Save the LCMS!

Sharathon Time!!

Today the KFUO “Sharathon 2008" begins.

Since the removal of Issues, Etc. from the air on March 18, we have learned some sad facts regarding how business was being done at KFUO.

We should use this opportunity to encourage KFUO and the LCMS to share the reasons for canceling Issues Etc. Call KFUO at (800) 730-2727 and ask them one or more of the following questions.

1. Why does KFUO earn an ”F” grade for financial transparency with Ministry Watch, an organization that rates the 400 largest church ministries in the United States? Would you give to any other Christian media ministry that earned an “F”?

2. Why were significant KFUO-FM costs shifted to KFUO-AM as late as 2007? 

3. Can you be sure that a check made out to “KFUO” will go to KFUO-AM and not to KFUO-FM? 

4. Why does it cost the LCMS Foundation 38.4 cents to raise a dollar for KFUO? Why did the LCMS Foundation charge KFUO $361,604 to raise $941,739 in 2007?

5. Why does the Program/Development Director for KFUO-FM serve on the board of directors for, and raise money for a group that supports embryonic stem cell research?

6. If KFUO management disagreed with the cancellation of Issues, Etc., why haven’t they publicly stated this disagreement?

Call (800) 730-2727 now.  Operators are standing by.

District Pastors' Conferences Speak Out

District pastoral conferences are speaking out officially on the cancellation of Issues, Etc.  The Southern Illinois District Pastoral Conference issued a resolution calling for the reinstatement of Wilken and Schwarz with a public apology.  The pastors of the South Wisconsin District unanimously passed a resolution instructing the Rev. John Wille, the SWD district president, to express their concerns directly to the Council of Presidents, the Board for Communications Services, the Board of Directors, and synodical president Gerald Kieschnick.*

Other appropriate actions for resolutions include the formation of an independent committee to investigate the events leading up to the decision to cancel  Issues, Etc. and a comprehensive, independent, external financial audit of the Synod and KFUO.

*Addendum*
4/10/08 - The South Dakota District Pastors' Conference has also passed a similar resolution.

HT:  Weedon’s Blog, Preachrblog

A Call for Non-Action!!

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

Here is a sample letter.

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!