More Press for Issues, Etc.

Tim Townsend, religion reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has written another piece on the cancellation of Issues, Etc.  While the Post-Dispatch is not the Wall Street Journal, it is the major newspaper for the St. Louis area and provides good coverage of local issues in religion.  In addition to nicely summarizing the controversy to date, Townsend's article has several choice quotes worth pondering:

Strand also said the program's audience was too narrow. —"'Issues' was a strong show, but where we stand now in terms of listenership, it seems wise to try some news things to broaden our reach," he said.

Does "narrow" mean something like "hyperorthodox"?  He must be referring to the one-third of 1% who sign petitions or the 1,650 listeners in St. Louis and the 64 who listen to the live stream on the internet.

Does "broaden our reach" mean something like "being more seeker-sensitive"?

What does Mr. Strand know about KFUO's listenership?  In his initial letter, he cited 4 year old listener data and did not include the download internet audience?

Critics say the church's audience numbers don't include the large number of people who listened to the show online via podcasts. Strand said that "Issues, Etc." was downloaded more than any other KFUO-AM program, but that in order to succeed, the station needs "live listeners" and that "it's not accurate to say every download translates to a listener."

Succeed?  What is the definition of "success" for a program that is categorized as a "mission and ministry" of the synod?  If it's financial success, why not charge a nominal fee for downloads?  Why not have an interactive web site with member privileges?  Why not expand the listener base through syndication?

Time and time again his public statements, David Strand has shown that he is completely ignorant of how the internet operates.  How can this man be the executive director of communications services for the Synod when he doesn't seem to have a clue about a major component of communications in the 21st century?

Why wasn't David Strand fired along with station management instead of Todd and Jeff?

The church currently produces seven religious shows, one of which is a replacement for "Issues, Etc." The new program, called "The Afternoon Show," is different from "Issues, Etc.," said Strand, in that "it doesn't dwell largely on Lutheran apologetics at a sophisticated level. It still takes its Gospel proclamation seriously, but it finds new ways to capture attention."

So the LCMS doesn't have a place for Lutheran apologetics at a sophisticated level?  That's a sad statement on the mentality of the same synod that once published Der Lutheraner.  If you think Wilken was tough you should read Walther!

Does "The Afternoon Show" actually take Gospel proclamation seriously?  We notice that the show is not archived nor is it available for download.  This would seem to be a narrower audience.  A recent segment talked about prayer journals for soccer moms.  Now there's taking Gospel proclamation seriously.

Does "find new ways to capture attention" mean "be more seeker-sensitive on the airways"?  Clearly tough-minded apologetics has no place in the LCMS except perhaps in the back pages of some academic journal.  This attitude on the part of one in charge of synodical communications is both disturbing and shocking to say the least.

Strand said politics had nothing to do with the decision to pull "Issues, Etc." "This was a financial decision. All 2.5 million of our members would call themselves confessional Lutherans, so I'm not sure where this idea of division comes from," he said. "Like most denominations, we have differences of opinion on things … but Dr. Kieschnick wants a deeper sense of peace throughout the church."

Pure party line.  What's Strand supposed to say to a reporter?  "Cutting Issues, Etc. was pure politics"?  This paragraph simply boggles the mind.  It's pure, corporate talking points straight from the top.

"All 2.5 million of our members would call themselves confessional Lutherans."  Excuse me?  Some don't call even themselves Lutheran, at least on their signboards.  The term "confessional" is viewed as a divisive term in most parts of the synod, often linked to "abrasive," "narrow," and "hyperorthodoxy."

"I'm not sure where this idea of division comes from" - This statement either comes out of deep, pathological denial in need of therapy or a stubborn insistence that the corporate "vision" of unity is correct in spite of reality.

"Differences of opinion on things" - like worship, the efficacy of the Word and Sacraments, the nature of the Gospel, those kinds of issues, etc.

"Dr. Kieschnick wants a deeper sense of peace throughout the church" - so he cuts off the only show that speaks for confessional Lutheranism in an apologetic way.  There's peacemaking for you.  In fact, Pres. Kieschnick has presided over some of the most divisive years in the LCMS since the Seminex era.  If Kieschnick desires a deeper sense of peace, why doesn't he exercise any pastoral leadership in this controversy?  Why doesn't he offer a full, transparent answer to the multitude of questions his actions have raised?  Why does he use heavy-handed corporate tactics such as gag orders and threats by district presidents to stifle honest questions and dissent?

Strand would not say whether the church is considering a sale of its stations (it also owns classical station KFUO-FM), but he did say they were in financial trouble and that —"'Issues' was the largest and most obvious cut at our disposal."

