CN Pleads With LCMS Leaders - DROP THE LAWSUIT

September 27, 2010 Christian News - www.christiannewsmo.com

CN Pleads With LCMS Leaders - DROP THE LAWSUIT

The time has come for leaders and the attorney of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod to drop the costly lawsuit against four women in Oakland, California. CN sent the following letter plea to LCMS Attorney Sherri Strand, LCMS President Matthew Harrison, the LCMS’s Commission on constitutional Matters, LCMS Secretary Raymond Hartwig, LCMS Board of Directors Chairman Robert Kuhn, and California – Nevada – Hawaii, LCMS District president on September 16:
Dear Esteemed Leaders and Attorney of the LCMS:

This is an urgent plea to drop the lawsuit vs. four California women. Christian News has published many articles about the case during the past 12 months. What a great tragedy that the church of C.F.W. Walther is arguing that the LCMS is some sort of hierarchical church body and is opposing a well informed judge who recognizes that the LCMS, according to its constitution, is congregational, four women who support Walther’s defense of the rights of laymen and congregations, and a brilliant attorney whose investigations have shown him that the LCMS is officially congregational in nature.

LCMS President Gerald Kieschnick told CN a year ago that the LCMS was in no way involved, he knew nothing about the case, and was certainly opposed to the use of any mission funds to file a lawsuit against anyone. When CN called LCMS attorney Sherri Strand to find out if she had told Kieschnick anything about the case, a secretary said Strand would return the call. She never did.

This week Christian News received in the case before the Superior Court of the State of California where the California-Nevada-Hawaii District, LCMS, is listed as a plaintiff and LCMS Attorney Sherri Strand and others are listed as attorneys for the plaintiff, the following documents which I hope you all have read:

1. Declaration of Rev. Dr. Raymond Hartwig In Support of Plaintiffs’ Motion for
Reconsideration.
2. Declaration of Clayton L. Thompson In Support of Plaintiffs’ Motion for
Reconsideration.
3. Plaintiffs’ Memorandum Of Plaintiff And Authorities In Support of Their Motion for
Reconsideration.
4. CCM Responding to Newton’s Questions “Ecclesiastical Supervisors Responsibilities of
District President (10-2581).
5. (Proposed) Order Granting Plaintiffs’ Motion for Reconsideration.
Enclosed are pages 1, 6 and 16 of the September 20, 2010 Christian News and p. 16 of the September 13, 2010 Christian News.

Please note “Desperate LCMS Asks Judge to Reconsider in Suit Against 4 CA Women,” Becoming an Episcopal Hierarchy – Is This The Real LCMS” and “Wake Up Torpedo Hits Missouri – Judge Throws LCMS-CNHD Out of Court – Justice For Oakland 4.” This last article includes the judge’s entire ruling vs. the CNH-LCMS which the LCMS is not accepting while it argues, contrary to fact that, the LCMS is in some way hierarchical and not congregational. The judge’s ruling is the kind of ruling the pro-Loehe, anti-Walther Romanizers in the LCMS despise. In no way should leaders of the LCMS support those who claim the LCMS is a hierarchy.

Some 50 years ago the editor’s congregation won a tremendous victory for congregationalism in the LCMS when it was reinstated in the LCMS by the LCMS’s highest judicial court after those who opposed congregationalism and Walther’s scriptural position had been able to get the congregation suspended and then expelled from the LCMS. Kurt Marquart was among those who brilliantly defended the editor’s case and that of his congregation.

Church bureaucrats often say they know nothing about the case vs. four California women. Christian News is sent to all LCMS congregations except those who refuse it. You are all members of LCMS congregations. Here are some of the articles which have appeared in Christian News about this important case:

1. “LCMS Sues ‘Oakland Four’ For Church Property,” CN, September 14, 2009.
2. “Depositions Show LCMS Mission Funds Paying for Suit Against ‘Oakland Four’”, CN,
November 23, 2009.
3. “LCMS Copies ELCA In Seizing Church Property,” CN, December 21, 2009.
4. “Kieschnick Has the LCMS in Hot Water on ‘Oakland Four’ Suit”, CN, January 18, 2010.
5. “LCMS 2007 Resolution 8-02A at Heart of the ‘Oakland Four’ Suit” CN, January 18, 2010.
6. “Ducking Ground Hog Day Deposition?” CN, January 25,2010.
7. “LCMS District Sues Four Women for Jesus: Kieschnick to Take Deposition on Ground
Hog Day”, CN, January 25, 2010.
8. “Will Kieschnick Appear at Ground Hog Day Deposition?” LCMS Letter Denies Synod Is
Suing Four CA Women before Kieschnick Deposition.” “Latest Information on Deposition and Trial,” CN, February 1, 2010.
9. “Kieschnick Deposition Rescheduled for Ash Wednesday,” CN, February 15, 2010.
10. “How to Fund Church Bureaucrats? Who Owns Church Property?” “Lawsuit Against Our
Redeemer.” “May 7 Hearing Set for LCMS Suit Against CA Women”, CN, March 22,
2010.
11. “Dr. Ben Chavis & Carey Blakely – ‘Crazy Like a Fox’”. “LCMS Desperate to Push
Lawsuit Against Four CA Women Past Convention,” CN, April 5, 2010.
12. “Lay People Misled by LCMS about Suit Against CA Women,” CN, April 19, 2010.
13. “Confesses Apostles Creed – Crazy for LCMS to Threaten Ben Chavis,” CN, April 26,
2010.
14. “LCMS News Blackout On Lawsuit Against CA Women Signals Kieschnick Re-election,”
CN, May 3, 2010.
15. “LCMS Puts Founder’s Teaching On Congregational Autonomy on Trial in Oakland CA”,
CN, May 3, 2010.
16. “Judge Holds Hearing on CNHD-LCMS vs. Four Oakland CA Women,” CN, June
14,2010.
17. “Leadership Crisis in LCMS Exposed by Suit Against 4 CA Women,” CN, June 14, 2010.
18. “Opposition to False Doctrine: The LCMS Mark of Cain,” CN, July 5, 2010.
19. “Harrison Elected New President of LCMS,” CN, July 19, 2010.
20. “Judge to Rule on CNHD-LCMS vs. 4 CA Women on September 10, 2010,” CN August
30, 2010.
21. “Wake Up Torpedo Hits Missouri In Big Lawsuit,” CN, September 6, 2010.
22. “Judge Throws LCMS-CNHD Out of Court: Justice for Oakland 4”, CN, September 6,
2010.

Pastor Cascione, who has traveled to California several times to get a first hand report of the case, in “Desperate LCMS Asks Judge to Reconsider in Suit Against 4 Women” in the enclosed page from the September 20, 2010 CN, reports: “After the defendants have already spent $569,000, the LCMS continues to throw money at financing the suit. At this point the LCMS has spent approximately $1,100,000 suing these four ladies.” CN has been unable to find out from the LCMS’s Attorney, Sherri Strand, just how much this case has cost. Christian News will be glad to publish a statement from any of you giving the exact cost of the case and how much of the cost has come from funds originally designated for missions or some disaster. CN will publish a statement from any LCMS official showing where Pastor Jack Cascione or Christian News has not reported the truth about this case.

“DROP THE LAWSUIT. THE LCMS IS NOT A HIERARCHY. It cannot take property from congregations. Follow what the LCMS’s constitution says. Return the LCMS to Walther’s scriptural principles not Loehe’s hierarchy.” CN, September 20, 2010, p. 3.
God’s blessings,
Herman Otten, editor
Christian News