"ON THE ROAD TO HELL"

LCMS Leaders Insist Pastor/Editor is:
“ON THE ROAD TO HELL”
Christian News, October 3, 2011

Herman Otten, the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, New Haven, Missouri, since 1958 and editor of Christian News since 1958 is “an impenitent sinner on the road to hell whom I would never commune” says Dr. Ray Mirly, President of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s Missouri District, where Trinity, New Haven is a member.

Mirly has not withdrawn what he said about the editor being “on the road to hell.” Mirly came to the CN office on October 22, 2009, together with now LCMS First Vice-president Herbert Mueller, chairman of the panel of the Council of Presidents, which found the editor of CN an impenitent sinner and Jesus First leader Dr. Charles Mueller, Sr., always an orthodox Lutheran. While Christian News has exposed the long liberal, pro-Seminex, majority on the LCMS’ Council of Presidents, LCMS President Matthew Harrison has expressed confidence in the COP. COP member, Ray Mirly said in a letter he delivered to the CN editor on October 22, 2009:

Rev. Herman Otten
Lutheran News, Inc.
684 Luther Lane
New Haven, MO 63068

Dear Herman:
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

In response to your letter dated September 2, 2009 in which you asked five questions, here are my answers:

Question 1 – “Is Trinity, New Haven, still under the threat of being expelled since I still insist I told the truth?”

Luther’s Small Catechism, Copyright 1943, states, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander nor defame our neighbor, but defend him, speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.” Question 68: “What does God forbid in the Eighth Commandment?” Answer A: “God forbids us to slander or defame our neighbor; that is, to speak evil of him and thus injure or destroy his good name.” Question 69: “What does God require of us in the Eighth Commandment?”

Answer: A. “We should defend our neighbor; that is, we should take his part and shield him against false accusations.” B. “We should speak well of our neighbor; that is, we should praise his good qualities and deeds so far as it can be done in keeping with the truth.” and C. “We should put the best construction on everything; that is, we should cover up his faults and explain in his favor whatever can be so explained.”

Since you are not a pastor of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, I must exercise my Ecclesiastical Supervision of the ministry of the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church through the ministry that the congregation permits its pastor to conduct. Following the guidance of Matthew 18, 15-18, your congregation was afforded every opportunity to defend your accusations against Dr. Charles Mueller, Sr. in a lengthy and well documented hearing. The purpose of that hearing was to determine whether Dr. James Kalthoff, then President of the Missouri District, properly ruled that you had broken the 8th Commandment and that you had not confessed your sin (which, from your letter of September 2, 2009 it is quite evident that you have not), repented of it and asked Dr. Mueller for his forgiveness.

The three District Presidents that conducted the final hearing of the case against Trinity determined that you did in fact break the 8th Commandment. You have failed to accept their judgment. Thus, yes, Trinity, New Haven, is still under the threat of being expelled as long as you remain the pastor of the congregation and you remain impenitent of a public sin.

Question 2 – “Am I eligible to preach in congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod?” The answer is no. Only rostered pastors of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) or pastors of congregations with whom we are in official altar and pulpit fellowship are eligible to preach or administer the sacraments in Missouri Synod congregations. As you know, even though Trinity is a congregation of the LCMS, you are not rostered. Therefore, you are not eligible to preach in an LCMS congregation.

Question 3: “Am I eligible to attend Holy Communion at Trinity, New Haven and at pastoral conferences?” Answer: Admission to the Lord’s Table is the responsibility of the local pastor and congregation. To attend the Lord’s Supper, one is to be truly penitent of all of their sins.
Based upon my answer to question 1, if I was pastor of the congregation where you desired to commune, because of your public statements of impenitence, I would not commune you.

Question 4: “May I participate in services of ordination?” Answer: The answer is no! Only clergy of the LCMS are eligible to participate in an ordination or installation of a pastor in an LCMS congregation.

Question 5: “Have you taken any action to get Pastor Gundermann to confess that it is contrary for women to serve as pastors?” I have properly exercised my Ecclesiastical responsibilities in regard to Pastor Gundermann, as I am fulfilling my responsibilities with Trinity Lutheran Church.
Herman, I am concerned about you and your continued refusal to recognize the sin that is at the center of your letter. You have a blind spot when it comes to this sin. Your understanding and application of the 8th Commandment is not the common LCMS understanding and public teaching of this doctrine. It is not in accord with the 8th Commandment to publicly print and distribute accusations about anyone without clear evidence that your information is correct.
Secondly, even then, as a Christian, it is your responsibility to attempt to personally engage in private spiritual counsel with that individual.

I urge you to engage in a careful, prayerful study of the 8th Commandment with the pastors of the Washington Circuit. At the least, I beg you to study this Commandment with the members of Trinity to seek to gain a proper understanding of the teaching of God’s Word. Members of your congregation, through my review of the teaching the 8th Commandment from Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms, agreed with what is taught therein.

