His blog first proposed reading it together, chapter by chapter, a week or so ago.
I admit I read ahead. Pastor Swanson is catching up with me now. (look for 7 minutes with God on his blog)
The book is exciting reading in itself, but for me and for us at Redeemer, it is a revelation.
The story of Nehemiah is the story of Redeemer.
Against enormous odds, the people find ample leadership to rebuild the plundered temple. They get more support from the neighboring king than they get from Jewish leaders. The “religious” leaders pull every trick in the book to try to stop them — not because what they are doing is wrong (although every attempt is made to make it look that way) but because they feel their position and power is somehow threatened by other people succeeding at what they failed to even try to do. What they said was impossible is being accomplished before their very eyes and they can’t stand it!
Two Redeemer members relaxed for a moment after a particularly rough day. One member came within a day of losing both her home and her income to court actions that have resulted from the conflict with SEPA Synod.
She learned of the problem by accident with only a weekend and a day to do anything about it. Every effort was being made by a half-dozen Redeemer friends to stop the travesty and by noon we heard that there had been some success.
And so we paused over coffee and a donut.
One might expect hate and despair and finger-pointing to reign in such an atmosphere, but the opposite has been true in our faith community.
One member commented that one blessing of the conflict has been that we’ve really gotten to know each other — and some of us have known one another for a decade or more.
We started talking about what we had learned about the character of our members, how their very differing personalities that we once enjoyed as passing acquaintances on Sunday morning had become endearing and appreciated.
Conflict defines character.
After this conflict, we know whom we can count on. We know which preachers mean what they preach. We know to whom we can turn for action, for prayer, for ideas, for legal knowledge, and the list goes on. We gather for Sunday worship and brunch as an eclectic mix of people brought together by faith and a common cause. We leave on Sunday, each with our individual spiritual gifts, ready to serve.
After such a close call, it would be no surprise if the endangered member had thrown up her hands in despair and vowed to have nothing to do with us or religion ever again.
Instead, by the end of the day, she had presented a few new ideas for our ministry as the holidays approached. Amazing!
We know each other well. Too bad SEPA doesn’t know us at all.
By now you should be aware of the horrific conflict being waged in your name by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America against the Lutherans of East Falls.
For four years, it has been the forbidden topic — ignored and danced around—everyone making nice like nothing terrible is happening.
Litigation as a ministry tool creates this climate. It’s a bullying technique and it works!
For us in East Falls, it has been a daily part of our lives for half a decade. Clergy skedaddled early on, leaving lay people to take the heat. SEPA wanted our property to meet their budget. The 2009 Synod Assembly approved taking our property at the same time they approved a $275,000 deficit budget. And yet SEPA denies that closing churches is a plan. There is ample evidence that it has been part of a plan for some time. Money from closed churches was laundered through its Mission Fund — there supposedly for mission purposes but regularly filling the six-figure operating deficit.
Voting on a congregation’s property by Synod Assembly is forbidden by SEPA’s Articles of Incorporation. The consequences of this ill-advised and improper vote is devastating to both SEPA and Redeemer. But let’s not talk about it!
Why is it OK with SEPA Lutherans to treat fellow Christians so heartlessly?
The Lutheran Church, born of dissent, historically allows for stands based on conscience. Redeemer challenged the decisions regarding our ministry on constitutional grounds and conscience. We were sued as a congregation and some of us as individuals before the constitutional provisions for dissent could be exercised. The process was manipulated and SEPA Lutherans followed like sheep. Leadership in Chicago turned blind eyes, siding with hierarchy with no regard for the laity.
SEPA used its position and power to create an unfair process that they hope can be replicated. They sent SEPA legal counsel, John Gordon, to Chicago to teach their process to all Synod Counsels. If this process is right and part of Lutheran polity, why must it be taught as something new and innovative?
SEPA is so focused on power and attaining our property that in 2009 they ignored all other issues we brought to Synod Assembly’s attention. They used this improper vote on one of many issues to justify every action before and since—voted on or not.
