What are we to do with this? As a synod how do we respond? This appears to be against everything sane, for our synodical leadership to react like this...I don't know what to say. How do you hold these people accountable?
White supremacy was condemned over night, and the perpetrators were excommunicated right away (rightfully so). But for some reason, SyNod drags its feet on this!?!?! This is a scandal.
1.) Conservatism (bukleyism) demands disavowel/dissappear ing/ destroying the right while slowly arguing with and giving way to the left. The case in question is a perfect example of this situation.
2. ) While I am not fully informed about the "white supremacy" case, it appears that a disservice was done by the synod to its reputation amongst its existing and prospective clientele for the sake of satisfying the requirements of the american interim (left) about racism. Good order was not followed in the process so that a fast resolution would allow for immediate virtue signaling.
This is too blatantly apostate to be ignored. If it isn’t honestly dealt with, then LCMS has lost all credibility. It becomes yet another denomination with an official orthodox stance that is unofficially ignored.
Pray for Ad Crucem (the Woods), as I know this is not easy for them to do and is certainly resulting in a lot of scorn directed at them. Pray for those of this church body who were harmed in the unwillingness to address this at the outset.
Thank you, Justin. We do appreciate the prayers and concern for us. We have no desire to be muck rakers, but these things cannot be allowed to be buried or spun if we are sincere about our Confession and witness.
I meant to add that our most fervent prayers are required for the complainants who had the courage and persistence to ensure that DP Harmon and church leadership could not gloss over the issues and pretend things were "resolved". Many of us know what it's like to be run out of a congregation unjustly; where "grace and mercy" are the greased skids to expel troublers of Israel.
You guys are doing an outstanding job of recording the issue and outlining it in such a way that everyone can clearly see how Synod leadership is failing to address the issue properly and in accordance with their own rules and regulations. In the past Synod leadership has successfully covered up issues with an appeal to a maze of bylaws that no one except them understands and at the end they say “abracadabra”, the problem has been “resolved”, and faithful Christians look around and think, “but nothing has been resolved, no one was punished, the problem is still ongoing”.
Not this time, you guys have the receipts and at every turn you are providing those receipts to the Church for examination, THANK YOU!
Thank you for being willing to shed light on the darkness in the LCMS. We must hold all those at fault accountable and ensure that instances such as this are cut off at the root—for the sake of our faith, our confessions, and for our families.
Tangential, but related. If anyone has information about homosexual pride activities and activism at Concordia Bronxville (before its collapse), especially among the teacher cohorts, please DM us.
I have a question about the header image that shows up on the Substack main page and also shows up on social media. (In this case an altar with a trans flag behind it and a gender-y candelabra on the altar.) This does not appear to be an image from the congregation in question. Is it from another LCMS congregation? Or is it unrelated, or even AI generated? If it's an unrelated congregation, I would encourage removing it and making use of images that are directly connected to the story being told. If AI generated, I would encourage you guys to immediately stop that entirely. AI images have no place in articles purporting to portray facts; they can do nothing but mislead or sow distrust in the story you are attempting to tell.
The thumbnail image is AI for illustrative purposes only. It does not appear in the story itself, but I can understand how it can be misconstrued as the actual altar. I will remove it.
"The Russian Orthodox Church has demolished a chapel where a priest conducted a marriage ceremony between two men.
The Chapel of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was apparently knocked down after local churchmen decided it had been defiled.
The "marriage" of Denis Gogolyev and Mikhail Morozev in Nizhny Novgorod scandalised the Orthodox Church and created outrage among ordinary Russians. The priest, Fr Vladimir Enert, was unfrocked after the men said they paid him a £300 bribe to ignore a ban on same-sex marriages.
A spokesman for the Orthodox Church said the chapel had to go as it had been desecrated."
I'll never understand why western churches insist on playing footsie with the LGBTQ movement. Defrock the guy and kick him out of the LCMS. This isn't hard, people. All unrepentant members of the LGBTQ clan burn brighter than the advent candles we just finished lighting for eternity where the worm doesn't die. God nuked Sodom and Gomorrah. Are we sola scriptura or not?
Deeply disturbing and worthy of being brought to light. We have to address these errors before they spread any further than they already have.
What are we to do with this? As a synod how do we respond? This appears to be against everything sane, for our synodical leadership to react like this...I don't know what to say. How do you hold these people accountable?
