Strangers to Sisters - Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library: Essays

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What is often forgotten about the church and ministry debate in the Synodical Conference is that it made rather strange bedfellows. For instance, there were many “liberals” within the LCMS who endorsed the Wisconsin Synod position on church and ministry or used it in an elaborate game of “bait and switch” to justify a changed doctrinal position in fellowship, scouting and chaplaincy. Theodore Graebner of the LCMS was just such a person. After a unionistic service in New York City, he justified his position, which was at odds with the Synodical Conference, by saying that the LCMS has tolerated the different doctrine of the Wisconsin Synod for years in regards to church and ministry. To make matters worse, Graebner’s statement was published in the LCMS periodical The Lutheran Witness. For traditionalists like Kretzmann and Buenger, this proved not only Graebner and those of his ilk were in error, but so also the Wisconsin Synod in regards to church and ministry. Buenger stated this very thought in a letter to Norman Madson, We deceive ourselves if we try to persuade ourselves that the whole difference is nothing but a different terminology. Of course the terminology is different, but it is different because there are two different conceptions of the ministry which cannot be possibly harmonized. 258 For a traditionalist like Buenger, any change in historic terminology must be a sign of a change in doctrine. So now, within the Synodical Conference, there was a sense of mistrust between those who perhaps, in all other respects, were united in their protest against the liberal spirit filling the Synodical Conference. Norman Madson recognized this problem. Having lived through one merger, he was not optimistic about the outcome of the current path Missouri had set herself on. It was, however, his hope that the 258 John Buenger to Norman Madson Letter May 31, 1948 Norman Madson Papers Box 2 XIII52 Correspondence 1948. Evangelical Lutheran Synod Archives, Mankato, MN. 138
Wisconsin, ELS and the faithful of the LCMS, might maintain their bonds not only in the current protest, but even after the fallout that was sure to come. In a letter to Buenger, Madson puts it this way, I certainly hope that the conservative Missourians will try to get together with Wisconsin on the points at issue, in the doctrines of the church and the ministry. For I see little prospect of saving the Mo. Synod as a whole. Here they “are going the whole hog” into unionism…the Wis. Men, on the other hand, are taking a strong stand publicly against unionism. 259 The ELS wanted the faithful Missourians to unite with the Wisconsin men, but the church and ministry issue continued to be a major sticking point for many “good” Missourians. But in order to serve as mediator between these groups, the ELS needed to examine her own confessional position regarding church and ministry. By 1943, this synod-wide study was in full swing. The ELS’ Clergy Bulletin became inundated with a discussion of the doctrines of church and ministry. C.M. Gullerud, George Lillegard, and Norman Madson corresponded with J.P. Meyer at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary requesting the documentation and official statements regarding Wisconsin’s position, which Meyer enthusiastically supplied. 260 This study would continue for next 7 years, until Kretzmann and others broke away to form the Orthodox Lutheran Conference. There are three noteworthy aspects of the synod-wide study. First, both the Wisconsin and Missouri sides of the debate received a full and fair hearing. ELS pastor Clarence Hanson compiled a bibliography of all the relevant material for the discussion 259 Norman Madson to John Buenger, letter, January 15, 1948 Norman Madson Papers Box 2 XIII.3 Correspondence 1948. Evangelical Lutheran Synod Archives, Mankato, MN. 260 John P. Meyer to Norman Madson, letter, March 23, 1944. Norman Madson Papers Box 2, X.11 Correspondence 1944. Evangelical Lutheran Synod Archives, Mankato, MN. 139
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WISCONSIN LUTHERAN SEMINARY STRANGE
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to gra
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Yet, the Norwegian Synod suffered h
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constitution, the reference to the
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Minnesota had reservations about th
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these two synods into closer contac
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Part I: Getting to know the Scriptu
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strengthening and encouraging the f
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University of Leipzig. 18 His main
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voice, as in an ecstasy, breathed t
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unbelief, in recent times such men
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So will we cling fast to the Lord m
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Koren sees Kierkegaard as a one who
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We acknowledge with gratitude towar
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Of the founders of the Norwegian Sy
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The Election Controversy was really
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ule or judge in matters of faith, n
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The Norwegian Synod lived its motto
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are sitting, like ourselves, theore
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we do? Why stand aloof against a cu
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that poor, unscriptural hermeneutic
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congregation, not us listeners.”
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elieve for them, such as is the cas
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Chapter 2 The Wauwatosa Theology Th
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Hoenecke developed and passed on to
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Third, one dare not limit this auth
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For Hoenecke, the way we let Script
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It may never be forgotten, that the
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inging unity to the various Luthera
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A fuller analysis of the Wauwatosa
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One of the chief terms used by orth
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None of this is to say the Wauwatos
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the church unperverted. It thus has
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synods over the years. But as will
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We believe it best to wait until 19
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Finally, the doctrinal controversie
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E.B. Schluetter, and delivered the
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students. Ylvisaker had resigned hi
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teaching English, Norse, Latin, Alg
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Waltonite, and scare ‘em into ret
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DMLC were fraternal visitors at the
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accepted a call to serve his sister
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experiment never really took off, p
Page 87 and 88: point. Bethany had not been entrust
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Page 93 and 94: ehind the back of the Wisconsin Syn
Page 95 and 96: With such deep sentiments and histo
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Page 99 and 100: Tjernagel contends vehemently that
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Page 105 and 106: Take for instance the procedure ado
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Page 109 and 110: Dear Gullixson! I had just sat down
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Page 115 and 116: Chapter 2 Relations confirmed and s
Page 117 and 118: sent out by a Chicago group, I shal
Page 119 and 120: have good reasons to refrain for ex
Page 121 and 122: Tjernagel: Today conditions have be
Page 123 and 124: At the Synodical Conference convent
Page 125 and 126: The ELS, in her desire to mediate a
Page 127 and 128: Such remarks are telling not only o
Page 129 and 130: America, Elling Eielsen. Eielsen in
Page 131 and 132: But even the faithful few who had l
Page 133 and 134: establishes all functions of the mi
Page 135 and 136: 2.) By virtue of the work they do,
Page 137: Scripture. 257 The ELS, due to its
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Page 151 and 152: III. The Fehner Case (1949-1953) Th
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Page 155 and 156: there would not be any scouting at
Page 157 and 158: Bethany Lutheran College and the Ev
Page 159 and 160: The trouble makers had then proceed
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Page 167 and 168: teachings of these revered teachers
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Page 171 and 172: How much of this can be attributed
Page 173 and 174: alarming rate. The water of controv
Page 175 and 176: where the one advocating them refus
Page 177 and 178: Reim: challenges Harms’ limitatio
Page 179 and 180: gave public testimony to the interc
Page 181 and 182: efusing to accept the Brief Stateme
Page 183 and 184: Yet, there does remain a present va
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Page 187 and 188: The study of this era shows that th
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Aaberg, Theodore
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Schroeder, Morton A Time to Remembe
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http://www.blts.edu/essays/korenUV/
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Ylvisaker, S.C. “The National Lut
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Harstad, Bjug. “Sermon of Genesis
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Zimmermann, Paul. “Scripture Inte
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C.M. Gullerud to Hugo Gamber, lette
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Gervasius Fischer to C.M. Gullerud,
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John Brenner to Norman Madson, lett
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Minutes of the Meeting of The Commi
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Oscar Naumann to C.M. Gullerud, let
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Stuart Dorr to the pastors of the N
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