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Letters of Support for Rev. Dr. David H. Benke Page 1 | 2 August 02, 2002 Dear Pastor Benke; It is a pleasure to read through the sections of your Prayer for Sept 23 icon as well as your website. Many at our church were so proud to have a representative from the LCMS at the Prayer Service on Sept 23 and we are overwhelmed with sadness and dismay at the censure you have received. We (I) support you and your ministry fully and want you to know that the NW District in many ways is also perhaps looked upon by "Mecca" like you describe the Atlantic District under your comments about the East Coast Liberals - pen that also to the West Coast Liberals! Not all parishes and pastors, but many. Please be encouraged by the knowledge that MANY LCMS members support you and your ministry and we pray that this all is the beginning of some cleaning and cleansing of the small LCMS group/self appointed leadership who stand to destroy a theologically sound Lutheran branch. We know that the LCMS is beset with power struggles and hope that somehow, by the Grace of God, the sensible and loving men of God will surface amidst this controversy. We offer prayers weekly for all those who minister in the church, especially the leaders of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, lead us in confessing our faith boldly so that we may proclaim Jesus Christ to the world - this is the example you, Pastor Benke have set for us. Continue to go forth in His service and as in Paul's letter to the Romans, one of the readings for this week, he proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ, through whom 'nothing can separate us from the love of God". In His Light and Love Judie Graham, Bellevue Washington + + + + + Sirs: The events of Sept. 11 were a horrible collective trauma for everyone in the New York metropolitan area. You would be hard-pressed to find a person here who wasn't either directly affected or knew someone who was directly affected by the destruction of the World Trade Center. In our own St. Luke congregation one of our members was killed; another was a NYFD firefighter who lost several housemates. Yet another lost about 300 co-workers. Our congregation is a microcosm of the entire region. One cannot overestimate the desperate need for healing in New York during the days and weeks immediately following Sept. 11, 2001. In the face of such a disaster, the thing we all desperately needed to do was turn to the Lord. Churches and houses of worship here overflowed in a way they had not in years. Knowing this, Mayor Guiliani wisely called for an interfaith service to be held at Yankee Stadium. Let me emphasize that this was a CIVIC event. When Dr. Benke was asked to pray at the event he correctly asked for permission from Dr. Kieschnick, the President of the Synod. This permission was granted as was prescribed by Resolution 3-07A of the 2001 LCMS Convention, which permits such participation in CIVIC events. Dr. Benke proclaimed the name of Jesus and asked His healing, as was right and proper. This was not the time for debate between Christian and Jew and Muslim or even between Christian denominations. It was a time for everyone to stand together in the face of the tremendous shock we had all suffered together. Believe me, no one in New York would have found fault with what Dr. Benke did. Unfortunately, from their vantage point far away in the Midwest, there was a faction in the LCMS that could and did find fault. Now, interfaith functions had been a touchy topic between the Atlantic District and the LCMS leadership before. Knowing that, it was dismaying but hardly surprising when Dr. Benke was brought up on charges for his participation in the Yankee Stadium ceremony. When it was finally rendered, Rev. Schulz' statement of charges against Dr. Benke seemed to me completely over the top. He accused Dr. Benke of "praying with pagans" (are other Christian denominations "pagans?") and by his presence advocating "syncretism" (union of all religions) and "unionism" (union of Christian congregations). Furthermore, he went on to condemn Dr. Benke for violating the First and Second Commandments! Unbelievable. The text of Dr. Benke's prayer is available on the Internet for all to read. Does it advocate the merging of any religions? Of course not. Rev. Schulz' accusations were at best misguided and at worst politically motivated. Jesus needed to be at Yankee Stadium. The LCMS needed to be at Yankee Stadium. Dr. Benke needed to be there at Yankee Stadium. Would the Synodical leadership have preferred to just ignored the gathering altogether and not be represented in this show of civic unity? I certainly hope not! While it might be easy to throw stones at Rev. Schulz for having a political agenda let's give him the benefit of the doubt for a moment and assume that he is sincere. What if he honestly felt he did what was proper in his interpretation of the letter of the Synodical By-Laws? If you read the applicable section of the LCMS by-laws using a broad, ultraconservative interpretation, perhaps you could reach his conclusion. But it would be an interpretation of the letter of that law rather than the spirit. Nevertheless, the aforementioned resolution from the 2001 Convention also gives Dr. Benke a Synodical legal leg to stand on. But in a broader sense, Dr. Benke did the more Christ-like thing. WWJD? Jesus would never have made such distinctions between denominations. I challenge anyone to produce an instance in the New Testament where Jesus said to pray only with Christians or LCMS members. Dr. Benke did the right thing and I fully support him. Respectfully, + + + + + David L. Blanchard, Ph.D. 15 July 2002 Dear Dr. Benke, I hear that there is serious criticism of your actions in this effort to let your light shine before people. It seems you are in divine company because it is quite similar to the criticism some pointed toward our Savior in Mark 2:14-17. I.e.: why does He fraternize with Publicans and sinners? Christ's response in verse 17 is wonderful: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." What a wonderful witness (light) you have been to millions of sinners. Thank you. Just another Sinner Saved by Grace (alone), David L. Blanchard Cc: Dr. Jerry Kieschnick, Dr. Wallace Schulz, Dr. Art Scherer, President Eliot Pfanstiehl (The Lutheran Church of St. Andrew) Passing it on to the less privileged + + + + + Dear "Rev", (yes, that's how I fondly still think of you!) I was so proud to watch the telecast from Yankee Stadium and to see you, knowing that you were the representative and my representative of the Lutheran Church at large. Being aware of your compassionate and supportive nature, I knew that you were the perfect choice. Imagine my surprise to hear of the uproar that soon ensued!! I have read and reread the text of the touching prayer that you offered that day. I did then and still now feel that it was beautifully written and commend you. The accusations leveled at you are