Congregation Can't Repay $14,000,000.00 LCEF Loan:
Pastor Resigns
By Rev. Jack Cascione

 

Doctor William Thompson of Concordia Lutheran Church in San Antonio has resigned from the LC-MS Clergy roster. Concordia has the largest loan, $14,000,000.00, from the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) in the history of the LC-MS. Reclaim News published the folly of the entire project in February 1999 in an article titled, "Texas Mega-Church Monopoly Risks 10's of LCEF Millions" and other related articles.

Now in April of 2001, it is reported that Concordia, San Antonio has laid off a third of its nearly 100 staff, dropped in attendance from 2800 a week to 2200 a week, continues to decline in attendance, and can no longer make the payments on its loan. They are only able to pay the interest.

The question is how did Reclaim News know it was a "risky loan" but the LCEF didn't? How did Reclaim News know the LC-MS Council of District Presidents is a failure at church finance and administration? How did Reclaim News know this when "Affirm," "Vision," "Balance," "Rally," and whatever else they call themselves have yet to discover the problem? How did these all these "church leaders" let so much money slip through Synodical hands?

They would never publish our articles in the Lutheran Witness. The only one with the courage to republish our articles and print the truth is Christian News.

Concordia, San Antonio is often used as a training center for Doctor Norbert Oesch's Pastoral Leadership Institute (PLI). The LCEF loan to Concordia was used to put up five buildings, which are also used to house PLI but they never built a sanctuary! We are talking about $14,000,000.00 of lay people' s money.

The December, 1997 issue of the REPORTER noted on page three that the Council of District Presidents (C.O.P.), under the "leadership" of newly elected President Arleigh Lutz plans to retrain 300 selected LCMS pastors over a period of six years. Without prior notice and without consulting the LCMS Convention the C.O.P. accepted funds from the Lutheran Church Extension Fund to retrain LCMS pastors to lead and start "Church Growth" style congregations in the LCMS with PLI. The C.O.P. is also a donor to PLI as is the LC-MS Foundation and LCEF.

The next issue of Reclaim News will reissue the February 1999 release titled, "Texas Mega-Church Monopoly Risks 10's of LCEF Millions."

Thompson is one of the pastors who issued Oesch a call to be the head of PLI. The Texas District President, Dr. Gerald Kieschnick, is the PLI liason to the C.O.P.


Rev. Jack Cascione is pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS - MI) in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He has written numerous articles for Christian News and is the author of Reclaiming the Gospel in the LCMS: How to Keep Your Congregation Lutheran. He has also written a study on the Book of Revelation called In Search of the Biblical Order.
He can be reached by email at pastorcascione@juno.com.

April 30, 2001