The behavior of SEPA synod is wrong. Going after a member congregation to the point of attacking individual lay members and threatening their homes and livelihoods is wrong. ELEVEN Redeemer members face the loss of our homes while SEPA maintains an empty property which could be generating income to pay the congregation’s debt (as the congregation had planned). By the way, eleven is just two shy of Redeemer’s total membership, according to SEPA. The ruin of every Redeemer member is OK with SEPA—as long as their assumed power is recognized. SEPA trustees reported our membership as 13 when their own records listed 26. But Redeemer had grown significantly since the figure 26 had been reported. SEPA has recognized this in court, holding the congregation to a quorum for a membership of more than 70.
There is a powerful disconnect between what SEPA Lutherans preach and what they practice.
SEPA’s actions are wrong
theologically
scripturally
ethically
constitutionally
and two appeal judges wrote a dissenting opinion that suggests they are also wrong legally.
One judge pointed out to Synod Counsel that this was not a “slam dunk” for them. There was room for honest disagreement.
The answer is so simple that a third grader could advise us where concepts fail the learned theologians. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
SEPA Lutherans talk about doing the right thing but are powerless to check their own leaders.
This conflict is unnecessary. Peaceful remedies are available. SEPA leadership has no interest in peace or reconciliation. They want to win—win at any cost. Pride, power and greed have fueled the conflict. Apathy and fear keep the engine purring.
SEPA wanted our property to pay their bills. That end is the only justification of their means.
We believe from our many visits that SEPA Lutherans know better, but they are too insecure to question the leaders they elect as servants.
Our faith is meant to empower us all to look beyond our own interests. Christian leaders are expected to embrace servanthood. Christian followers are not expected to be passive.
Not in SEPA.
Shame!
Are there any blessed peacemakers in SEPA Synod? Does anyone have a vision for ending this?
The Ambassadors attended this church in the Oak Lane neighborhood of Philadelphia. It was a return trip for one of the Ambassadors who attended this church 30 years ago.
The service was part of a long day for St. Mark’s with fellowship and education beginning at 9:30. The service began at 11 and was close to two hours in duration with more fellowship afterwards. Afternoon obligations forced us to leave before the Eucharist, but we enjoyed the spirit and wealth of music.
Attendance at the beginning of the service was about 40 but within a half hour the numbers swelled to about 60. About a quarter included children and youth which was refreshing and rare.
Pastor Leonard’s sermon talked about the temptations that ambition and power present to ministry, tying it to Mark’s account of the disciples vying for importance. Once again, we saw a disconnect between what is preached and what is practiced. The conflict SEPA congregations have with Redeemer is fueled almost solely by greed for our property and the need to prevail in power. We note that Rev. Leonard has served on Synod Council for much of the duration of this conflict and has been in a position to influence and temper the conflict without success. In his sermon, he even talked about bishops who covet the position for the status and money. It was all we could do to refrain from shouting AMEN!
The service included lots of hymns. A lengthy opening praise section was led by a praise team. The hymns were many of Redeemer’s favorites. A portable mic was passed among the congregation so that many congregants could participate and be heard. A new liturgy was used, peppered with warhorse hymns from Fanny Crosby’s Blessed Assurance to the Gospel hymn, Lead Me, Guide Me — the favorite hymn of a Redeemer member who died shortly after the lockout. One Ambassador commented that she enjoyed the drum accompaniment to all the hymns.
The sanctuary is beautiful and well-kept and was a pleasant place to spend this cool autumn Sabbath.
We noted that they do not have a web site listed in the synod records but opened a one-post blog in July. We encourage them to expand on that platform. We’ve had great responses from our blog!
If life was always peaches and cream, we would have no need for religion. We turn to God in weakness to find our strength.
So in comes the Church.
Church leaders will explain God’s ways. We will have a roadmap for solving problems.
Church leaders are rarely at a loss for words when it comes to advising congregations. They preach guidelines for peaceful and productive lives in Christ.
Followers nod in agreement. They file out of church assemblies with a sense that they are leaving a place where people care about one another and will follow God’s Word.
A pastor recently shared his story.
He had listened to a bishop address his synodical assembly with words of peace, admonishing them to work with one another to resolve differences in accordance with the Scriptures. It was a moving message which drew a standing ovation.
This pastor and his congregation were having some issues with Synodical leadership. He was encouraged by the message. He managed to buttonhole the bishop before the end of the Assembly. He told him he was moved by his sermon.
