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Ongoing Issues in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod In re-introducing this section, we have been in prayer and contemplation about how to deal with the controversy surrounding our Pastor's participation at Yankee Stadium for a long time now. Of special concern to us has been the personal and divisive attacks by people, mostly clergy, from within the Missouri Synod on us and on our pastor. These attacks have hurt us. They have hurt our pastor. They are unjust and unfounded. We are convinced now more than ever that the rulings of the Missouri Synod will continue to demonstrate without any doubt that those who have attacked him have in fact been those who are in dissent from the rulings and beliefs of our denomination. That means that those people need to repent of their false attacks and ask for our pastor's forgiveness. But at the same time, we need to be forgiving, and not add to the divisiveness ourselves. That is what has been revealed to us in the Holy Season just past. So in whatever ways we have caused division, we are sorry, and pray that we might be those who always seek to bring healing to our church body for the sake of our Lord. In that light, we will continue to produce documents that show the teachings of the Bible on Christian witness and on the doctrine of God and man. We will also continue to expose items that we find to be in contradiction with the teachings and practice we have learned. Healing will come not by ignoring injustice, but by bringing it to light so that God's forgiveness can be received. This spring an April Fool's "joke" was forwarded to us, sent by a pastor of the Missouri Synod and forwarded through an email network sponsored by another pastor of the Missouri Synod and presented as an official news release of the Missouri Synod. These pastors' names are Henrickson and Stefanski. The network is called "CAT41." The "joke" wasn't much of a joke at all, since it attempted, as has been the constant case, to make fun of our pastor and President Kieschnick even while telling a lie. It was in bad taste in every possible way. No apology to our Pastor or to President Kieschnick has been forthcoming from either pastor. One is needed. When the case against Pastor Benke is finally completed and the evidence is available for all to see (and much of that has already taken place) , the questions are simple: Will those who have attacked him, so many of whom are pastors, apologize to him and to those from New York and around the country who were affected by the events of 9/11? Will those who have ridiculed him for witnessing Christ through prayer apologize to him and the thousands who found comfort in his prayer in the precious Name of Jesus? Will those complainants and leaders who have kept him from his elected duties in the Atlantic District apologize to him and the District? Will the leaders who disagreed publicly with Pastor and President Kieschnick admit they are the ones who are dissenting from the teachings of the Lutheran church? Will the Missouri Synod find ways to change the structure and rules so that doctrinal complaints are much harder to file, and put into place rules with some teeth that penalize those who file baseless complaints? For healing to begin in the Missouri Synod, these questions need to be answered promptly and in the affirmative when the time comes. Let the word of our church body ring loud and clear. Let the word of our church be heard by all. Let each member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod stand proudly behind the resolve of its opinions and convention decisions to promote a message of peace, tolerance, openness, and understanding. Now is the time for an end to needless appeals and to "gag orders." The Church has spoken. It has said: "It's OK to pray." |
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