* THE CLC AND OTHER CHURCH BODIES
We would like to inform our readers of a helpful resource bearing on the relationship of the CLC with other Lutheran church bodies. We refer to a pastoral conference essay entitled “A Critique of the WELS/CLC Meetings and Other Communications Since 1960.” This essay is the careful work of Pastor Arthur E. Schulz in response to an assignment given him for the Great Lakes Pastoral Conference meeting at St. Peter’s of Stambaugh, Mich. in April of this year.
The essayist begins his work (13 typed pages) with this comment: “I have taken the liberty of broadening my assignment to begin with the year 1958, and to include references to other Lutheran church bodies in addition to WELS. This paper is basically an Index of the Lutheran Spokesman and Journal Of Theology on this subject.”
It becomes obvious that, for anyone interested in delving into intersynodical dealings the CLC in its short history has had with other Lutheran church bodies, this writing will be extremely helpful. Inasmuch as the Spokesman and Journal are the official organs of the CLC, the information they pass along should prove historically — and, we trust, scripturally — reliable.
Pastor Schulz, who is serving at Trinity, Millston, Wis., has voluntarily assumed the happy (?) chore of keeping a running index of the two official periodicals of our synod. He took up this task when his now deceased father-in-law, Pastor Clarence Hanson, passed the torch to him. What Schulz offers in his afore-mentioned essay, however, is more than would be found in a bare Index. He attaches brief comment (a line or two) to each reference, explaining the content and direction of the articles which appear in synod periodicals from 1958 to 1997.
The full value of the Schulz paper will, of course, be realized only by those who have access to past issues of the Spokesman and Journal Of Theology. While most CLC pastors have many back issues, the library at Immanuel Lutheran College & Seminary in Eau Claire is perhaps the best place to look. Or one could write to the editors of the respective magazines for respective issues.
The April 1997 Great Lakes Pastoral Conference agenda was not submitted to the Spokesman and did not appear in our Announcements section. For that reason, and those suggested above, we make mention here of the Schulz paper. Those desirous of a copy may write to the author at P. O. Box 538, Millston, WI 54643.
* ‘WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT THE PUBLIC MINISTRY?’
During the 1984-85 school year at Immanuel Lutheran College, Eau Claire, Wis. Prof. Clifford Kuehne used his turn as speaker at chapel exercises to address the students on the subject of the public ministry. In a series of 14 messages the professor talked about the teaching and preaching ministry and, in particular, what is “good” about such a ministry.
According to the pamphlet’s “Foreward” page, written by Prof. John Lau (recently retired as ILC President), these soundly scriptural addresses “have been collected and presented in printed form by grateful seminary students to commemorate Prof. Kuehne’s 25 years of service to our Lord at ILC.” In commending the booklet Prof. Lau calls attention to the author’s “reliance upon and knowledge of the Scriptures, from which alone comes eternal truth”; he concludes: “May the collection be of great benefit to all who read it.”
Prof. Kuehne remarks that the idea for the booklet and its production did not involve him in any way. With his assent, however, we are giving you a flavor of the devotions with a reprint in this issue. Copies of the complete 48-page booklet — excellent as family devotions and youth group discussion material — are available for a modest $1.00 each, plus postage and handling, from the ILC bookstore.
* A TRUE THEOLOGIAN
Last month, and again this, the perceptive articles about ‘theologians’ in our ‘Looking Back . . .’ feature were authored by sainted Prof. Edmund Reim. We have reprinted them because, as the careful reader will discover, they are as timely for our day as they were in 1967, the year they were written and first appeared.
The reprint in this issue is especially timely, we think, because as the world comes closer to the year 2000 we will be and are already hearing what Prof. Reim would call “fanciful interpretations” of what the end of the second and beginning of the third New Testament millennium will bring. Let the author’s sober and solid scripturalism shed light on how Christians ought to view the events of these days in general, and the endtime in particular.
This writer was one who was privileged to sit at Reim’s feet for three years of seminary training, as well as at a few pastoral conferences and conventions. From experience I can say that with these reprinted articles the reader is given an excellent taste of what this man of God regularly offered in his writings which appeared in various periodicals of the Wisconsin Synod and later the CLC, and in his teachings on the conference floor or in the classrooms of the seminaries of the two synods mentioned.
The reprints run the last two months appeared in 1967. The professor died August 22, 1969 in Eau Claire with funeral services at Immanuel, Mankato, Minnesota. Here, in part, is how W. Schaller, the Spokesman editor at the time, wrote of his passing: “In Professor Reim, the Lord gave much to the CLC, and much has now been taken away. Professor Reim was our theologian, and thanks be to the Spirit of God, he was a biblical theologian of the first rank. Before he spoke, he always listened with a carefully trained ear to what His Lord was saying in the Scripture. . . .”
More could be said, and perhaps we will on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of his passing. Our highly respected teacher/theologian would not want us to do so. But the Lord does when He says: “Remember those who . . . have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. . . .” (Heb. 13:7-9).
Lord, in these latter days and in your grace and mercy, grant your Church more true theologians like Prof. Edmund Reim.