“Let’s do it,” he said with enthusiasm. “Let’s get together and talk through our issues.”
The bishop responded. “Uh, OK, why don’t you write an agenda and send it to my office. We’ll set up a meeting.”
The pastor was excited. He drafted an agenda of the issues his congregation wanted to discuss and sent it to the bishop’s office.
Months went by with no response. At last, the bishop responded that he had been advised that the issues might end up in court and he should not meet with the congregation.
You read that right! The issues MIGHT end up in court. So what’s the point of talking.
This parallels Redeemer’s experience. Bishop Burkat had a lawyer at her right hand (literally) at her first meeting with Redeemer leaders.
This attitude of—not all, but more than one—current bishops in the ELCA violates the Gospel and is a dereliction of their assigned duties. They are no longer shepherds but predators. Clergy’s key advisors are lawyers—not more experienced pastors, not people with a spiritual gift for wisdom, and not the Bible.
The Gospel is clear that we are to attempt to work out differences without the courts. But in today’s church, leadership is not looking for resolution. They are looking for the WIN.They are looking to be seen as powerful. Resolution might call for ceding some power. Opponents must be defeated!
The Church is following the way of the world—exactly as the New Testament (both Gospel and Epistles) cautions. It is crippling the Church, one little conflict after another. Every WIN by intimidation is a defeat for the Gospel.
“Resolution” is so distasteful that the word is avoided. SEPA Synod is billing an upcoming workshop as conflict “transformation.”
Today’s Church does not believe its own scriptures.
It is a sad day when the only thing separating the Church from the world is tax exemption and immunity for its actions—but not those of its opponents—under the Bill of Rights.
Yesterday, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America announced an upcoming workshop for congregations. We first saw this listed as Weathering the Storm, but notice it is now advertised as Weathering the System.
Weathering the System
October 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
St. John’s Lutheran Church
505 North York Road, Hatboro, PA 19040
The six-hour workshop on conflict resolution is advertised as conflict transformation.
A buzzword unused is an opportunity squandered.
How do you weather a storm?
Make sure you win! Winning, at any cost, even at the expense of mission, outranks problem-solving in today’s church leadership. As one leading businessman wrote today, “It’s because defeat and power and humiliation and money have replaced ‘doing what works for all of us.'”
Although the names of presenters are not posted, you will learn from the best. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Lutheran Church in America, has been involved in years and years of conflict. They know the ropes!
Topics within synod’s expertise include:
how to create and define conflict using deceit
intimidating the opposition
exploiting vulnerable volunteers
how to identify which volunteers to eliminate to ensure victory
discouraging lay involvement to assure managerial success
how to pit clergy against laity to maximize success
guidelines for effective use of inflammatory language
when to apply the constitutions
when to ignore the constitutions
how to use Roberts’ Rules of Order
how to ignore Roberts’ Rules of Order
isolating the opposition from the rest of the Church
divide and conquer: tried and true techniques to guarantee divisiveness
tips for withholding professional services while appearing to serve
demonizing your opposition
use of litigation as a management tool
ignoring facts that do not serve your purpose
how to use partial truths to gain popular support
when to lie unabashedly
best practices in name-calling and finger-pointing
how to camouflage objectives with semantics
use of charm and charisma to deflect attention from the issues
how to keep knowledgeable people from asking questions
when and how to declare your opponents as non-existent
the underestimated value and strategic use of prejudice
creative use of statistics
techniques for silencing opposition
maximizing the “gotcha” factor
when and how to ignore Gospel imperatives
counting coup: the proper way to celebrate victory
The announcement quotes a former participant:
“Conflict and stress are a part of life. Both can be positive. It’s all in how you deal with it.”
Don’t miss the upcoming workshop. Learn how to deal with conflict from the masters!
Update: a subsequent announcement names The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Phelps Ollikainen of Liberty Lutheran as the presenter. Liberty Lutheran is independent of SEPA Synod, so content may actually be helpful!
God is doing something new and the church is Out to Lunch. We are tempted to say Gone Fishing, but that might have theological implications that do not apply.
Redeemer Ambassadors always turn to the internet to plan our visits. We check service times, read newsletters and find out as much as we can before we visit.