If you think the cancellation of Issues, Etc. was controversial, wait until the Kieschnick administration tries to sell KFUO.  The St. Louis seminary is not likely to be pleased with the sale of the oldest religious station in the United States founded by Dr. Walter A. Maier that sits on its campus.  There are many long-time supporters who would be outraged if KFUO goes on the auction block.  What's next?  Walther's log cabin seminary?

If KFUO AM/FM is in such deep financial trouble, why was station management not called on the purple carpet and fired?  The BCS already had given them a vote of no-confidence.  Why was this situation allowed to continue since 2001, the year Pres. Kieschnick took office?  What kind of peacemaking leadership allows a financial situation to continue for seven years and then fires employees instead of the management responsible?

The Missouri Synod is a highly volatile church body right now," said the Rev. Frederic W. Baue, pastor of Bethany Evangelical Church in Fairview Heights.  "There is a definite split between those who favor the megachurch marketing approach to outreach ministry," said Baue, "and those who trust the word of God and the sacraments to do the job of bringing people to the faith."

Finally, a clear word of truth to close out the article.  Too bad it has to come from a lowly parish pastor and not from synodical leadership.

HT:  St. Louis Post-Dispatch / Augsburg 1530

Comments

[here we go again]

I have no doubt that President Kieschnick's leadership is the greatest contributor to the reason Synod is in financial trouble. I personally have not given one red cent to a congregation or the LCMS without specifically designating its use. The strange thing is I'm not totally opposed to the use of new forms and structures to convey our Lutheran understanding of the Gospel. I'm OK with certain forms of contemporary and ancient/future worship - as long as it is faithful to Law/Gospel and Gottesdienst. But to be ashamed of the word Lutheran is a shame. But it started, or at least became sanctioned by LCMS leadership, when Kieschnick covered for Benke's "...when you sent "A" son of God..." (emphasis mine) at the Oprah fest in Yankee stadium. It continued when Kieschnick replaced the CCM with people who openly supported his position and granted him amnesty from any charges. I lost total respect for his leadership when I observed him manipulate the convention floors (twice) and convention delegates with special dispensations granting him cronies on the various boards. He has shifted authority from the congregations to his level and now is in a position to do things like cut Issues and tell the congregations if they won't get out their check books then he'll reduce the services they are receiving. Cutting Issues was a "shot across the bow". I have some issue (pun intended) with Kieschnick for not being to concerned about content even as I have to admit his vision of a church engaged with the Gospel was at first encouraging. But how he has implemented his vision is so dissapointing. He seems ashamed of core Lutheran ideas. And his leadership methods are about power and coercion and nothing about persuasion and influence. In my humble personal opinion, he is killing the beautiful church in which I heard the Gospel and left behind so much crap in my life that it is scary. I was going nowhere, and was scared to death of God believing that if I wasn't perfect in my behavior God would not have me. It was exactly the freedom of the Gospel and the depth of preaching and teaching that drew me in and blossomed forth in faith and joy. Rather than dumbing down our outreach as Strand seems to want to do with his afternoon show (and he's succeeded. I've listened and it is plain embarassing)we should celebrate what is distinctively ours. I feel like I'm stuck in the Old Testament with a king who is more concerned about his comfort (his triple digit salary) and power longing for a prophet to rise, a true leader, a humble and faithful man of God.

[here we go again]

Just when I thought it was enough junk for one day - here we go again!!!
http://lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008804190367

NEW YORK - More than 250 Christian leaders from just about every tradition with a presence in the United States filled a small German Catholic church yesterday and recited the Lord's Prayer with Pope Benedict XVI...At the brief prayer service, which lasted hardly more than a half-hour after Benedict's arrival, the pope told his guests that unity among Christians must come from prayer...But there seemed to be only good feelings in the Yorkville church yesterday, as the symbolic power of the diverse Christian gathering left its mark."Everybody is so amped up," said the Rev. David H. Benke, president of the Atlantic District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod based in Bronxville. "It's such a sign of hope for people when religious leadership comes together. People are excited to have been chosen to participate."

PARTICIPATE. Can someone explain how cowtailing to the Papacy has anything to do with a Lutheran understanding of the Gospel, church, and mission? This from the man who doesn't know the difference between Jesus a son of God and Jesus the one and only begotten Son of God. But we can't offend the Muslims and certainly we can't ignore the importance of the Papacy and let a little thing like the truth of Jesus get in the way can we? No wonder we don't have Issues anymore.