Melanchthon wrote large parts of the Lutheran Confessions and yet later had teachings that were also condemned in the Formula. We honor Flacius for his stands against Melancthon and others during the Augsburg and Leipzig Interims.
Only one error of Flacius was condemned in the Formula, and his opponent in that debate also had his error condemned also. Flacius endeavored to be a faithful Lutheran and teacher of holy Scripture, and in that effort made an indefensible statement against one whose errors were far more numerous and grievous than his. He said and wrote many other things that are of great value. He was a friend and colleague of the authors of the Formula, and his orthodox writings were used as base texts for other articles in the Formula. His writings are being translated into English now, and are worth taking up and reading. All of us should be careful not to make the Flacius mistake of refusing to admit when we took an argument or position too far. But to dismiss the man for one mistake is pretty harsh. The Formula does not condemn Flacius himself, or any of his other teachings. Let’s all hope history is kinder to us.
Do you mean the say that publishing a list of candidates to be considered for office in the Church, with a rationale for the choices made, is a “mobbing” technique?
The article says almost nothing specific and therefore accuses anyone and everyone in a leadership role, regardless of their political leanings. Liberals could assume the “Machine” is the conservatives, while conservatives could reach the opposite opinion. I do not doubt the some leaders in the LCMS have used such tactics. We are all a bunch of sinners. I just find it hard to believe an organization as disorganized and dysfunctional as the congregation driven LCMS, has such an organized “Machine” running everything from behind the curtains. Besides, I know several of the people on that list. If you want to disrupt the status quo, nominate them. They are a delightful mess of misfits, and I say that with much affection.
Do you mean the brother is talking nonsense, of what he doesn't know? To me his allegations are very serious. If those people don't confess and repent they are going to hell
I did not say he is “talking nonsense, of what he doesn’t know”. Why would you suggest I did? I said the article is vague and that I do not believe a single group called “The Machine” is secretly running the LCMS. He certainly didn’t prove that point. Even if you believe he has, you have no way of knowing who is part of The Machine. He doesn’t name anyone. I’m sure many hurtful and even sinful things happened to him while he served our Synod. The fact is, all our synodical leaders are sinners and daily capable of much sin, even when they think they are doing good. We need to use a lot more grace when dealing with them, as Jesus also died for them.
The LCMS has several different groups in its leadership, each with their own agendas, and all capable of bullying or even “mobbing” to achieve their goals. It certainly hurts to be the victim of such behavior, and the behavior is certainly sinful. But we are all capable of doing such things, and most likely have. It’s also possible to have done so without being aware that you were, or at least believing that your actions were justified. We all sin daily and therefore must always live in repentance and humility.
If you believe that everyone who ever achieved high office in the LCMS is part of The Machine, then Dr. Engelbrecht is also implicated, for he was in office in the Synod. But many of those on that list have never held offices in the Synod or even been in St. Louis. You are jumping to very specific conclusions because of a very vague article, making accusations about people you know nothing about. That is a clear violation of the 8th commandment. You need to repent.
We all deserve hell, even you, and we aren’t even aware of most of the sins that would put us there. So Dr. Luther instructs us to confess guilt of all sin, even those we are not aware of. So Jesus teaches us to pray, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The second part of that requires us to also forgive those who sinned against us and weren’t aware of it, just as we ask God, for the sake of Jesus’s suffering and death, to forgive us even when we are not aware of and do not specifically repent of those sins. Lord, have mercy on us. Amen.
The list is slightly helpful, but even a brief explanation of what qualifies each name for the recommended position would be helpful. I don’t know you or the others involved in putting this list together, so just telling me you think they should be nominated is not enough, we also should know why.
Hello. Great list. I am supportive. A few questions. 1. Does this mean MH is not running? 2. In the past, Pr. Ball supported MH. Is Pr. Ball supporting your endorsement? 3. In the spirit of openness, who are the members of the Caucus. Revealing the names will lend credibility to the list. God bless, Pr. Ian Pacey
1. It is my understanding(although there is no official word from President Harrison) that President Harrison will be seeking reelection in 2026.
2. Rev. Dr. Ball will be accepting nominations for the office of President, and it is my understanding that he will accept votes at least through a first ballot. This list is not an anti-Harrison list; indeed, many of his friends are on this list, and Dr. Ball is one of those friends. I am not anti-Harrison, I just think that in the spirit of putting our best foot forward, options are good, and Dr. Ball is, in my opinion, the best option available, which is why he is endorsed by the list and President Harrison is not.
3. The list is a creation of mine, and the Caucus was born of the list, not the other way around. The Caucus is very new and is still in the process of formalizing our charter, website, and membership. We currently exist only as a loose Facebook group. I will not publish anyone who is in that group's name without their expressed permission, but my name is on the list, available, and I am happy to answer any questions or concerns about the function or form of the list.
It seems odd that a group would name themselves after someone whose teaching was condemned by the Formula. Lord, have mercy!
Melanchthon wrote large parts of the Lutheran Confessions and yet later had teachings that were also condemned in the Formula. We honor Flacius for his stands against Melancthon and others during the Augsburg and Leipzig Interims.
