The On-Line Petition to bring Issues Etc. back has just passed the 6000 signature mark!!
That is 6000+ people from over 27 nations and 50 different states!
How is this possible if Issues Etc. ONLY had 1650 local listeners and 64 people listening to the live stream as David Strand would have you believe??
In one of our earlier posts we pointed out that Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz should not have been the ones held responsible for the losses at KFUO AM. Instead, the management of of KFUO AM should have been the ones held responsible (that's the way things work in the real business world).
It turns out that the Board for Communication Services (BCS) shares our sentiments. In fact, according to the Reverend Joel Brondos, a former member of the BCS, in April 2007 the BCS had a vote of NO Confidence for the KFUO management including Dennis Stortz and Chuck Rathert.
The details of this vote of no confidence can be read by clicking here.
This leads us to again ask, if the decision to cancel Issues Etc. was a business decision then why were Todd and Jeff blamed for KFUO AM's operating losses rather than management?
It is not hard to see that if KFUO's management had carried out the recommendations of the BCS then it is highly likely that KFUO's financial outlook would have improved significantly.
Blaming Todd and Jeff for KFUO's financial problems is like blaming the Enron scandal on the company's receptionist.
It's time for some financial perspective.
In his letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal, President Kieschnick claimed that Issues Etc. loses $250,000 per year. Let's assume that he is telling the truth and then ask ourselves, "What does that figure actually mean?"
Interpreting financial figures is a lot like interpreting the Bible. In order to properly understand a figure it needs to be put into its proper context. The proper context for this figure is the overall budget for the entire LCMS. Those figures are available to the public. Click here to view the minutes for the May 2007 Board of Directors Meeting. On page 10 of this pdf you will see the departmental breakdown for the entire budget.
What you will discover is that the KFUO budget for both the AM and FM stations comprises ONLY 3% of the entire synodical budget. Then with just a little math you will also be able to calculate that the Issues Etc. budgetary shortfall of $250,000 comprises less than 1% of the entire synodical budget. (one quarter of 1% to be exact) Below is a graph that puts this into perspective.
Here is some more perspective: At the February 2007 Board of Directors meeting, LCMS Treasurer Tom Kutcha highlighted the fact that the 'Fan into Flame' initiative experienced a $2.258 million dollar shortfall in 2006 alone. Here is what the meeting minutes state:
The Treasurer then called attention to Fan into Flame pledges, with discussion following regarding related fundraising costs. The Treasurer reported that the LCEF line of credit authorized by the Board at its November 2006 meeting is now in place but may not need to be used, given other dollars available to the Synod from other sources. In response to a request for more information and after additional research, the Treasurer reported later in the meeting that expenses for Fan into Flame to date total $4.133 million and that revenues to date have totaled $1.875 million, leaving a net shortfall at the present time of $2.258 million.
Below is a graphical comparison of the 2006 Issues Etc. losses and Fan Into Flame's 2006 shortfall.
This all leads us to ask some very important questions.
Why is Issues Etc. being treated like its losses are intolerably high? When compared to other initiatives that are losing millions of dollars per year, Issues Etc's losses seem very low in comparison.
Isn't KFUO AM considered to be a MINISTRY instead of a business?
When was the last time that KFUO AM operated 'profitably'?
And while we're asking questions, we may as well ask whether or not President Kieschnick intends to sack the people responsible for losing $2.2 million on the 'Fan Into Flame' initiative? Are they going to be held to the same standard as Todd and Jeff were?
Kieschnick said that KFUO AM accumulated a $3.5 million deficit in a the past 7 years. But, 'Fan Into Flame' accumulated a $2.2 million deficit in ONLY ONE YEAR. Therefore, wouldn't it make more business sense to discontinue Fan Into Flame rather than cut Issues Etc?
This story is still developing.
March 31, 2008
Wall Street Journal
wsj.ltrs@wsj.com
Letter to the Editor:
As President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, I express my extreme disappointment over the column “Radio Silence” published March 28 under “Houses of Worship.” Its author presents a distorted account of the reason for the discontinuation of the “Issues, Etc.” program on the Synod’s KFUO-AM Radio station. What is even more disturbing is the false and misleading picture she presents of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) as a deeply divided church regarding its mission and ministry.
First, let me say our church is happy to own and operate KFUO-AM, the oldest continuously operating religious radio station in the country, if not the world. We are proud of the ministry it has provided listeners for some 84 years, and we endeavor to continue this ministry. I must also note that all ministries of the church, of which KFUO-AM is but one, require financial support from their constituencies.
