Learn From the Progressives!
It’s not my job to run the train
The whistle I can’t blow.
It’s not for me to say how far
The train’s allowed to go.
I’m not allowed to blow off steam
Or even clang the bell.
But let the damn thing jump the track
And see who catches hell.
~ Anonymous
I’m going to make a confession. The above may be the only poem that I ever memorized. I learned it in the ninth grade. Our high school band director had it hanging in his office. It’s not profound as poetry, but it is poignant as a proverb. It’s important not to bite off more than is organizationally possible. It only leads to anger and frustration.
My band director, the now sainted Nelson Gorbach, was a remarkable man. He conducted bands comprised of rowdy (and immature) high school boys. He was a great conductor because he knew his audience. He sometimes would use mild profanity. He would make reference to bodily functions. He overlooked a lot of puerile, prankish behavior - pretending not to see it. We knew that he knew, and he knew that we knew. We all played along. But he also demanded excellence of us - both in practice and in performances. And when we performed, this ragtag group of boys played confidently and with excellence - like seasoned professionals. Mr. Gorbach often said, “I have never conducted a high school band.”
This is a testimony to leadership. And this is why the guys who repeat “Leadership! Leadership! Leadership!” like a parrot in a pet shop are right - at least about that. It is like the scene in Braveheart in which William Wallace begs Robert the Bruce to lead the Scots. Just lead them, and they will follow. But Robert sided with the wealthy nobles, Wallace was betrayed, and only Wallace’s gory death would unite the clans and secure Scottish independence. In the end, the dead Wallace was to lead not only the Scottish troops, but even the living Robert the Bruce.
We pastors are low-level leaders in our synodical structure. We are members of synod, but we are the shepherds of our congregations. But it is tricky. For we have the worst of both worlds as polity: we can be dominated by both voters and by district presidents. Ultimately, the voters have more power than the district presidents. For the congregations are autonomous and can continue to exist outside of the synod structure. If our parishes back us, we pastors can indeed run the train and blow the whistle at the congregational level.
But we have to realize that for anything beyond that, for anything above the parochial level on the organizational chart, the above doggerel applies.
When it comes to the craziness that goes on in our synod, it is tempting to just put our heads in the sand and not look, like seeing a gory body on the side of the road, averting our eyes, and crossing the street (I think Jesus told a story about this kind of thing). But the problem with adopting the Sgt. Schultz “not see” approach is that our parishioners may go on vacation, they may move. They may have family members in other places, and they may ask us where they should attend church. You may not hear about it until after the fact. The days of telling them to look up the closest LCMS congregation and go there trustingly are long over. The Gumpian box of chocolates might even include Ex-Lax.
We pastors are also to be evangelists. I have had people become interested in Lutheranism and in the LCMS - and they ask me where to go to church. But when I look up the closest congregations to where they live, I can’t in good conscience recommend any of them. That is a sad reality, but it is reality. So what alternatives do I recommend? This is a question pastors often have to ask themselves.
And with social media, we don’t have to go looking for things, for things come looking for us. Just today, one of my parishioners was looking at her Facebook feed, and this popped up. She sent it to me.
This sermon excerpt appeared in my parishioner’s feed under the title: “The REAL reason to go to church.” But in this clip, the “preacher” never mentions Jesus. The reason for going to church is rather this: “That is, it’s gathering with other believers, sharing our common faith in God and encouraging one another. Rather than giving in to those feelings of discouragement, I encourage you to keep praying, repenting, and shining the light that God has in you.” A Jew or Muslim or New Age Gnostic could have preached the words in this clip. Granted, it is just a clip, but someone from that church chose that clip and that title - and they put this before the entire world: “This is why we LCMS Lutherans go to church.” One of the pastors (a member of synod) of this church (also a member of synod) greenlighted this layman “preaching.”
Maybe this is what these kinds of churches mean when they speak of “equipping the laity for leadership.” There is a strong desire among a lot of our “contemporary worship” churches to bypass seminary, that “raising up leaders in the local congregation” is really just as effective as seminary formation of preachers. Is it? Is this an example? And furthermore, does Article 14 even matter any more? Are ordination vows made as flippantly as wedding vows these days?
This is from an LCMS congregation in Arizona. Their website is illustrative and helpful.
You can watch the contemporary service from which this clip comes here. You can watch the traditional one from the same day here. The videos don’t include the service of Holy Communion - though the vessels are placed on the altar. There doesn’t seem to be a pastor there. The sermon is being “preached” by the unordained “campus administrator.” And it isn’t even being called euphemistically a “message” or some such. It’s unapologetically called a sermon. Another casually-clad layman awkwardly runs through a weird absolution, complete with an awkward sign of the cross.
I find it ironic that we aren’t in fellowship with ELS or WELS because it seems that they have a lower view of the ministry than we do.