White supremacy was condemned over night, and the perpetrators were excommunicated right away (rightfully so). But for some reason, SyNod drags its feet on this!?!?! This is a scandal.
1.) Conservatism (bukleyism) demands disavowel/dissappear ing/ destroying the right while slowly arguing with and giving way to the left. The case in question is a perfect example of this situation.
2. ) While I am not fully informed about the "white supremacy" case, it appears that a disservice was done by the synod to its reputation amongst its existing and prospective clientele for the sake of satisfying the requirements of the american interim (left) about racism. Good order was not followed in the process so that a fast resolution would allow for immediate virtue signaling.
This is too blatantly apostate to be ignored. If it isn’t honestly dealt with, then LCMS has lost all credibility. It becomes yet another denomination with an official orthodox stance that is unofficially ignored.
Pray for Ad Crucem (the Woods), as I know this is not easy for them to do and is certainly resulting in a lot of scorn directed at them. Pray for those of this church body who were harmed in the unwillingness to address this at the outset.
Thank you, Justin. We do appreciate the prayers and concern for us. We have no desire to be muck rakers, but these things cannot be allowed to be buried or spun if we are sincere about our Confession and witness.
I meant to add that our most fervent prayers are required for the complainants who had the courage and persistence to ensure that DP Harmon and church leadership could not gloss over the issues and pretend things were "resolved". Many of us know what it's like to be run out of a congregation unjustly; where "grace and mercy" are the greased skids to expel troublers of Israel.
"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." Galations 1:8
Thank God for Ad Crucem!
You guys are doing an outstanding job of recording the issue and outlining it in such a way that everyone can clearly see how Synod leadership is failing to address the issue properly and in accordance with their own rules and regulations. In the past Synod leadership has successfully covered up issues with an appeal to a maze of bylaws that no one except them understands and at the end they say “abracadabra”, the problem has been “resolved”, and faithful Christians look around and think, “but nothing has been resolved, no one was punished, the problem is still ongoing”.
Not this time, you guys have the receipts and at every turn you are providing those receipts to the Church for examination, THANK YOU!
Thank you, Anthony, we appreciate it.
Thank you for being willing to shed light on the darkness in the LCMS. We must hold all those at fault accountable and ensure that instances such as this are cut off at the root—for the sake of our faith, our confessions, and for our families.
Tangential, but related. If anyone has information about homosexual pride activities and activism at Concordia Bronxville (before its collapse), especially among the teacher cohorts, please DM us.
I have a question about the header image that shows up on the Substack main page and also shows up on social media. (In this case an altar with a trans flag behind it and a gender-y candelabra on the altar.) This does not appear to be an image from the congregation in question. Is it from another LCMS congregation? Or is it unrelated, or even AI generated? If it's an unrelated congregation, I would encourage removing it and making use of images that are directly connected to the story being told. If AI generated, I would encourage you guys to immediately stop that entirely. AI images have no place in articles purporting to portray facts; they can do nothing but mislead or sow distrust in the story you are attempting to tell.
The thumbnail image is AI for illustrative purposes only. It does not appear in the story itself, but I can understand how it can be misconstrued as the actual altar. I will remove it.
Thanks for responding so quickly.
Our pleasure. We appreciate any advice to make things better.
“Keep it Simple” is appropriate sooner than later.
Meanwhile, in Orthodoxy:
"The Russian Orthodox Church has demolished a chapel where a priest conducted a marriage ceremony between two men.
The Chapel of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was apparently knocked down after local churchmen decided it had been defiled.
The "marriage" of Denis Gogolyev and Mikhail Morozev in Nizhny Novgorod scandalised the Orthodox Church and created outrage among ordinary Russians. The priest, Fr Vladimir Enert, was unfrocked after the men said they paid him a £300 bribe to ignore a ban on same-sex marriages.
A spokesman for the Orthodox Church said the chapel had to go as it had been desecrated."
I'll never understand why western churches insist on playing footsie with the LGBTQ movement. Defrock the guy and kick him out of the LCMS. This isn't hard, people. All unrepentant members of the LGBTQ clan burn brighter than the advent candles we just finished lighting for eternity where the worm doesn't die. God nuked Sodom and Gomorrah. Are we sola scriptura or not?