Here are the facts surrounding the termination of “Issues, Etc.” This program was cancelled by the Synod’s director of communications after years of attempts to keep the program financially solvent. In fiscal year 2007-08, KFUO-AM’s operating deficit was $620,000. Since 2001, the accumulated deficits of the station have been in excess of $3.5 million. While airing for only 18 percent of KFUO-AM’s programming week, “Issues, Etc.” in the last fiscal year accounted for more than 40 percent ($250,000) of the station’s total deficit. These figures are based on the audited financial statements of the LCMS. As of February 29, two thirds into the current fiscal year, KFUO-AM was on pace to suffer heavy loses again.
Listeners of “Issues, Etc.” have had nine years and countless invitations and opportunities to support the program financially, and some have, but not nearly enough to offset the show’s deep, ongoing losses.
More importantly, I wish to address the unfortunate comments in the column that The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is deeply divided and that it is pushing “church marketing” over the historic confessions of the evangelical Lutheran Church.
In truth, last summer the LCMS had its most positive and unified convention in years. Our church remains faithful to the Scriptures and Lutheran Confessions, an integral part of our identity as a church body. As stated in a resolution adopted last summer by the national Synod convention: “From the founding of our Synod 160 years ago, we have been blessed by unity in our common confession and the articles of our shared faith, such as the Trinity, the person and work of Christ, original sin, baptismal regeneration, the real presence of Christ’s body and blood in the Sacrament, the inerrancy of Scripture and many others.”
In accordance with our unity in what we believe, teach, and confess, the Synod adopted the mission and vision of Ablaze!—a focused and concentrated effort to “share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those who do not yet know him.” One goal of Ablaze! calls for the Synod to start 2,000 new congregations by the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in the year 2017. This outreach emphasis is not “marketing” as suggested by last Friday’s column; rather, it is one of many ministry endeavors developed to foster the mission of our Synod “… vigorously to make known the love of Christ by word and deed within our churches, communities, and the world.” (LCMS Mission Statement)
In summary, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is more committed than ever to proclaiming the one message of Jesus Christ and his love for all (1 John 4:9-11).
On behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, I invite readers to visit our website at www.lcms.org for more information on God’s grace and salvation in Christ.
The Rev. Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick, President
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
C: Mr. David Strand, Director of Communications
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
We are learning more about the internal culture of hostility against Issues Etc. that existed at synodical headquarters. What we've learned adds even more evidence to the mounting case that Issues Etc. was cancelled for political reasons.
Case and point: We've already pointed out that the LCMS Foundation was the department in charge of raising funds for Issues Etc. and that the Foundation was charging Issues Etc. a confiscatory rate of 40¢ per dollar raised. But now we've learned and confirmed that the president of the LCMS Foundation, Tom Ries was extremely critical of Issues Etc.
People have described Tom Ries as a 'straight shooter' who has absolutely no problem letting people know what is on his mind. So what was Tom Ries' beef with Issues Etc?
Answer: He was angry that Todd Wilken kept criticizing "Christian brother, Joel Osteen". Yes, you read that correctly. In Tom Ries' opinion Joel Osteen shouldn't be Biblically critiqued but should be embraced as a Christian brother.
Think about this for a minute. David Strand claims that Issues Etc. was canceled for financial reasons. But, the LCMS Foundation was not only charging Issues Etc. 40¢ per dollar raised, the president of the Foundation was openly critical and hostile towards Issues Etc.
With Tom Ries as the head of the LCMS Foundation (LF), how motivated do you think the LF was to raise funds for Issues Etc.?
It's as if Issues Etc. was purposely set up for failure.
This reminds us of Pharoah demanding the children of Israel to produce their daily quota of bricks while refusing to provide them with the straw they needed to make them. (Exodus 5:1-9)
Here is more on Jefferson Hills Church's ad campaign. This church received $25,000 in an Ablaze grant for this publicity stunt.
After watching this new story ask yourself if this was $25,000 well spent?
Did David Strand, or any other synodical executive for that matter, have the authority to unilaterally make the decision to cancel Issues Etc.?
The answer may be a firm NO.
The Issues Etc. radio program was under the direct control of the LCMS' Board for Communication Services (BCS) and unlike other parts of the LCMS the BCS is NOT under Policy Based Governance. What does that mean? In layman's terms that means if someone wanted to cancel the program they legally would have to get the approval of the BCS BEFORE they canceled the program.
Did the BCS vote to cancel Issues Etc.?
