Pentecost Want Ads

Who says the synod doesn't have an ironic sense of timing?  Fifty days after terminating Pr. Todd Wilken and Mr. Jeff Schwarz and canceling their show, Issues, Etc., for financial reasons, three days before Pentecost, KFUO-AM is running an ad in the Reporter seeking a radio host.*

Essential qualifications include:

Active member of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
Formal theological education with a minimum of a Masters Degree.
A minimum of 10 years experience in ministries related to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
A minimum of five years of credible experience in mass media related ministries.
Demonstrated personal presentation and on-air announcing skills.
Demonstrated writing skills.
Demonstrated ability to function as part of a team.
Willingness to travel.

We do not know if Pr. Wilken, who is certainly qualified, was offered this position on March 18.  We do know that his position was terminated due to extreme financial pressures at KFUO-AM.  Was the Sharathon that successful that KFUO-AM is now in a position to hire another radio host?  Even with the cancellation of Issues, Etc. and the termination of two full-time positions, KFUO-AM should still in red ink according to their own figures.

Unless Pr. Wilken was offered such a position and declined it, one can only conclude that the "financial reasons" given by David Strand were not the chief reason for Wilken's termination, and that political and theological reasons, which could not be discussed by the administration, were in play.  This move is consistent with the "change management" strategy that seems to be the pattern of operation of the Kieschnick administration.  An obstacle to the "vision" has been removed and is now being replaced by a "team player" who is friendly and supportive.

*Update (5/9) - As quickly as the want ad appeared, it has now disappeared.  Either the position has been filled or the administration got caught palming a card.  You decide.

*Update (5/10) - Augsburg 1530 has received an email for the synod indicating that this job was posted in error.  We'll give the synod the benefit of the doubt on this one, but it sure looks like a poker player who just had a ace fall out of his sleeve.

Comments

[I Have Issues (Etc)]

According to Tom Baker of "Law and Gospel" Sharathon raised $75K

[Florence]

They have changed the link... now if you click it, you are taken to the synod's main website.
Feels like a shell game, why would they deliberately change a PUBLIC POSTING for a job description like that?
Could it be that some of the emails from concerned former listeners are actually being read?
Or perhaps they have already filled the position.
Stay tuned...I guess.

[Stan]

It's happening... the once orthodox, purely-Biblical message of the LCMS is being replaced by one of church growth, unionism, syncretism, and -- I'll venture to even say -- that "other" gospel Saint Paul warned us about.

If they hire another pastor or even educated layman, rest assured that he will not be anywhere near as good as Pr. Wilken. Bet yourself that this person will not teach orthodoxy. They will espouse the happy-clappy, inclusive doctrine that has become the norm for American "Christianity".

[Adam E.]

If Synod leadership hires a church growther to replace Pastor Wilken this will once again publicly reinforce their true beliefs about Jesus and His Church. Their new spokesman will depict their beliefs and I have a hunch those beliefs will not be in concord with confessional Lutherans. Thus any claims made by the powers that be that they are confessional Lutherans will be easily refuted.

[Bryan Gramenz]

Florence-
They didn't precisely change where the link directed. It seems that non-existent pages in that section of the website automatically redirect to the home page. What they did do is remove the job posting, which appears to be an unusual practice for the site. Archives, apparently complete archives, of the Reporter exist back to January 2004.

It wasn't something that I expected or hoped to say about our "walking together," but I feel disillusioned. The firings and the responses from the Synod over the past couple of months have left me feeling disappointed in the LCMS's custodians.

[Jesse]

Could we see some coverage on this site of the recall of Rev. James May from the mission field? Most of what's out there seems to be buried in the comments on Ms. Ziegler's blog.

[Florence]

Bryan,
Thanks for the clarification.
I was stunned.

[Ted]

Jesse: I would be interested in hearing more about Rev. May. Where can I find information?

[Im A. Missionary]

Further May info is here: http://imabaldyii.blogspot.com/2008/05/update-plug-pulled-on-missionary-to.html