Only one error of Flacius was condemned in the Formula, and his opponent in that debate also had his error condemned also. Flacius endeavored to be a faithful Lutheran and teacher of holy Scripture, and in that effort made an indefensible statement against one whose errors were far more numerous and grievous than his. He said and wrote many other things that are of great value. He was a friend and colleague of the authors of the Formula, and his orthodox writings were used as base texts for other articles in the Formula. His writings are being translated into English now, and are worth taking up and reading. All of us should be careful not to make the Flacius mistake of refusing to admit when we took an argument or position too far. But to dismiss the man for one mistake is pretty harsh. The Formula does not condemn Flacius himself, or any of his other teachings. Let’s all hope history is kinder to us.
Does the Flacius Caucus have a website I can visit? I like the list quite a bit and a web link would be most beneficial.
Why are women also suggested?
If I could vote, after reading the below article by Pr. Edward A. Engelbrecht, I wouldn't dare to vote for any of the proposed
https://www.lutheranforum.com/blog/mobbing-systemic-spiritual-abuse-in-the-lcms
Do you mean the say that publishing a list of candidates to be considered for office in the Church, with a rationale for the choices made, is a “mobbing” technique?
certainly not, but I would rather vote for guys who haven't climbed to high positions in the synod
Leave the last word to you
The article says almost nothing specific and therefore accuses anyone and everyone in a leadership role, regardless of their political leanings. Liberals could assume the “Machine” is the conservatives, while conservatives could reach the opposite opinion. I do not doubt the some leaders in the LCMS have used such tactics. We are all a bunch of sinners. I just find it hard to believe an organization as disorganized and dysfunctional as the congregation driven LCMS, has such an organized “Machine” running everything from behind the curtains. Besides, I know several of the people on that list. If you want to disrupt the status quo, nominate them. They are a delightful mess of misfits, and I say that with much affection.
Do you mean the brother is talking nonsense, of what he doesn't know? To me his allegations are very serious. If those people don't confess and repent they are going to hell
I did not say he is “talking nonsense, of what he doesn’t know”. Why would you suggest I did? I said the article is vague and that I do not believe a single group called “The Machine” is secretly running the LCMS. He certainly didn’t prove that point. Even if you believe he has, you have no way of knowing who is part of The Machine. He doesn’t name anyone. I’m sure many hurtful and even sinful things happened to him while he served our Synod. The fact is, all our synodical leaders are sinners and daily capable of much sin, even when they think they are doing good. We need to use a lot more grace when dealing with them, as Jesus also died for them.
The LCMS has several different groups in its leadership, each with their own agendas, and all capable of bullying or even “mobbing” to achieve their goals. It certainly hurts to be the victim of such behavior, and the behavior is certainly sinful. But we are all capable of doing such things, and most likely have. It’s also possible to have done so without being aware that you were, or at least believing that your actions were justified. We all sin daily and therefore must always live in repentance and humility.
If you believe that everyone who ever achieved high office in the LCMS is part of The Machine, then Dr. Engelbrecht is also implicated, for he was in office in the Synod. But many of those on that list have never held offices in the Synod or even been in St. Louis. You are jumping to very specific conclusions because of a very vague article, making accusations about people you know nothing about. That is a clear violation of the 8th commandment. You need to repent.
We all deserve hell, even you, and we aren’t even aware of most of the sins that would put us there. So Dr. Luther instructs us to confess guilt of all sin, even those we are not aware of. So Jesus teaches us to pray, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The second part of that requires us to also forgive those who sinned against us and weren’t aware of it, just as we ask God, for the sake of Jesus’s suffering and death, to forgive us even when we are not aware of and do not specifically repent of those sins. Lord, have mercy on us. Amen.
The list is slightly helpful, but even a brief explanation of what qualifies each name for the recommended position would be helpful. I don’t know you or the others involved in putting this list together, so just telling me you think they should be nominated is not enough, we also should know why.
Hello. Great list. I am supportive. A few questions. 1. Does this mean MH is not running? 2. In the past, Pr. Ball supported MH. Is Pr. Ball supporting your endorsement? 3. In the spirit of openness, who are the members of the Caucus. Revealing the names will lend credibility to the list. God bless, Pr. Ian Pacey
I will ask the author to respond.
1. It is my understanding(although there is no official word from President Harrison) that President Harrison will be seeking reelection in 2026.
2. Rev. Dr. Ball will be accepting nominations for the office of President, and it is my understanding that he will accept votes at least through a first ballot. This list is not an anti-Harrison list; indeed, many of his friends are on this list, and Dr. Ball is one of those friends. I am not anti-Harrison, I just think that in the spirit of putting our best foot forward, options are good, and Dr. Ball is, in my opinion, the best option available, which is why he is endorsed by the list and President Harrison is not.
3. The list is a creation of mine, and the Caucus was born of the list, not the other way around. The Caucus is very new and is still in the process of formalizing our charter, website, and membership. We currently exist only as a loose Facebook group. I will not publish anyone who is in that group's name without their expressed permission, but my name is on the list, available, and I am happy to answer any questions or concerns about the function or form of the list.
So what's your name?