls are cited. Maybe people in the field are quoted about the increase in whatever. Maybe the number of events on the topic are cited.
That almost never happens with the pastor that has so troubled Missouri for decades.