Answer: Absolutely NOT and Ernest E. Garbe, a member of the BCS is on record to that effect. Here is an email that we received:
Dear ---Your email was forwarded to me this a.m. from Rev. Kevin Vogts. Kevin and I are both on the Board for Communication Services.
First I want to thank you for your letter. You and thousands of other people, both inside and outside the LCMS have expressed support for the program Issues, Etc. and for the host and producer of the show. Be assured that I and others on our board also have the same support for the program and the people involved.
For your information, most of us on the board (and perhaps all) were not aware that the program was cancelled and the firings had taken place until hours after the act had been committed, and we found out from a source outside any official report.
I can assure you that there was no discussion at our board meetings of taking such action, there was no action taken by our board to cause this to happen, and most (perhaps all) of the BCS members are at a loss to explain what happened and have been unable to find out.
I, too want to see the program restored and the personnel returned and will work toward that end.
Again, thank you for your letter and for your prayers.
May the Lord's will be done.
Ernest E. Garbe, Member
Board for Communication Services
The ramifications of this fact cannot be understated!
President Kieschnick has already confessed that he was aware beforehand of the plot to cancel Issues Etc. Yet, Kieschnick did not take any steps to stop the decision from being executed, despite the fact that the people making the decision did not first secure the support of the BCS.
Kieschnick's lack of action may actually make him a co-conspirator in the plot to cancel Issues Etc.
This story is still developing!!
While the still un-named decision makers in the synod were making their plans to cancel Issues Etc. because of financial concerns, Jefferson Hills Church in Imperial, Missouri received a $25,000 Ablaze grant to help them with their Satan Hates advertising campaign. The money was used to take out billboard advertising that would point people to a website called SatanHates.com. The site then directed people to Jefferson Hills latest sermon series called "Twisted" that launched on Easter Sunday. Below are pictures of the billboard campaign.
It's Now Time to Put On Your Thinking Caps
There are many problems here. Almost too many to mention in one blog post. But let's begin naming them by remembering what President Kieschnick said in his KFUO interview on March 18, 2008 (the same day Issues Etc. was cancelled.) In that interview he was making the case for why churches in the synod need to change and more importantly he assured us that our message must stay the same. Here is an audio clip from that interview.
1. After listening to Kieschnick assure us that the message must not change please visit this page on the Jefferson Hills site and ask yourself, "Is this the Lutheran message?"
2. After listening to Kieschnick assure us that the message must not change please visit this page on the Jefferson Hills site and ask yourself, "Is this what our confessions teach about baptism?"
3. Now visit the blog created by the pastors of Jefferson Hills Church and look at the churches that they say influence them and the books that they recommend.
4. After listening to Kieschnick assure us that the message must not change please listen to Jefferson Hills' 2008 Easter Sermon entitled "Things Are Not What They Seem and apply the Issues Etc. Christ-Centered Cross-Focused sermon diagnostic.
After you've done those four things you'll be asking yourself why this church is even considered to be a Lutheran congregation? But more importantly you'll get a much clearer picture of what Ablaze is all about and what Kieschnick's vision for the future of the LCMS really looks like.
Remember that the synod claims that they cut Issues Etc. for financial reasons while paying $25,000 to help THIS congregation grow.
Mike Horton of the White Horse Inn has just done a special interview with the Mollie Ziegler Hemingway former member of the Board of Communication Services and author of the Wall Street Journal article that broke yesterday.
After listening, please add this interview to your blog or website using the html code provided below. It's just like adding a YouTube video to your blog.
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Here is the Embed Code for posting this interview on your blog or website.
Instructions: copy all of the html code from the box below and paste the code into your site.
We have confirmed that the LCMS Foundation (LF), the bureaucracy responsible for fund raising for KFUO AM including the Issues Etc. program was charging 40¢ per dollar that they raised. (The industry standard is only 10¢)
That means for every $100,000 that the LF raised for Issues Etc. they pocketed $40,000 for themselves.
That left Issues Etc. with only $60,000.
This leads to another question for those who claim that the decision to cancel Issues Etc. was a business decision based upon financial considerations,
"If profitability was so important, why didn't the synodical executives find a cheaper solution for fund raising for Issues Etc. and KFUM AM?"
David Strand claims that Issues Etc. was responsible for more than 40% of KFUO AM's operating deficit. But, we'd like to know how much of a difference it would have made if KFUO AM and Issues Etc. would have been allowed to keep 90% of the money raised for it rather than the meager 60% that was left under the forced arrangement that it had with the LCMS Foundation?
