Change in Doctrine

Over thirty years ago the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and the Texas District bought into the “Church Growth Mythologies” (Methodologies) and now we are beginning to see the results and the change of doctrine that these so called innocuous changes have made. The mythologies, called methodologies of the “Church Growth” movement were concocted from various social trends studies with the idea that growing a church was much like growing a business, that is if you apply certain social changes you can make a difference in bringing people into the church (which might be true to an extent, but that is not the same as bringing them into the Word so that God can work faith in their hearts). The following is the beginning of a list of the doctrinal changes that have occurred and these are really only the obvious changes.

You know there is a change in doctrine when your district convention votes in affirmation of declaring the inefficacy of the Word of God by suggesting that there are other ways of reaching certain “target” audiences. Matthew 28:18-20 tells us that as we are living our lives (in our vocations) we are to make disciples of all nations, by (the means of grace of) baptizing and teaching.

You know there is a change in doctrine when your brother pastors express their lack of trust in the means of grace as being effective when they tell you they want to find ways to not get in the way of the Word of God or they want to help the Word of God, as if we can get in God’s way and as if His Word does not have the power to do what it says it will do.

You know there is a change in doctrine when you hear members of so called Lutheran Churches talk about “receiving” or “accepting” Jesus. And when you hear their pastor speak the same language. And especially when this is presented on a video put out by your church extension fund. Since when do Lutherans believe in decision theology?

You know there is a change in doctrine when there is a false juxtaposition put forth between confessing doctrine and practicing mission as if one can only do one or the other. Matthew 28:18-20 reminds us that as we are living our lives (in our vocations) we simply cannot help ourselves but make disciples of all nations by (the means of grace) baptizing and teaching as we are given God’s authority as well as His promise that He is with us and will give us the very words to speak His Word.

You know there is a change in doctrine when you know and understand that we practice a particular style as that style is informed by what we believe, our doctrine (doctrine and practice; style and substance go hand in hand) and yet we see different styles being practice under the guise of diversity (divide is in this word) showing, not diversity, but a divide of doctrine.

You know there is a change in doctrine when a member of your Lutheran congregation moves and rather than joining another Lutheran church joins a church of another denomination, because that other denomination’s theology is more in line with what they have been taught at your church.

You know there is a change in doctrine when the theologically trained pastors do not and cannot agree on “What does this mean?” or they profess that these are the tenets in which we agree and yet, these are rather the tenets in which we no longer agree because we each have a different “understanding” of what each tenet means, understanding that the agreement has not changed for those who have agreed since the first writings.

You know there is a change in doctrine when the theologically and pastorally trained pastor attempts to assume a position for which he is not trained, that is the position of Chef Executive Officer and also attempts to push his parishioners, who have been trained as CEOs and not as theologians or pastors, to be ministers (pastors) to each other. Thus, the office of Holy Ministry is no longer an office to which one is called by God, but simply another vocation to which anyone may espouse.