Bring Back Issues Etc.

Demonstration today!

2008-04-14T05:48:00.004-05:00

I've been on the road a lot for the past week, so the updates have been sporadic (as you've noticed). But watch this space for updates on the demonstration outside LCMS world headquarters today. Brandon is hoping to liveblog the event as it unfolds. It's scheduled to start at 11!

7,000+

2008-04-11T11:50:00.002-05:00

More than 7,000 people have now signed the petition supporting Issues Etc. You can follow the link to sign, if you're not one of them.

From resolutions to... ?

2008-04-11T06:23:00.002-05:00

Now that some district pastors' conferences have passed resolutions supporting Issues, Pastor Randy Asburry asks a good question: what next? What do we expect to come out of these resolutions, and all the other shows of support for the program? He's starting a good discussion on that topic, so go chime in.

More pastors speaking out on Issues

2008-04-11T06:20:00.001-05:00

Pastors are speaking out about the cancellation of Issues Etc. The South Dakota District Pastors' Conference has passed a resolution petitioning the synod to revisit its decision to cancel the program. And the Southern Wisconsin District Pastors Conference has passed -- by unanimous voice vote -- a resolution supporting the show.

Synod leadership's theological motives

2008-04-05T22:40:00.006-05:00

Pres. Kieschnick and David Strand say Issues Etc. is gone because it lost too much money and had too few listeners. But it turns out a special "Radio Committee" had been given a long list of anonymous negative comments about Issues Etc. -- BEFORE the decision to cancel Issues was announced.

Apparently the members of this committee were furnished materials previous to the cancellation of Issues, Etc. that include a couple of pages listing anonymous negative comments about Issues, Etc.. These comments include the expressions “abrasive” and “hyper-orthodox” — as well as a comment about the program following its own “political agenda“.

What’s more — not one positive comment was furnished. Not one.

As Mollie points out, listeners regularly send positive comments about Issues. But those comments didn't make the cut when synodical leaders passed along the information to the Radio Committee. It raises the question -- were the financial reasons the real reasons behind the cancellation? Or is it part of a political and theological agenda by those in charge of the Missouri Synod?

Message from Pastor Todd Wilken

2008-04-05T14:05:00.001-05:00

Pastor Cwirla has another message from Todd Wilken posted at his blog.

Get your Issues fashion

2008-04-05T06:25:00.004-05:00

And now you can be a walking billboard of support for Issues Etc. Just head over to the Lutheran Gear store at Cafe Press. Thank to Pastor Cwirla for pointing it out.

You are not free to criticize the synod?

2008-04-04T15:07:00.007-05:00

From a while back, Scott at Die Schreiben von Schreiber has a post that may seem unrelated to the Issues Etc. cancellation. But I think it says more about it than anything we've seen out of synodical headquarters so far. He quotes Pres. Kieschnick, from a 2006 appearance at an LCMS Ohio District convention:

“You are NOT free to preach or teach publicly that Synod is wrong on ANY given issue.”

Kieschnick reportedly repeated the statement slowly to give listeners a second chance to catch it.

Given that Todd Wilken and guests were openly critical of a lot of the things the Kieschnick administration is enamored of -- even though they tended not to criticize the LCMS directly.

And incidentally, does this mean synodical leaders will go after pastors who've signed the petition supporting Issues? Their signatures are a clear indication that they believe the synod is wrong on at least one issue.

HT: Territorial Bloggings and High Barbaree

Housekeeping reminders

2008-04-04T15:00:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since I reminded you about what's coming up in the effort to rally around Issues Etc. and what it stands for. The place to go for those plans is Augsburg 1530. You can register to participate in an evening prayer service and bratwurst dinner at 5 p.m. April 13, at Emmaus Evangelical Lutheran Church in St. Louis. You can also register to attend a demonstration supporting Issues Etc. outside the LCMS International Center in St. Louis, from 11-1 on April 14.

