How did you manage to write more than 4000 words? Substack tries to tell me there's a word limit. I'm wondering whether it's just for the email your subscribers get sent with your post in it.
Although theologically reformed, I am a former employee of an LCMS school, and I can confirm that the theological drift is real. Anecdotally, the way theology is taught in the schools assumes them into the kingdom rather than preaches the Gospel.
Your seminex problem sounds like just another Luther stunt. Instead of doing any good it just weakened the body of Christ. On the road to Calvary, the Church fell the second time. The first time was the big schism. If you have revolutions preprogrammed in your history don’t be surprised
You don’t , definitely don’t, need a reform of the reform . That’s where the dog was buried. ☺️ You need to find Apostolic succession and sound teaching. Everything will leave you empty because Jesus’s body is real food and his blood is real drink
Good to see a call for Episcopacy and standardized worship/belief among other historic protestant friends, the critiques of Anglicanism are particularly historically true and why our communion is marked with so much brokenness and mistrust, and most of our attempts to reconcile have just led back to us “turning the clock back” doctrinally to whatever period allows/disallows certain beliefs. I’m glad some of us have more doctrinal unity around the Prayer Book than just handwaving it as a “doctrinal source.” Is the Lutheran liturgy as standardized as ours historically has been?
How many times has it changed? (We usually just call each liturgy by its year of publication) I’ve only read parts of Luther’s Missa Germanicum from the 15th century and the LCMS current use
Several the Common Service (1888) The Lutheran Hymnal (1941) Lutheran Worship (1982) and Lutheran Service Book (2006) for LCMS and the ELCA heretics use the Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006)
So what leads LCMS pastors to not use the liturgy or at least modify it away from a typical use. I’ve been in several Anglican provinces and met the same exact issue with some being very steadfastly committed to traditional liturgical unity and others embracing “Evangelical” services with a very barebones liturgy (and usually not a very good one either). If the LCMS is Confessional isn’t the Liturgy the main part of the Confession?
While the post accurately describes many aspects of the issue, I remain unconvinced that an episcopate could have prevented Seminex. In fact, the centralization of authority may have facilitated, rather than hindered, its development.
History demonstrates that lasting doctrinal stability arises not from top-down decrees but from faithful, patient work at the congregational level. A bottom-up approach—anchored in Word and Sacrament ministry—creates a foundation more enduring than the shifting policies of synodical governance. Too often, micro-synods elevate their degrees of 'rightness' while expecting broader bodies to repent not only for past missteps but for failing to break fellowship quickly enough. However, true reform is not instantaneous; it requires perseverance, faithfulness, and the recognition that the work within local congregations holds greater significance than distant administrative decisions.
The core issue is not merely ecclesiastical structure but doctrinal integrity at every level—among bishops, pastors, and laity alike. History suggests that episcopal systems do not inherently safeguard against theological drift; rather, their effectiveness depends on whether they are held accountable to an unchanging confessional standard.
>> The Catholic episcopate faltered when power, wealth, and institutional survival took precedence over doctrinal faithfulness.
>> The Anglican episcopate failed due to a lack of binding confessional standards, allowing for unchecked theological pluralism.
>> The Old Catholic episcopate succumbed to modern liberal theology by prioritizing contemporary ideological trends over doctrinal consistency.
Would a Lutheran episcopate bound by the Book of Concord provide greater theological stability than the LCMS’s current structure? It is a fair question—but historical precedent suggests that episcopal governance alone offers no inherent protection against doctrinal corruption.
I thought this would never end 💀
lmaoooooo
How did you manage to write more than 4000 words? Substack tries to tell me there's a word limit. I'm wondering whether it's just for the email your subscribers get sent with your post in it.
I got you brother the word limit is only for email
Leftists took over all of the mainstream seminaries in the 70s. We are all now reaping what was allowed to be sowed.
We must take it back
Although theologically reformed, I am a former employee of an LCMS school, and I can confirm that the theological drift is real. Anecdotally, the way theology is taught in the schools assumes them into the kingdom rather than preaches the Gospel.
That's why I ask God every night to grant me with what I need to either reform the church or allow me to split and create a new church that's better
Your seminex problem sounds like just another Luther stunt. Instead of doing any good it just weakened the body of Christ. On the road to Calvary, the Church fell the second time. The first time was the big schism. If you have revolutions preprogrammed in your history don’t be surprised
We must reform all of the churches since they are all slowly falling not just Lutheranism
You don’t , definitely don’t, need a reform of the reform . That’s where the dog was buried. ☺️ You need to find Apostolic succession and sound teaching. Everything will leave you empty because Jesus’s body is real food and his blood is real drink
Good to see a call for Episcopacy and standardized worship/belief among other historic protestant friends, the critiques of Anglicanism are particularly historically true and why our communion is marked with so much brokenness and mistrust, and most of our attempts to reconcile have just led back to us “turning the clock back” doctrinally to whatever period allows/disallows certain beliefs. I’m glad some of us have more doctrinal unity around the Prayer Book than just handwaving it as a “doctrinal source.” Is the Lutheran liturgy as standardized as ours historically has been?
Yes sir if you live in the US the conservative Lutheran liturgy is more standard but the liberals (not Lutheran btw) the liturgy is more sporadic
How many times has it changed? (We usually just call each liturgy by its year of publication) I’ve only read parts of Luther’s Missa Germanicum from the 15th century and the LCMS current use
Several the Common Service (1888) The Lutheran Hymnal (1941) Lutheran Worship (1982) and Lutheran Service Book (2006) for LCMS and the ELCA heretics use the Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006)
So what leads LCMS pastors to not use the liturgy or at least modify it away from a typical use. I’ve been in several Anglican provinces and met the same exact issue with some being very steadfastly committed to traditional liturgical unity and others embracing “Evangelical” services with a very barebones liturgy (and usually not a very good one either). If the LCMS is Confessional isn’t the Liturgy the main part of the Confession?
I hope God allows me to fix our church because we are sadly falling into the evangelicalism heresy
because the LCMS is a failed denomination and they sadly don't enforce our doctrine
What other conservative Lutheran denominations would be considerable then? ALC?
While the post accurately describes many aspects of the issue, I remain unconvinced that an episcopate could have prevented Seminex. In fact, the centralization of authority may have facilitated, rather than hindered, its development.
History demonstrates that lasting doctrinal stability arises not from top-down decrees but from faithful, patient work at the congregational level. A bottom-up approach—anchored in Word and Sacrament ministry—creates a foundation more enduring than the shifting policies of synodical governance. Too often, micro-synods elevate their degrees of 'rightness' while expecting broader bodies to repent not only for past missteps but for failing to break fellowship quickly enough. However, true reform is not instantaneous; it requires perseverance, faithfulness, and the recognition that the work within local congregations holds greater significance than distant administrative decisions.
The core issue is not merely ecclesiastical structure but doctrinal integrity at every level—among bishops, pastors, and laity alike. History suggests that episcopal systems do not inherently safeguard against theological drift; rather, their effectiveness depends on whether they are held accountable to an unchanging confessional standard.
>> The Catholic episcopate faltered when power, wealth, and institutional survival took precedence over doctrinal faithfulness.
>> The Anglican episcopate failed due to a lack of binding confessional standards, allowing for unchecked theological pluralism.
>> The Old Catholic episcopate succumbed to modern liberal theology by prioritizing contemporary ideological trends over doctrinal consistency.
Would a Lutheran episcopate bound by the Book of Concord provide greater theological stability than the LCMS’s current structure? It is a fair question—but historical precedent suggests that episcopal governance alone offers no inherent protection against doctrinal corruption.