Strangers to Sisters - Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library: Essays

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they ever support a doctrinal position, it is because they themselves have become convinced of its truth by a patient and thorough study of the Scriptures. Furthermore, the ELS defense of the Wisconsin position is perhaps one of the clearest demonstrations that the WELS position on church and ministry was that of Walther, Koren and Hoenecke. Time and again, ELS men like Dorr, Lillegard and Madson voiced that the WELS position was not only doctrinally correct, but in agreement with the historic position of the Synodical Conference and the Old Norwegian Synod. As Lillegard stated so clearly, “This is the position the Old Norwegian Synod always took.” 280 What does this defense of the Wisconsin position demonstrate? First, it shows that the principle of Sola Scriptura was alive and active in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, thus again uniting both the Wisconsin Synod and the ELS through a common approach to Scripture. Secondly, it sheds greater light on why many “good” Missourians, like Buenger, did not find a home in either the WELS or the ELS. They made the fatal theological error so common to traditionalists – making exegetical theology fit systematic theology, rather than letting systematic theology result from exegesis. Finally, this defense of the WELS in the church and ministry debate protected the flanks of the WELS/ELS unity while they were fighting the direct battles over scouting, chaplaincy, fellowship and later, the Scriptures themselves. The Norwegian defense of Wisconsin’s position prevented a wedge from being driven between their fellowships at this crucial stage of conflict within the Synodical Conference. 280 Lillegard to Buenger. 150
III. The Fehner Case (1949-1953) The story behind the creation of Our Savior Lutheran Church (LCMS), Mankato, MN and the activities of her first pastor, Alvin Fehner, is a one full of regret and pain. It is a story of Synodical Conference civil war, church politics at their worst, and a deep sense of betrayal by a former friend. But it is also one of the clearest examples of how united the Wisconsin Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod had become by the late 40s and early 50s. In 1949 four members of Immanuel Lutheran Church (WELS), Mankato, MN had become frustrated at the position Pastor Gervasius Fischer maintained against scouting. The four men (Marvin Hoyer, Karl Malwitz, Arnold Meyer and Hilbert Hantelman) asked for their release from Immanuel under the pretext of starting a Missouri Synod mission church in Mankato. The request was tentatively granted only after the men had met with the officials from the Wisconsin and Missouri Synod. At a November 9, 1949 meeting at Immanuel, the four petitioners gave an oral promise to Minnesota District President Oscar Naumann that this new congregation was to be a sister congregation and not an opposition congregation. Their stated reasons for wanting to form a new congregation affiliated with the Missouri Synod was: 1) they were originally members of the Missouri Synod; 2) they felt at home and liked the Missouri Synod; 3) Immanuel was too large and there was room for another Lutheran church in Mankato. 281 281 Pastor G.W. Fischer, Mankato Case Notes and Documentation, ELS Presidential Files: 1950s – the Fehner Case. Evangelical Lutheran Synod Archives, Mankato, MN. Fischer had long been acquainted with the ELS. Fischer was the first pastor of Eastside in Madison, and was involved with the Eastside Case. He also became further acquainted with ELS men Norman Madson, S.C. Ylvisaker, and Christian Anderson while serving as a Wisconsin Synod representative on the Synodical Conference production of The Lutheran Hymnal. Fischer had been serving St. Jacobi Lutheran Church in the Milwaukee area when, in 1949, he received the call the call to serve as the associate pastor of Immanuel in Mankato. Fischer had 151
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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
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point. Bethany had not been entrust
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the internal shake-up at Bethany an
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growing tense, not only among those
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ehind the back of the Wisconsin Syn
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With such deep sentiments and histo
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weight around, intruded upon a very
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,
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Page 139 and 140: Wisconsin, ELS and the faithful of
Page 141 and 142: Lillegard was the foremost exegete
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Page 147 and 148: What makes the testimony and defens
Page 149: terms. He is persuaded now that the
Page 153 and 154: Immanuel during a difficult time. B
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
Page 169 and 170: pastor’s point of view, that both
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
Page 185 and 186: ecclesiastical details or the weigh
Page 187 and 188: The study of this era shows that th
Page 189 and 190: BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Aaberg, Theodore
Page 191 and 192: Schroeder, Morton A Time to Remembe
Page 193 and 194: http://www.blts.edu/essays/korenUV/
Page 195 and 196: Ylvisaker, S.C. “The National Lut
Page 197 and 198: Harstad, Bjug. “Sermon of Genesis
Page 199 and 200: 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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