"Unified" synod split on WSJ responses

2008-04-04T14:55:00.002-05:00

A major thrust of Pres. Kieschnick's rebuttal to the Issues article in the Wall Street Journal was that the synod is unified, not divided. Today, that letter got printed on the Journal's website -- along with four other letters that agreed with Mollie Z. Hemingway's original article. That would appear to call into question Pres. Kieschnick's assertion that the Missouri Synod is unified.

Bioethicist Wesley Smith signs the petition

2008-04-04T14:47:00.002-05:00

Bioethicist and frequent Issues guest Wesley Smith is one of the latest people to sign the petition protesting its removal from the KFUO lineup (#6518). He added this comment:

As a regular guest on Issues, Etc., I found the program to be one of the few outlets willing to permit a thorough critique of issues such as assisted suicide, human cloning, and radical animal rights/liberation. With the MSM putting up a news blockade between people and balanced, informed presentations from a sanctity of life perspective, it is disheartening when a powerful beacon presenting such issues to the wider community is silenced. Please reconsider. Thank you.

Issues, Ideology, and Hybelspongism

2008-04-03T22:16:00.003-05:00

Mason Beecroft has a thoughtful post on why Issues might've been cancelled:

The only conclusion that I can reach, at this point, is that Issues, Etc. did not fit with the prevailing ideology of the LCMS.

Issues replacement: The Afternoon Show

2008-04-03T22:03:00.004-05:00

Pastor Weedon isn't especially impressed with KFUO's replacement for Issues, called The Afternoon Show.

It's more of the feminization of the Church, all smooth and soft and nothing that would offend. Issues, Etc., I'd wager, had a LARGE percentage of male (maybe particularly younger male) listeners. Why would they want to lose that? It doesn't make sense.

Augsburg 1530: Discord? What discord?

2008-04-03T21:50:00.003-05:00

Mollie addresses Pres. Kieschnick's assertion that the synod is unified.

In another post on the topic, she writes the sentence of the day: "Also, I think if you have to write a response to a member of an LCMS congregation, saying that you strongly disagree with her statement that the synod isn’t in agreement, you pretty much automatically lose the point."

A crummy commercial?!

2008-04-03T21:40:00.005-05:00

David Strand has sent another mass email to respond to people who've contacted him about the cancellation of Issues Etc. His email contains no new information about the cancellation. It does, however, include a plug for the show that is replacing Issues.

I'm reminded of the scene in A Christmas Story, when Ralphie receives his long-awaited Little Orphan Annie decoder ring -- only to find out the secret message is an advertisement for Ovaltine. After reading Mr. Strand's letter, I can only exclaim, along with Ralphie, "A crummy commercial?!"

Here's the letter:

Dear Friend in Christ:

I want to sincerely thank you for your e-mail message regarding the discontinuation of the "Issues, Etc." program on KFUO-AM Radio. It is good that you are interested in the programming choices of the station. Please know that your comments have been heard and taken to heart.

Some people receiving this message have written before in some fashion on this topic and, sometime ago, received a different response. Others are receiving this message in response to original queries or comments they raised.

In any event, whether you have written one or two or more times, and no matter which "Issues"-related point or points you may have raised, the best and most comprehensive response I can offer at this time is to refer you to a statement on the Synod's website.

If you haven't already read this statement, I respectfully invite you to go to www.lcms.org and click on the link called "An updated statement on 'Issues, Etc.' "

I invite you also to listen to "The Afternoon Show" on KFUO-AM, weekdays from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Now and into the future, it will be the constant endeavor of KFUO-AM management to offer the best in Gospel-based programming throughout the day-programming that reaches out to Lutherans, other Christians, and the unchurched, and all within a budget we can hope to sustain.

Please continue to keep the radio ministry of the Synod in your prayers. Please also prayerfully consider what you might do, if so inclined, to support this important work.

Thank you.