The reality is that there are very few things that will get a member of synod in trouble. Bankruptcy will apparently get you removed from the roster. Sexual sins might (but they might not). Being too right-wing politically (whatever that means) can get you in hot water. Not being too left-wing, however. I don’t think any pro-abortion or pro-gay “marriage” member of synod has ever been removed or even hauled on the carpet. You can hold unscriptural views like being pro-female “ordination,” or even have a lady layman in the praise band “consecrate” the elements. I won’t recount the litany here, although I just learned of an LCMS church plant, under the pastoral oversight of an LCMS pastor (SMP) that has had an “ordained” lady Baptist “pastor” serving and preaching in the congregation for four years. Four years. It’s all online - at least for the time being. There was also a video online in which the pastor admits that he had a workaround that allowed the lady “pastor” to serve, and that he was recommending leaving the synod - but only when it becomes convenient - because he wants women’s “ordination” (and even convinced church members who formerly opposed it to embrace it).
Sigh.
Of course, the motto of the whistleblower in the synod is “snitches get stiches.” I understand that this situation of the four year lady “pastor” is being run up the chain of command - with receipts. Maybe something will eventually be done. So, I’m not making anything public for now. But I won’t get my hopes up. Dr. Eckardt originally wrote about the lady bandleader “consecration” in October 2023 (going on two years ago), and it is still on YouTube, the congregation and pastor are still at it, and the district office is apparently surrounded by the sound of crickets. It is Nebraska, after all. If it were in Louisiana, the sound would have been mosquitos and cicadas. Alligators are quiet - unless they’re in the congregation.
It literally took years and a ridiculous amount of bureaucratic somersaults to remove an open heretic from our clergy roster in 2015, even though, per the late Aaron Wolf: “Becker has been a promoter of women’s ordination, the ordination of homosexuals, and same-sex marriage. He also denies that the Bible is accurate when it plainly says things that make liberals uncomfortable.” Note that Dr. Becker commented at Gottesblog in 2010! That situation is a case study of why we can’t have nice things.
Strategically, we need to learn from the Progressives - both in the world and in our synod. They are smart. They understand leadership and strategy. While we naively write resolutions and make phone calls to the district offices, citing bylaws and the confessions (all strategically ineffective) - the Progressives simply implement the change they want. They are bold and courageous. They form parallel fellowships and institutions. They are creating their own university and seminary systems. They have their own conferences. They have podcasts. They simply bring on women “leaders” and have the laymen “preach” and “consecrate.” They have essentially created a shadow synod. They just push the envelope knowing that the cost of enforcing bylaws (or even the Book of Concord or the Bible) is too great for some, and perhaps even suspecting (or knowing) that some up the chain of command actually agree with them and encourage their actions. Our system of oversight is crippled for many reasons. The reasons don’t matter. The Progressives play in the real world. They play chess while we play checkers.
This kind of strategy was done during the Reformation. The reformers simply started saying Mass in German, distributed the Holy Sacrament under both kinds, and their priests just got married. They didn’t wait for official approval. They just got on with it and crossed the Rubicon. They defied Rome, the bishops, and canon law - knowing that the pope was impotent to do anything about it, especially because of the political cover they received from the princes. When they had a critical mass of dissident pastors, congregation, and laity, they successfully effected change.
We talk about history. Progressives implement it.
So podcasters can be forced to apologize and not talk about alternative seminaries - but they can continue to have their guests beat the drum (sheer brilliance!). Congregations - especially large ones with a lot of money - can just do what they want in worship, let anyone “preach” or “consecrate,” knowing that the cost of discipline will be a bitter pill for the district treasurer to swallow (masterful!). One of the Concordias can simply rewrite its bylaws, ignore synod, and tie everything up in court (Checkmate by Stalemate!). While the Conservatives are reacting and fighting battles that are already lost, the Progressives have struck, moved on to their next objective, and are already capturing new territory. Watch and learn!
It’s time we stop waiting for those above us to do something. I’m not suggesting we quit. Not at all. Bring these things to the attention of the chain of command. But do so with realistic expectations. Odds are, nothing will get done. And even if something does get done, it will take years (again, Becker).
We should appreciate and commend the work by Progressives. We need to take a page out of their book. We need to form shadow fellowships and parallel institutions (as they do). We need to recognize and encourage churches who believe as we believe and worship as we worship (as they do). We need to support conferences and opportunities for fellowship and education with our money and resources and attendance (as they do). Don’t let other congregations in your circuit get to veto your liturgical practices, or how you catechize and what age you admit to the Supper. Seek conviviality with churches and pastors and laity with whom you share unity outside of your circuit or district. Seek the consolation of the brethren with those whose churches you could send your parishioners to with a good conscience.
We can do nothing about the kinds of things that pop up in our feeds, but we can put things of our own online that give the real reason for going to church and drawing people to Jesus instead of religious-themed community center activities. We can confess our faith not in a generic deity, but in the incarnate, crucified, and risen Jesus Christ, who has established a church and called men to the office of preaching and administering sacraments. And we can shamelessly confess and seek out genuine co-confessors. We need to discern between bureaucratic, theoretical fellowship on paper vs. actual fellowship in spirit and in truth, in a shared confession of the blood of the Lamb.
And if our chain of command does anything at all, we can consider to be - as we say in my part of the world - lagniappe. Whatever the brass does, we can run the parochial train, and we can blow the whistle for those who wish to hear it. Will we catch hell? Only temporally, and not from our Lord. And that kind of “catching hell” in this fallen world is the Christian and pastoral life.