In the Service of Jesus Christ,
Rev. Dr. Ray G. Mirly

President Mirly visited Trinity, New Haven, three times to show the congregation their pastor broke the Eighth Commandment. He called members to St. Louis to meet with him without their pastor. He gave the congregation this summery of the 13 page ruling of the COP ruling.

Trinity Lutheran Church
New Haven, Missouri
Hearing Panel Decision
May 1, 2006

Main Issue (Page 3)
Should the suspension of Trinity Lutheran Church, New Haven, Missouri by Missouri District President James Kalthoff be upheld, or should the suspension not be upheld and Trinity’s full membership in the Synod be restored?
Sub-issues (Page 3)

1. Did the ecclesiastical supervisor follow proper procedure in suspending the member?
2. Were the requirements for expulsion according to Article XIII 1 of the Constitution of the Synod met?
3. Was sufficient evidence provided to support the accusations that led to suspension?
Summary of the Decision

(Page 3)
1. The panel determined that the ecclesiastical supervisor did follow proper procedure in suspending the member. (Trinity, New Haven)
2. The panel determined that the requirements for expulsion under Article XIII of the Constitution were met in the technical sense, but that since the case involves the removal of a congregation from the Synod and that the congregation was not given adequate counsel by its ecclesiastical supervisor as required by the Constitution of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Article III. 9 the suspension should not be upheld at this time.
3. The panel determined that sufficient evidence was provided to support a suspension of membership in the Synod.

Specific Direction Given to the Missouri District President (Page 9)
Trinity, New Haven should also have had clear counsel from its ecclesiastical supervisor concerning the issues in this case and especially concerning the options available to the congregation there are four options.

1. The first is for Trinity, New Haven to have its pastor – not its elders, but its pastor – provide direct and specific proof for the allegations he made against Pastor Charles Mueller, Sr. on June 30, 2003.
2. If he is not able to do that, the second option is for Trinity, New Haven to persuade its pastor to repent and apologize to Trinity, Roselle in a manner acceptable to them for his violation of the 8th Commandment, which is a serious sin.
3. If Pastor Otten fails to provide the direct proof of his allegations or make an appropriate apology, the third option is for the congregation to remove him from his office in the congregation.
4. The fourth option is for the congregation simply to resign its membership in the Synod or to accept the suspension of such membership.
The panel is not satisfied that such counsel was given to Trinity, New Haven by its ecclesiastical supervisor or his representatives in a setting where these matters could be discussed in a calm and straightforward fashion.

(Page 10 through top of page 11 – Top of page, indented paragraph, second sentence)

“. . . the meeting notes (from the August 28th meeting between Trinity and President Kalthoff) also indicate that the presence and the remarks of the congregation’s pastor and its advisor would have made such a calm and careful discussion of the congregation’s task, its role in these proceedings, and the options available to it almost impossible.”

Since this was not done the panel determined that the suspension of Trinity Lutheran Church, New Haven, Missouri should not be upheld until such a meeting or meetings with the congregation can be held and a reasonable amount of time, perhaps 45 days, be granted for the congregation to consider its options. If, after that time, it continues to support its pastor and the matter remains unresolved, the suspension should be reimposed and upheld.

The panel determined that sufficient evidence was provided to support the case brought by Trinity Lutheran Church, Roselle, Illinois for the following reasons:

The charge in this case was very specific and very narrow. An accusation was made against a member of the Synod in a publication titled Christian News, which, if true would place the accused, Pastor Charles Mueller, Sr., in jeopardy of church discipline and possible expulsion from the Synod. Trinity, Roselle, the congregation of which Pastor Mueller, Sr. is a member, properly demanded that the editor of Christian News either provide direct proof for his allegations or print a clear and public retraction of them. This was not done.

The congregation then took the matter to its sister congregation, Trinity, New Haven, which has responsibility for the life and ministry of its pastor. It requested the congregation to obtain from Pastor Otten direct proof of his allegations against Pastor Charles Mueller, Sr. or a retraction and apology. This was not done.

The panel notes that throughout the process a great deal of information was given, none of its containing clear or direct proof of the allegations made against Pastor Mueller. In fact, throughout the process additional allegations were made against him.

Therefore, the panel has determined that there are ample grounds for a decision to suspend Trinity Lutheran Church, New Haven, Missouri and that such suspension should be upheld, but in view of the lack of adequate counsel of Trinity, New Haven, on the part of its ecclesiastical supervisor, the panel has determined that the suspension should not be upheld until such time as the counsel described above can be given to Trinity, New Haven, and it has the opportunity to respond.

Ed. CN’s response to Mirly and the COP was published in the November 18, 2009 CN. Future issues of CN will have Otten’s response to the Council of Presidents and to “The Road to Hell”.