Sincerely in Christ,

David L. Strand
Executive Director
Board for Communication Services

Other Reaction
Pastor Cwirla
Pastor Weedon
Save the LCMS

Mollie at Augsburg 1530

2008-04-03T09:43:00.004-05:00

Mollie Z. Hemingway, the author of the Wall Street Journal article on Issues, is blogging over at Augsburg 1530. You'll want to watch that site for more information, as she continues to dig into the story.

Wilken/Schwarz fund update

2008-04-02T14:15:00.003-05:00

Pastor Weedon also has an update on the fundraising effort to help the Wilken and Schwarz families financially.

Central Illinois District calls for Issues reinstatement

2008-04-02T14:12:00.003-05:00

Pastor Weedon has word on a resolution from the Central Illinois District, asking for Issues to be reinstated. If anyone has word on other official district action in this area, please let me know in the comments, or drop me a note at bringbackissues@gmail.com.

Staying focused on Issues

2008-04-02T05:30:00.004-05:00

Pastor Bill Cwirla has some wise words about staying focused.

Painting with a broad brush does not make for good art, nor does it make for good argument. Lutherans are known for making proper distinctions. Please help make them here as we engage Issues, Etc. The issue is Issues, Etc. and how it fit or didn't fit into the synodical vision. This is not about the Ablaze! mission initiative.

So here's some focus: out of a budget of $22-million in unrestricted funds for the Missouri Synod, is it worth $250,000 in subsidies to produce Issues Etc., a program that reached thousands of people on radio in the St. Louis area, and produces an estimated 480,000 downloads internationally per quarter? (That's 1.9-million downloads of 1-hour Christian discussion per year.)

Thirteen cents per download, based on the synod's own numbers. That should be the focus of this discussion.

Congressmen love Issues, too

2008-04-01T17:04:00.002-05:00

The petition supporting Issues Etc. has (as far as I know) its first member of Congress! John Shimkus (R-IL) signed, adding the comment, "Here I stand I can do no more."

Treasurer Tom Kuchta responds

2008-04-01T12:05:00.002-05:00

LCMS Treasurer Tom Kuchta said he believes the financial picture of Issues Etc. and KFUO drawn by synodical leaders is accurate. But he said he doesn't like the characterization that the program was losing money.

"Everyone has been indicating that Issues has lost money, and that's probably somewhat of an unclear description of what it really represents," Kuchta said. "We have within synod unrestricted net assets that we get each year from districts and from bequests and from individual contributions, and those approximate about $22-million a year. And out of the $22-million a year, we allocate that to various ministries.

"When you allocate the $22-million to ministries and various departments. . . those moneys are gone, so none of those dollars come back. That's what's needed to provide the level of ministry or department support to carry on the operations of synod."

Kuchta said he agrees with assessments that producing Issues Etc. cost about $250,000 out of the synod's pool of "unrestricted net assets" last year. He admits exact figures are hard to determine because of overlap between Issues and other KFUO programs.

"Unfortunately, because we don't have specific accounting within the AM station, you have to make assumptions," said Kuchta. "And it's my belief that the assumptions are very reasonable."

Kuchta said he believes Issues was given its fair share of revenue, including all money earmarked specifically for the program by donors. He also believes expenses for the program were allocated as accurately as possible, given the limitations.

Kuchta also disputed reports that the synod has borrowed money from outside sources to pay for its Fan Into Flame (Ablaze!) initiative. He said the synod has authorized, but has not drawn against a $5-million line of credit to cover those costs.

"We covered those out of the surplus we had in our unrestricted net assets. Some of it was budgeted, some of it was unbudgeted.

"At this point in time, there's a millon-and-a-half dollars that we've paid on behalf of Fan Into Flame that has not yet been reimbursed to synod that came out of these unrestricted net assets. I believe that million-and-a-half dollars will be repaid to us by June 30, which is our fiscal year end, so that at the end of this fiscal year, all Fan Into Flame expenses will have been paid for by the campaign."

Kuchta said he has been "putting pressure, not only on KFUO, but on other ministries, to try to operate within their budgets. And KFUO has not been able to operate within their budgets, primarily because they haven't been able to generate sufficient contributions."