This leads to yet another question...What was the LCMS Foundation doing with all of the money they were pocketing from Issues Etc. and KFUO AM?
It’s time for Synodical Executives to tell the truth.
It is clear from David Strand’s Non-Explanation Letter of March 27th, 2008 that the “facts“ that the synod has given us regarding their decision to cancel Issues Etc. do not add up. Fact is, we have a right to know the truth, after all the synod exists to serve the congregations of the LCMS not the other way around.
Therefore, we are calling on Lutheran congregations across the country to respectfully insist that there be full disclosure regarding all the facts as they pertain to the cancellation of Issues Etc. Along with that ‘respectful insistence’ we are also asking that you join in a campaign that agrees to hold onto all monies that your congregation normally sends to synod until synod executives come clean and tell the truth.
Since they are withholding the truth we must withhold our financial support.
We are not asking you to stop paying the synod forever. Instead, we are merely asking you to not send another dime until the synod releases all of the details surrounding the decision to cancel Issues Etc.
The information we are asking for is simple.
1. We need all the the data pertaining to the size of the Issues Etc. audience. This figure is to include local listening audience figures, actual streaming audience figures, mp3 download figures, WMA download figures, iTunes podcast figures, and all national audience figures for the syndicated edition of Issues Etc. (In other words, all of the OTHER important data that Strand omitted in his explanation.)2. We need to see actual audience size comparison data that shows how many listeners both local and on-line that Issues Etc. had in comparison to all of KFUO AM’s other programs.
3. We need to see an accounting of every single donation dollar that was specifically earmarked for Issues Etc. This is to include the Issues Etc. Reformation Club, the Issues Etc. 300, all contributions from individual donors including those who contributed to Issues Etc. by purchasing the Issues Etc. Book of the month.
4. We need an explanation as to why the LCMS Foundation took 40¢ of every dollar they raised for Issues Etc. (The industry standard for fundraising organizations is only 10¢ per dollar raised.)
5. We also need to see performance data pertaining to the LCMS Foundation’s fund raising efforts on behalf of Issues Etc. for the past 5 years.
6. Finally, we need to know who made the decision to cancel Issues Etc. and whether or not that person had the authority to make this decision. We want to see all the emails, meeting minutes, faxes and internal memos that pertain to this decision.
Will you please join us in our call to ‘Hold the Synod’s Money’?
If so, we would like for you to send and email to President Kieschnick informing him that you support the ‘Hold the Synod’s Money’ campaign and that your congregation will politely hold the synod’s money until they come clean with the whole truth. Kieschnick's email address is LCMSPresident@lcms.org
If you are a blogger, you can show your support for this campaign by displaying this button banner on your blog and linking it back to this site.
Thank you!
The story about the cancelation of Issues Etc. made the Wall Street Journal! Even more importantly, reporter Mollie Ziegler Hemingway who wrote the story, got it right! Said Hemingway in her piece entitled Radio Silence:
But when the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod canceled its popular, nationally syndicated radio program "Issues, Etc.," listeners were baffled. Billed as "talk radio for the thinking Christian," the show was known for its lively discussions analyzing cultural influences on the American church. It seemed like precisely the thing that the Missouri Synod, a 2.4-million-member denomination whose system of belief is firmly grounded in Scripture and an intellectually rigorous theology, would enthusiastically support....Despite the show's popularity, low cost and loyal donor base, Mr. Wilken and Jeff Schwarz, the producer of "Issues, Etc.," were dismissed without explanation on Tuesday of Holy Week. Within hours, the program's Web site -- which provided access to past episodes and issues of its magazine -- had disappeared. Indeed, all evidence that the show ever existed was removed.
So what happened? Initially, the bureaucrats in St. Louis kept a strict silence, claiming that the show had been canceled for "business and programmatic" reasons. Yesterday the synod cited low local ratings in the St. Louis area and the low number of listeners to the live audio stream on the Web site. But the last time the synod tracked the size of the audience was three years ago, and it did not take into account the show's syndicated or podcast following. The synod also claimed that the show lost $250,000 a year, an assertion that is at odds with those of others familiar with the operating budget of the station.
The Rev. Michael Kumm, who served on three management committees for the station, said that the explanation doesn't add up. " 'Issues, Etc.' is the most listened to, most popular and generates more income than any other program at the station and perhaps even the others combined. This decision is purely political," he said.