We follow the process any newcomer to a neighborhood in 2012 would take when searching for a church home. They would Google their neighborhood and the word “church” to see what comes up.
Our search process reveals that neighborhood church seekers will have problems finding Lutheran churches.
Since we are looking for Lutheran churches, we start with the ELCA Trend Reports web site and use their Church Finder. We plug in 15, 20 or 25 miles for the radius and press the LOCATE button. Up comes a list. Then we click the link provided to each congregation’s web site.
We are now preparing for our 50th visit. We’d like to visit a nearby church tomorrow morning. Some of our ambassadors have afternoon plans. There are several possibilities. We’ll look for a church with an early service.
THIRTY of them have NO WEB SITE!
Several of those with no web site are mission churches under the direction of synodically appointed leaders. Note: These are just the churches in a 15-mile radius of East Falls.
A MISSION CHURCH with NO WEB SITE!
We Google the name of one nearby congregation. Maybe they have a web site that isn’t listed in the national database. Great! They have a Facebook page. We check it. It has NO information beyond the church’s address.
Really, SEPA churches, what are you thinking? Are you serious about outreach? Are you part of your communities? Do you open your doors on Sunday morning and expect the neighborhood to flock there by magic?
A church can have a nice looking web site for an annual investment of $25 and no more than an hour’s set-up time. Facebook is FREE, for St. Pete’s sake! 13-year-olds know how to use it.
If you don’t have a web site, you are not serious about serving your community.
Most of these congregation’s have pastors who could set up a basic site and at least have a community presence.
Even Redeemer, the church that doesn’t exist according to SEPA and the ELCA, has a web site.
In the world of the ELCA, these churches, that are not serious about ministry, feel they have the right to take votes about the ministries of other congregations and gain from their actions. (They don’t have this right under governing laws, but that hasn’t stopped the churches and clergy of SEPA!)
God is doing something new in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod and many churches are not equipped to perceive it—much less take advantage of it!
We’d like to think they have Gone Fishing for Men, but the evidence is they are Out to Lunch.
Today there are just three songs outside of church that people sing together—the National Anthem, Happy Birthday, and whatever the pop star that people paid to hear is belting out at a concert.
Singing is fun. Yet, once we graduate from lower levels of school, many of us never again experience group singing. Recognizing this, some movie theaters sponsor movie singalongs to favorites like Sound of Music or My Fair Lady.
The power of music is the power to surprise and delight.
Songs create cultural ties. Many of the commenters to the Welsh choir video wrote that they enjoyed the Welsh hymn so much they memorized it. Otherwise, they spoke not a word of Welsh. The second video shows how good music knows no cultural bounds.
Our Ambassadors gathered for Sunday morning brunch recently and someone mentioned a clock, which had been her father’s prize possession. We broke into song, My Grandfather’s Clock, with an African member looking on in amusement. “Tick-tock, tick-tock.” My Grandfather’s Clock was written in 1876, by an American Civil War songwriter Henry Clay Work after a visit to England. 136 years later, we could all sing it together, part of our common culture.
Similarly, the one meeting Redeemer had with Bishop Claire Burkat, we considered such a success that as our members left they broke into song which traveled with them down the elevator from the synod offices and across the parking lot to waiting cars. This time the song was from African culture!
Music was part of the magic of Redeemer’s ministry that was binding our diverse groups. We used eight or more hymns in our worship. Frequent repetition of select songs allowed for commonality. Soon Africans could sing I Cast All My Cares Upon You and Americans could sing Bwana Awabariki. We often sang popular hymns alternating languages and soon we could sing the chorus to Jesus Loves Me or How Great Thou Art in either language without realizing which language we wee singing!
One Sunday we had a guest preacher. He mentioned in his sermon the hymn Just As I Am. He started to read the words. The congregation began singing the hymn a cappella from memory. The hymn is part of our culture. Oddly the pastor seemed annoyed at the congregation’s initiative.
Church is one of very few places where people gather weekly to enjoy singing. Let’s take advantage of our strong points! Let the music of your church come from the people and shape your ministry.
If churches want to reach millions of independent-minded young Americans they should learn a thing or two from craft brewers. . . . It’s time, he said, for “craft churches” that reach niche audiences.
