(Reposted from 2022) Many LCMS churches are being sucked into a death spiral that they are oblivious to and it could collapse the Synod without a pragmatic near term response.
Our congregations pews are full of TLH which I LOVE but does the liturgy follow it?? NO! Do the hymns exist in TLH? NO they’ve been politically corrected to the LSB (yuck) or a previous pastor’s whims. None of which I will read from the STUPID thing we are given befor divine service.
I have asked and begged for some consistency with what came before - to Pastor (weak), Elders (just argue with me), and others in positions - they still literally IDOLIZE the previous pastor who died - it’s like I cannot get through to anyone.
Before Covid, women were reading the Old and New Testament readings from Altar. Uck! And we have feminists who told me they’d all leave if they lost their “right” to vote on congregational matters.
And this is a decent, solid, in-the-black congregation in New England of all places.
A church with Unrelated Business Taxable Income (UBTI - for example, renting a building to a third-party school, running a wedding chapel etc) must file the appropriate revenue-determined 990.
"The synod's congregational polity is a blessing, but it does hinder common-sense survival decisions that might facilitate asset and resource pooling. Consolidation could secure the future of at least one enlarged congregation until it can grow back to self-sustenance."
Our congregations pews are full of TLH which I LOVE but does the liturgy follow it?? NO! Do the hymns exist in TLH? NO they’ve been politically corrected to the LSB (yuck) or a previous pastor’s whims. None of which I will read from the STUPID thing we are given befor divine service.
I have asked and begged for some consistency with what came before - to Pastor (weak), Elders (just argue with me), and others in positions - they still literally IDOLIZE the previous pastor who died - it’s like I cannot get through to anyone.
Before Covid, women were reading the Old and New Testament readings from Altar. Uck! And we have feminists who told me they’d all leave if they lost their “right” to vote on congregational matters.
And this is a decent, solid, in-the-black congregation in New England of all places.
Congregations are not required to submit 990s to the IRS.
A church with Unrelated Business Taxable Income (UBTI - for example, renting a building to a third-party school, running a wedding chapel etc) must file the appropriate revenue-determined 990.
This statement is gold:
"The synod's congregational polity is a blessing, but it does hinder common-sense survival decisions that might facilitate asset and resource pooling. Consolidation could secure the future of at least one enlarged congregation until it can grow back to self-sustenance."
Thanks for the article.
Thanks for the dose of reality. District conventions and national convention take heed.