Synod borrowed authorized borrowing millions for Fan Into Flame

2008-04-01T10:32:00.006-05:00

Part of LCMS President Gerald Kieschnick's reasoning for the cancellation of Issues Etc. is that the program was not supported by enough donations. He quoted a $250,000 annual deficit.

Save the LCMS has a report today on a synodical Board of Directors meeting from Nov. 2006, in which the board authorized pursuing a new $5-million line of credit to cover a shortfall by the Fan Into Flame (Ablaze!) initiative. Before that authorization, the synod had already ~~borrowed $2.4-million for the initiative.~~ spent $2.4-million from its unrestricted funds (surplus) to cover those costs. The synod did not borrow money from an outside source to cover the shortfall, but took the money from the same pot that paid for other ministries like Issues Etc.

Yesterday, Save the LCMS reported that Fan Into Flame suffered a $2.2-million shortfall in a single year. That's 9x the shortfall that required the cancellation of Issues Etc., according to the numbers quoted by synodical leaders.

Update: LCMS Treasurer Tom Kuchta points out that the synod has not yet borrowed against the $5-million line of credit for Fan Into Flame. More to come in a longer post this afternoon.

What have we learned from Issues Etc.?

2008-04-01T09:43:00.003-05:00

Pastor Weedon has posted A Tribute: What Have We Learned from Issues Etc.? It includes a long and varied list of guests and topics covered by the show.

Sources: Strand knew download numbers

2008-03-31T22:33:00.004-05:00

David Strand, executive director of the LCMS Board for Communication Services, had been made aware of the on-demand download numbers for Issues Etc. before releasing a letter that omitted those numbers last week. Strand's letter cited the following numbers as reasons for its cancellation:

An average of 1,650 radio listeners in 2004-05.
An average of 64 listeners on the Internet live stream.

KFUO download records later showed that Strand's letter excluded at least 480,000 downloads from Oct.-Dec. 2007. That amounts to nearly 2,900 downloads per 1-hour segment of the program during the 4th quarter of last year.

According to sources, Strand had been told of those large download numbers before releasing his letter last week. He was aware, too, that Issues was the most-downloaded program in the KFUO lineup.

David Strand did not respond to an email request for an interview.

Strand's full letter

Note: The Rev. Joel Brondos, former board member, has written that "David Strand is not the arch enemy. I really don't believe that he was the one who instigated all of this on his own. No way. During my tenure, David was always very forthright in working with the board, keeping the board well-informed." That may raise further questions about the information, or lack thereof, in Strand's letter.

Board Minutes: Fan Into Flame (Ablaze!) lost 9x more than Issues Etc.

2008-03-31T21:10:00.005-05:00

Save the LCMS has another breakdown of the budget numbers, and it appears KFUO was far less of a financial strain than other parts of the Missouri Synod's evangelism effort. You can read the whole post for more details, but in a nutshell, the "Fan Into Flame" initiative -- part of the Ablaze movement -- suffered a $2.26 million shortfall in 2006 alone. That compares to the $250,000 shortfall claimed for Issues Etc., and the $3.5 million deficit for KFUO over seven years. Here's an excerpt from the minutes of the Feb. 2007 Board of Directors' meeting, quoted by that article:

The Treasurer then called attention to Fan into Flame pledges, with discussion following regarding related fundraising costs. The Treasurer reported that the LCEF line of credit authorized by the Board at its November 2006 meeting is now in place but may not need to be used, given other dollars available to the Synod from other sources. In response to a request for more information and after additional research, the Treasurer reported later in the meeting that expenses for Fan into Flame to date total $4.133 million and that revenues to date have totaled $1.875 million, leaving a net shortfall at the present time of $2.258 million.

It could be that LCMS officials, viewing Fan Into Flame as evangelism, don't expect it to turn a profit. That's a reasonable position -- but one that is not consistent with President Kieschnick's statement to the Wall Street Journal.