This is an astute observation. Small churches have been serving niches for some time.
Our Ambassador visits reveal that most churches, large or small, serve a niche, but probably with little intent!
The largest church we visited (non-Lutheran and twice the attendance of the largest Lutheran church we visited) was a congregation of 25-35-year-olds.
Birds of a feather . . .
Small churches know their niche. Any intention of being all things to all people, though tempting, is out of reach. Even if people wanted that kind of ministry, (and most mission statements sound like they do!), finding leadership is daunting.
Church leaders often view small churches as failures—undesirable places for pastors to serve. Part of this is economics. All churches must rise to the same budget expectations, which in the modern era have priced many communities out of the faith business. Pastors assigned to small churches often view their role as care-taking, never bothering with outreach. Some even use the offensive term “hospice ministry.”
Perhaps it’s time to seriously examine the economics of church.
People will make their church home where they can see their offerings and efforts at work. They will neither participate nor attend a church where they do not feel fully welcome.
We at Redeemer know the difference between being welcome to attend church and being welcome to participate. Our bishop made it clear that we are not welcome to participate in SEPA Synod. She seized our property and pledged to close our church and reopen it under new leadership. She wrote to us that current members could attend this new, improved Lutheran church but former members would not be permitted to participate. She unilaterally denied us vote or voice. When we started visiting churches she sent a letter to pastors warning them!
How’s that for a welcome statement!
Redeemer was welcoming East African immigrants who were moving into our community—not just to use our building, which is the more common outreach approach, but to join their traditions with ours. We saw our unique niche ministry as adding to the mosaic of the greater church.
But SEPA was determined that one population had to die before a new population could be fully welcomed. As Bishop Burkat said, “White Redeemer must be allowed to die, black Redeemer . . . we can put them anywhere.” Control of assets was the objective.
Religion is not supposed to be a spectator sport.
Part of the problem with niche ministries is that few pastors are trained to serve niche populations.
Defining a niche (while recognizing the likelihood that niches will change every decade or so) may not be such a bad idea. It will take decades to recognize and train leaders to actively serve niche ministries and not view them as “hospice” assignments.
Another problem with niche ministries is that the “niches” that are most in need (the ones the Bible talks about), often can’t support them.
The true mission of the church is defeated by cost—at least with today’s budget and funding expectations.
Meanwhile, rejected and criticized by our denomination, Redeemer has created a niche ministry. You are visiting it now. Today, two months into our third year, we are reaching more people every week than the largest church in our denomination’s local region. We are just getting started.
The following is from a letter to parishes from a SEPA dean:
When we think about what is needed to help our congregations become as healthy and as strong as they can be, we need to develop our capacity to be confident in prayer, inspiring in worship, sacrificial in service, rooted in scripture, intentional in invitation and generous in giving.
—Serena Sellers
All of these qualities describe Redeemer. We were even growing where we were planted as her letter also recommends. Too bad SEPA decided they needed our assets more than we. . . and not a single SEPA dean (who are supposed to be liaisons between the synod and congregations) spoke up.
Pastor Sellers points you to the synod website, godisdoingsomethingnew.com.
Join Bishop Ruby Kinisa as she visits small churches "under cover" to learn what people would never share if they knew they were talking to their bishop.
Undercover Bishop will always be available in PDF form on 2x2virtualchurch.com for FREE.
Print or Kindle copies are available on Amazon.com.
For bulk copies, please contact 2x2: creation@dca.net.
MISSION INSPIRATION OFFER
A visual and biblical guide to help congregations define their missions.
Contact Info
You can reach
Judy Gotwald,
the moderator of 2x2,
at
creation@dca.net
or 215 605 8774
Redeemer’s Prayer
We were all once strangers, the weakest, the outcasts, until someone came to our defense, included us, empowered us, reconciled us (1 Cor. 2; Eph. 2).
Be calm. Wait. Wait. Commit your cause to God. He will make it succeed. Look for Him a little at a time. Wait. Wait. But since this waiting seems long to the flesh and appears like death, the flesh always wavers. But keep faith. Patience will overcome wickedness.
—Martin Luther
. . . and it is still hard and lonely work 