He may well be right. The program was in all likelihood a pawn in a larger battle for the soul of the Missouri Synod. The church is divided between, on the one hand, traditional Lutherans known for their emphasis on sacraments, liturgical worship and the church's historic confessions and, on the other, those who have embraced pop-culture Christianity and a market-driven approach to church growth. The divide is well known to all confessional Christian denominations struggling to retain their traditional identity.
The Rev. Gerald Kieschnick, the synod's current president, has pushed church marketing over the Lutherans' historic confession of faith by repeatedly telling the laity, "This is not your grandfather's church."
The Bring Back Issues Etc. Blog has done even more extensive analysis on the bootlegged download logs and has determined that David Strand had not exactly been forthright in his letter when he claimed that Issues Etc. only had 1,650 listeners plus another 64 that tuned in via live stream.
According to the Bring Back Issues Etc. Blog each 1 hour segment of Issues Etc was downloaded an average of 2,784 times, NOT including iTunes downloads or WMA file downloads.
It would appear that David Strand has some explaining to do.
The graph below gives a visual analysis to the bootlegged download logs we posted earlier.
This chart shows that...
In October 2007 Issues Etc. was downloaded 171,428 times while all the other shows combined were only downloaded 1,179 times.
In Novemeber 2007 Issues Etc. was downloaded 316,115 times while all the other shows combined were only downloaded 4,685 times.
In December 2007 Issues Etc. was downloaded 152,197 times while all the other shows combined were only downloaded 8,118 times.
In other words, by canceling Issues Etc. the LCMS obliterated over 97% of KFUO's ENTIRE on-line listening audience.
This data makes it all too clear that this decision was not made for any sound business reasons. It is looking more and more like this was a political assassination!
Click on the chart to view a full sized version of it.
Through one of my sources I have been able to acquire a bootlegged copy of the October, November & December 2007 download logs for Issues Etc.
Download Issues Etc. Download Logs
This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that David Strand GROSSLY UNDERSTATED the figures pertaining to Issues Etc. audience size.
And we've also learned from our source that these download logs DO NOT reflect downloads that were generated through iTunes and other podcasting services. AND these logs DO NOT reflect those who listened to the show via WMA.
Also missing from Strand's figures are the Arbitron ratings for the Nationally syndicated Sunday Night edition of Issues Etc.
The Synod is not telling us the truth!
The On-Line Petition to bring Issues Etc. back has just passed the 5000 signature mark!!
That is 5000+ people from over 21 nations and 49 different states!
How is this possible if Issues Etc. ONLY had 1650 local listeners and 64 people listening to the live stream as David Strand would have you believe??
David L. Strand, Executive Director of the Board for Communication Services for the LCMS has posted an 'explanation' that he hopes will make the controversy surrounding the cancellation of Issues Etc. go away. However, I know for a fact that Strand's official statement is full of half-truths and bureaucratic misdirection.
Here is just a sampling.
1. Business or Ministry?
In his official statement Strand states:
In fiscal year 2007-08, KFUO-AM’s operating deficit was $620,698. Since 2001, the accumulated deficits at the station have been in excess of $3.5 million. The LCMS budget, entrusted to our care by members of our Synod’s congregations, has absorbed these shortfalls for years. After long and prayerful consideration, it became clear that measures had to be taken to stop the ongoing, staggering losses.
Please consider this, if Issues Etc. was cut because of business losses then how come it was the ONLY program on KFUO AM that ever asked for donations and support? If Strand was so concerned that KFUO AM was operating in the red then how come he didn't demand that the other programs, which constitute 82% of the total air time for KFUO, ask for donations as well?
One of my sources told me on Monday that the Synod has always considered KFUO AM to be a ministry outreach and therefore was not concerned by the expenses of keeping KFUO AM on the air.
Please also consider this fact. The treasurer of the LCMS was in Germany on the day that Issues Etc was cancelled and was shocked by the announcement that the show had been cancelled. If Issues Etc. was cancelled for financial reasons, then wouldn't it make logical sense that the treasurer of the LCMS would have been part of that decision?
2. Audience Size
Strand grossly understates the size of the Issues Etc. audience. In his statement he says:
Some may also be under a misapprehension about the size of the “Issues” audience. In 2005, station management decided it could no longer justify paying for expensive ratings reports in light of the predictably low and static nature of KFUO-AM’s audience numbers. At the time, a blending of the spring 2004 and spring 2005 “books” showed an average listening audience during the “Issues” Monday-Friday timeslot of 1,650. There is no indication these numbers have grown appreciably since.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to notice that Strand purposely omitted the number of people who listened to Issues Etc. via podcast. Why didn't he include those numbers? Answer: by omitting those numbers he is able to make it appear like very few people ever listened to Issues Etc. But if the Issues Etc audience is a small as David Strand would have you believe, then why is there a national outcry against this decision?
