On Holy Tuesday, March 18, 2008, Issues Etc., a very popular radio ministry that addressed Lutheran theology and current events which was enjoyed by thousands in and outside the LCMS, was inexplicably cancelled without previous notice, causing high concern among many.
Pastor Todd Wilken, the show's host, and Mr. Jeff Schwarz, the show's producer whose wife was recently diagnosed with a serious nerve disorder and is in the process of getting into the Mayo Clinic, are now suddenly unemployed and are in need of support, most certainly in our prayers and encouragement, and perhaps also financially.
As information becomes available regarding why the show was cancelled, we will publish it. To express your personal concerns about the cancellation of Issues Etc., please contact those listed in the video below.
Financial gifts for the two families should be marked "Wilken/Schwarz Fund" and sent to:
St. Paul Lutheran Church
c/o Pastor Will Weedon
Box 247
Hamel IL 62046
Thank you,
Pastor James
Please pray for the Schwarz family in particular. Losing your job during Holy Week without warning or explanation and then receiving a gag order to not talk about it is one thing. But Mrs. Schwarz had just been diagnosed with a serious nerve disorder and is now seeking treatment at Mayo Clinic.
Please pray that God would heal her, that the family's needs would be met, and that the truth would eventually come out regarding why these dear Christian people have been treated so.
"Lutheran Radio Program's Demise
is a Symptom of Larger Ills"
-ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Press Coverage
"The (LCMS) is divided between, on the one hand, traditional Lutherans known for their emphasis on sacraments, liturgical worship and the church's historic confessions and, on the other, those who have embraced pop-culture Christianity and a market-driven approach to church growth."
For the record: A State of Discord and Disunity: "The 2007 synodical convention passed Res. 4-01A which directs the Council of Presidents and the Board of Directors to come up with a plan “to restore harmony to our Synod.” This resolution passed by an overwhelming margin of 1014 to 169. In other words, the synodical convention was unified in recognizing that our churches are in a state of discord and disunity."
The Church is not our grandfather’s, nor is it the church of pop psychology needs-based marketing, it is Christ’s Church and any matter of the Church needs to be reviewed in the light of Scripture. It is highly ironic that the church that claims direct lineage to Martin Luther, defines truth as the product of church bylaws and bureaucratic processes apart from Scripture, rather than the Scriptures themselves (Sola Scriptura). This is the very same church-politic mindset Martin Luther found himself battling against 500 years ago.
Ed Popyk
Dearborn, Mich.
As a former guest on “Issues, Etc.” and as a listener to the show, I was very unhappy that it was cancelled. I can’t help but conclude that the cancellation was somehow related to the deep divisions that exist in our denomination and that are referred to in the article. While many publicly pretend that the divisions do not exist, as a pastor in the denomination and as a delegate to the 2007 LCMS Convention in Houston, I have observed these divisions firsthand and have been dismayed by them. Keep up the good work!
Rev. Wayne W. Schwiesow
Pastor, Zion Lutheran Church
Gordonville, Mo.
St. Paul Lutheran Church
Chaffee, Mo.
As an adult member of the LCMS for 40 years, I wish to thank the Journal for printing this piece which was in all respects consistent with the facts as I know them. Mollie Ziegler Hemmingway is a former member of the LCMS Board of Communication Services which oversees KFUO, among other media peculiar to our church. She is in a position to know what she is talking about.
In truth, the denomination had its most “unified” convention in years last summer because the opposition to the Rev. Gerald Kieschnick was simply kept from any meaningful participation. Mr. Kieschnick was re-elected by only 52% in spite of this control. “Missouri” is divided.
Helen Jensen
Austin, Texas
Thanks for printing this article. It is a clear and perceptive summary of the situation in our denomination. I agree with Ms. Hemingway in her analysis. It seems that this “Radio Silence” may be just a symptom of the synodical leadership’s plan to transition the LCMS into a “market-driven” church rather than a confessional one.
Greta Martin
Bristol, Wis.
"When about 75 people gathered outside the international headquarters of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod this week, it was a rare display of public dissension among the members of a relatively quiet Christian denomination..."
"Unfortunately, many within the LCMS have decided that being Lutheran isn’t enough; they also want to be BIG and compete with the nondenoms around the corner. And so some congregations have gone all Baptist and charismatic in terms of worship style, and in some cases present a soteriology that contradicts that of a church with a very high view of the sacraments—a view that includes a doctrine of baptismal regeneration."
"Though the show held fast to its confessional Lutheran identity, it was really a show for the broader Christian community, covering a wide range of religious, cultural and political issues. Topics on the program in just the last month included everything from the story of St. Patrick, Sigmund Freud and guilt, tithing, the ethics of sex changes to the latest news of interest regarding abortion and stem cell research. Religious heavyweights such as Fr. Richard John Neuhaus of First Things, Dr. Alister McGrath, and Dr. Albert Mohler of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary could frequently be found as guests on the program. Guests on the program of interest around these parts include Edwin Meese, Robert George, Rod Dreher and our own Ramesh Ponnuru."
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. The South Dakota District Pastors' Conference has also passed a similar resolution, as did the Pastoral Conference of The Central Illinois District who also unanimously questioned the Synod's actions.
Woelmer also read from another statement that Rev. Wilken issued for the members of Faith Lutheran Church after hearing the plans for the banquet:
“Fear is the only weapon the devil has,” Woelmer read. “Without fear, his own, and the fear he can strike in the hears of others, he is powerless. The devil doesn’t have the Word of God, so he is afraid. Therefore, he must make others afraid. He whispers in the believer’s ear, ‘the church must change or die…God’s word is weak and ineffective…the Gospel isn’t enough…the cross isn’t enough.’ All lies. What the devil will never understand is what the Christian alone realizes: there is nothing to fear…nothing….Listen to Jesus: ‘Fear not, I am the First and the Last, and the living One. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades.’ Fear not.”
As Lifenews mourns the loss of Issues, Etc., a leading voice in the pro-life movement, this revelation raises further questions regarding KFUO:
Jim Connett Program/Development Director for KFUO-FM is on the board of directors for a Hope Happens, an activist group that is pushing for Embryonic Stem Cell Research (aka destroying human embryos in order to harvest stem cells for research).
Connett's activism flies directly in the face of the LCMS's pro-life stand and in light of the fact that Todd Wilken and Issues Etc. had an amazing pro-life record, this makes us believe that there is something terribly wrong at KFUO and in the Missiouri Synod.
"I had an intriguing GetReligion-related experience last week. A religion reporter wrote about a news story that I’m personally involved in. As a reporter, it is always interesting to watch another reporter in action. But when you actually care about the story involved, everything is taken to a new level..."
