The Purchase of a Church Body
7
8/16/2019 The Purchase of a Church Body http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-purchase-of-a-church-body 1/7 The Purchase of a Church Body The Economics of Denominational Decline As the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod approaches its convention and considers the inevitable decline in numbers prophesied by our denominational leader, Rev. Matthew Harrison (see February 2016 LCMS Board of Directors Minutes), I offer the following points for reflection. It is becoming clearer that the politics of this church body are increasingly funded by outside sources with significant financial resources. As a single brilliant example, I attach the IRS filing for an organization called Balance Concord (https://projects.propublica.org/ nonprofits/organizations/311756846). Balance Concord is noteworthy for several reasons. 1. Balance Concord expresses itself through the publication The Lutheran Clarion --a periodical, interestingly, for which Rev. Martin Noland serves as both a board member and contributor AND who finds himself a nominee for synodical secretary ($180,000+/year salary). This periodical is nominally affiliated with something called the Lutheran Concerns Association, the political aim of which is to "support issues and causes within The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod which build faithfulness to true Confessional Lutheranism and to be a clear voice of Christian concern against actions and causes which conflict with faithfulness to the One True Faith." 2. Balance Concord has no RSO status or official endorsement of our synod's Board of Directors yet it is eminently political and influences the strategy and tactics employed by our denominational leaders. (See events tab at website lutheranclarion.org) 3. The 2013 monetary assets of Balance Concord exceeded that of most congregations of the LC-MS—more than $560,000 in the bank (remember that 2013 was the year of the prior synod convention; watch for the 2014 IRS report forthcoming for the difference in its total assets). These IRS filings don't indicate the source of that total. 4. Balance Concord is enjoying an (at best) irregular arrangement with our denomination's publishing house to fund the printing and dissemination of Rev. Harrison’s book Letters from a Pastor's Heart to all the congregations of the synod and immediately prior to the presidential election in two weeks. (See screenshot advertisement which came from discredited group Brothers of John the Steadfast as well as the cover letter accompanying the book). 5. In addition to helping publish this book, the delegates to the synodical convention received a two-CD mailing published by the Lutheran Concerns Association from their annual meeting in Fort Wayne, IN. Why when our synod has such a tremendous publishing house does the President of our synod require the assistance of an outside media source to produce a book using publishing house property? How many more books were produced beyond the 6000+ distributed to every congregation of synod and received free of charge from Balance Concord? 6000 copies of the book at $13/book =$78,000 (not incl. shipping) How can such brazen electioneering using synodical property be condoned by other members of the the LC-MS praesidium or Board of Directors?
-
Upload
jeffrey-thormodson -
Category
Documents
-
view
212 -
download
0
Transcript of The Purchase of a Church Body
8/16/2019 The Purchase of a Church Body
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-purchase-of-a-church-body 1/7
The Purchase of a Church BodyThe Economics of Denominational Decline
As the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod approaches its convention and considers theinevitable decline in numbers prophesied by our denominational leader, Rev. Matthew Harrison (seeFebruary 2016 LCMS Board of Directors Minutes), I offer the following points for reflection.
It is becoming clearer that the politics of this church body are increasingly funded by outsidesources with significant financial resources. As a single brilliant example, I attach the IRS filing for anorganization called Balance Concord (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/311756846). Balance Concord is noteworthy for several reasons.
1. Balance Concord expresses itself through the publication The Lutheran Clarion --a periodical,interestingly, for which Rev. Martin Noland serves as both a board member and contributorAND who finds himself a nominee for synodical secretary ($180,000+/year salary). Thisperiodical is nominally affiliated with something called the Lutheran Concerns Association, thepolitical aim of which is to "support issues and causes within The Lutheran Church-MissouriSynod which build faithfulness to true Confessional Lutheranism and to be a clear voice of
Christian concern against actions and causes which conflict with faithfulness to the One TrueFaith."
2. Balance Concord has no RSO status or official endorsement of our synod's Board of Directorsyet it is eminently political and influences the strategy and tactics employed by ourdenominational leaders. (See events tab at website lutheranclarion.org)
3. The 2013 monetary assets of Balance Concord exceeded that of most congregations of theLC-MS—more than $560,000 in the bank (remember that 2013 was the year of the prior synodconvention; watch for the 2014 IRS report forthcoming for the difference in its total assets).These IRS filings don't indicate the source of that total.