Also, missing from these figures are what those in the business world call a "comparative baseline". In other words, in order to get a proper perspective of these figures then we'd need to know how many listeners each of the other shows have during their respective time slots. But that information is also missing from Strand's statement.
3. 2004 - 2005 listener data??
Please also notice that Strand sites listener data statistics from 2004 and 2005 as the basis for making the decision to cancel Issues Etc.? Here is what he said:
At the time, a blending of the spring 2004 and spring 2005 “books” showed an average listening audience during the “Issues” Monday-Friday timeslot of 1,650. There is no indication these numbers have grown appreciably since.
Ummm...that data is 3 to 4 years old. How stupid does Strand think that we are?
Where is the current Radio Ratings data? Oh yeah, Strand claimed that he doesn't have the latest ratings because they are expensive.
In other words, David Strand is claiming that this decision was based upon listener data that is 3 to 4 years old.
This doesn't make any sense.
Investors do not make decisions about which companies to buy stock in using ONLY data that is 3 to 4 years old.
Sales Managers do not create sales forecasts using ONLY data that is 3 to 4 years old.
Accountants do not make budgetary decisions using ONLY data that is 3 to 4 years old.
Why would synodical executives make the decision to cancel Issues Etc. using ONLY data that is 3 to 4 years old?
The answer is obvious. Strand is not telling us the whole truth. He has told us a fiction and is using old data and partial information to support the STORY that they've created.
4. Mis-direction
When we consider the fact that, by David Strand's own admission, KFUO AM has been losing money since 2001 and has accumulated a $3.5 million deficit the obvious question arises, "Why are Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz being blamed for the operating losses at KFUO AM instead of David Strand?"
When a business is losing money it is the MANAGERS AND EXECUTIVES who should be held accountable for the losses instead of those working in the trenches. In fact, if the synod was really concerned about the financial losses at KFUO AM then it would have made more sense for them to fire David Strand for mismanaging the station by allowing this situation to continue unabated for so long.
David Strand obviously had no sense of urgency when it came to raising the funds needed to staunch this bleeding. The fact that Issues Etc. was the only program on KFUO AM with a well thought out fundraising plan shows just how poorly David Strand was managing KFUO AM.
Making Todd and Jeff responsible for David Strand's mismanagement of KFUO AM is not only laughable it is criminal!
Conclusion
This statement by David Strand is a propoganda piece designed to silence critics and end the controversy. It was carefully crafted using only carefully selected bits of information while omitting data that would give people the full and complete picture.
Unfortunately, this piece because of its half truths and omitted data will do nothing more than add fuel to an already raging fire.
Epic Church in Rochester Hills, MI claims that it is affiliated with the LCMS. But what makes this church Lutheran?
Pastor Tim Kade is preaching on pop-psychology and purpose-driven topics. He even recently purchased a sermon series from Granger Community Church called "Pure Sex" and even sent out postcards and a press release to the media announcing his 'controversial' sex series. Here is video footage.
There is absolutely no difference between what Epic Church is doing and what thousands of seeker-sensitive Evangelical churches are doing.
This is exactly the type of churches that the Ablaze Movement is planting and supporting and there is nothing Lutheran about them.
Kieschnick wants to plant 2000 churches by 2017. How many of these mission churches are going to be seeker-sensitive copy cat churches that preach on self-help topics and relevant life issues rather than doing expository preaching that is both Christ-Centered and Cross focused?
How many of these Seeker-Sensitive Purpose-Driven congregations need to be planted for them to completely take control of the LCMS?
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For further research I recommend that you visit the Museum of Idolatry and peruse the Christian Erotica wing of their museum. They give example after example of evangelical churches, just like Epic (Lutheran) Church who are using sex as a marketing gimmick.
The cancellation of the Issues Etc. Radio Program by the powers that be in the LCMS is just the tip of the iceberg. This site has come online to help Missouri Synod Lutherans learn about the seeker-sensitive agenda, political blood letting, and financial mismanagement of President Kieschnick's administration.
The decision by Kieschnick's cronnies to kill the Issues Etc. radio program was not the actions of bumbling bureaucracy it was the part of a comprehensive strategy designed to silence the voices of Kieschnick's detractors. (so much for all the unity that he's been calling for)
This site will help bring these very real facts to light while offering you tangible action steps for resisting Kieschnick's agenda.
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