ridiculous. What better time to share and witness the message of Jesus' love. As the daughter of a retired FDNY Battalion Chief, I am thankful that you were there to support the victims' families and the rest of the nation. Once a firefighter's daughter, always part of the firefighting family. I lost a childhood (firefighter) friend that day and feel deeply the loss of others in my "extended family". I moved to New Jersey in the mid 80's and joined an ELCA congregation in Cranford, NJ. but I had grown up under the auspices of Missouri Synod. How sad that the Missouri Synod has come to this!! My father has passed away but my mother still attends my childhood church, St. John's, College Point with Art Gillespie. I receive their monthly newsletter and obtained your email address from it. Please know that my prayers are with you (in the precious name of Jesus!) and hope that you will be returned to your position soon. The Atlantic District could find no better leader! Fondly, + + + + + Pastor Benke, Thank you, Pastor Benke, for the strong words of encouragement and hope you shared at Yankee Stadium. Thank you for responding to the unimaginable hurts of the people of your congregation, your district, to the people of New York City - and our nation - with words and actions that reflect the love, hope and compassion of Jesus. I hurt with your comments that describe your on-going pain...especially when that pain is brought by those who need to be supporting you and lifting you up in your ministry to the people of New York. God bless you as you continue to represent Jesus' love with the people of your congregation. I hope you find God's peace through these words of encouragement - and I hope you are hearing from the many who support you, Pastor Benke. God has placed you to serve Him in New York at this time. Be strong and courageous knowing that He is with you always! Bob & Robin Fossum + + + + + Dear Pastor Benke, In your case, it was right that you were there because, like Jesus, you brought the message to those who needed to hear it the most. We've heard Jesus tell about the lamp and how it should not be hidden under a bowl, but placed in the darkness where people can see by it. I think the dissenting ministers would rather have you play it safe by leaving the lamp burning in the midday sun, where such a flame would be wasted.The name Emmanuel means "God is with us", and I cannot imagine a more meaningful gesture than to gather with other clergy in that hurting city, telling the people that God IS with us, even in the midst of terror. God comforts the Buddhists and Orthodox just as surely as he comforts the Lutherans. Would Jesus have refrained from helping the Wiccans and Sikhs simply because they were from another tribe or faith? I don't think so. I know that it is hard to maintain your confidence in the face of immaturity and intolerance, but I am proud of you and your very special outreach. Keep the faith, + + + + + I know we are to go through your representative, but I need to remind you of the great good you did on 9/23/02. I need to remind you that God gave you this wonderful gift of reaching people with His message. God moved you to touch us. He had trained you all these years to give His message of Love and strength. You literally stepped up to the plate and touched millions of people with your compassion, strength and understanding. Once we see evil or hatred or the horror of 9/11, we are never the same. Our conscious mind will not allow us to accept or understand it, but we are desperate to find the antithesis of it. It is too hopeless if there isn't a loving God to help us through. Thank God, you reached out to us through Him. This small band of men who profess to be the only ones who know God - aren't they the heretics? Aren't they the ones who hide in the dark and do their own evil? They are the ones who are so scholarly and pretentious that they never "let" the people receive Christ. We, the little people, don't know enough and need to stay in our place lest we step on some sacred cow of tradition. Pr. Boland isolates himself from other pastors because they are not worthy or holy enough, he takes no constructive criticism. Now I have some advice for you. I had to learn the hard way that evil and hatred only grows if the "secret" is kept. I don't care how much Christian love is given, how much forgiveness is given to evil in people - they seem to thrive on it until the "secret evil identity" is shown in the God's light. They are cowards and will run away. Look at Schultz. I encourage you to hold these men up by name and location so their community is well aware of their beliefs and practices. God bless you and Judy. May He heal your pain and give you hope for all of us. Betty Svendsen + + + + + Dear Sonia, Rev. David Boedecker, Pastor + + + + + Dear Pastor Benke, Several times Laura and I have talked about what has been going on. We have also talked about this with my mother and brother. (I should add my family have been long time LCMS Lutherans. We aren't theologians but we do love our church and believe we understand many of our "fundamentals".) I would like to tell you we are shocked, disappointed, and saddened by what is going on in our church and what has clearly happened to you and probably your family. While all of the discussions (and, unfortunately, arguments) have helped us learn more about the foundations of our church and faith, we cannot agree with the actions taken by some at Synod against you and president Kieschnick. One of our local congregational initiatives has been to think and work outside our congregational comfort zone and reach out with and for Christ. While we understand the need to preserve and protect the basics of our faith and the foundation of our church (and it appears LCMS has been trying to come to terms with this for the last several years), we believe you did the "right thing" for New York, our country, and our church by participating in the Yankee Stadium gathering. It is difficult to understand how, in the diverse nature of our American society, we can minister and witness to non-believers without taking the opportunity to participate in events like this. We believe it's important you know there are many LCMS members out here who believe the actions being taken against you and president Kieschnick are misguided and a waste of valuable LCMS resources. We would like to see a quick and just end to this situation so we can get back to the business of what we have been put here on earth to do. More importantly we want you to know you, your family, and your congregation are in our thoughts and prayers. Sincerely, + + + + + Dear Pastor Benke, Your sister in Christ, PS. Are you a son of Ray and Dorothy? I remember them with much joy - and remember the younger Benke's (Bob and Carol) better than the older ones - (you and Mike?). Our mothers were in nursing school together at Lutheran Hospital of Milwaukee. Curt and Margi Page 1 | 2 |
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