4.
Balance Concord is enjoying an (at best) irregular arrangement with our denomination'spublishing house to fund the printing and dissemination of Rev. Harrison’s book Letters from a
Pastor's Heart to all the congregations of the synod and immediately prior to the presidentialelection in two weeks. (See screenshot advertisement which came from discredited groupBrothers of John the Steadfast as well as the cover letter accompanying the book).
5. In addition to helping publish this book, the delegates to the synodical convention received atwo-CD mailing published by the Lutheran Concerns Association from their annual meeting inFort Wayne, IN.
Why when our synod has such a tremendous publishing house does the President of our
synod require the assistance of an outside media source to produce a book using publishinghouse property?
How many more books were produced beyond the 6000+ distributed to every congregation ofsynod and received free of charge from Balance Concord? 6000 copies of the book at
$13/book =$78,000 (not incl. shipping)
How can such brazen electioneering using synodical property be condoned by other membersof the the LC-MS praesidium or Board of Directors?
8/16/2019 The Purchase of a Church Body
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-purchase-of-a-church-body 2/7
There are many other private funding sources being used and cultivated through our churchbody's "development office". Not all of it is to be criticized. But, all of it should be scrutinized withgreat transparency of effort. Given the decline in congregational and district offerings coming into thesynod, it isn’t a surprise our synod administration is increasingly turning to private donors in order tosustain the institution.
Private (individual) funding of a publicly (group) shared ministry causes a breakdown in loyalties.
Now the administration leaders are more beholden to ask the question, "how do we keep the sourcesof these funds happy?" This question replaces the common sense one, "how do we ensure that theadministration we have as a synod still fits the congregations we are called to serve, EVEN IF THEREDUCED CONGREGATION-BASED INCOME MEANS A REDUCTION IN ADMINISTRATION SIZEOR IN PERSONAL COMPENSATION FOR SYNOD EXECUTIVES?"
At the congregation I serve,outside funding is cautiously received and
is ALWAYS disclosed regarding amount and source.
As a member of this church body and a delegate to the synodical convention, I'd like for the Board
of Directors and Rev. Harrison to disclose the money that has been received from individual donorsand groups during his tenure of MORE THAN $1000. I'd like to know what groups fund the behaviorand choices of our current synod administration. I want to know the names of those—but especially ofother non-profits like Balance Concord--whose financial offerings impact the forward progress of whatis being described as, “humanly speaking”, an irretrievably dying church body.
I want to know this because I want to know what their vision is for the future of Christianity inAmerica. I want to know if their vision matches mine and that of the congregation I am called by Godto serve. I want to know because Balance Concord, the so-called Lutheran Concerns Association,and the publications I've received from it in no way line up with the hopeful, Spirit-inspired vision Godhas expressed for his people in Scripture.
I have hope for the future of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. I retain hope becauseScripture reminds me that God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is faithful in Word and Sacrament(in spite of Lutheran birthrates or demographic shifts). Unfortunately, that hope is not energized bythe denominational leadership being provided by Rev. Harrison for the church body that is, literally,dying for strong and courageous leadership in and for American missions.
Join me in demanding transparency and disclosure of loyaltiesfrom our denomination’s leaders
in order to ensure they are, in fact, serving usas we minister on behalf of God.
Sincerely and fraternally,
Rev. Dr. Scott K. SeidlerSenior PastorConcordia Lutheran ChurchKirkwood, MissouriFacebook.com/pastorscottseidler
8/16/2019 The Purchase of a Church Body
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-purchase-of-a-church-body 3/7
8/16/2019 The Purchase of a Church Body
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-purchase-of-a-church-body 4/7
8/16/2019 The Purchase of a Church Body
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-purchase-of-a-church-body 5/7
8/16/2019 The Purchase of a Church Body
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-purchase-of-a-church-body 6/7
8/16/2019 The Purchase of a Church Body
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-purchase-of-a-church-body 7/7
