> Lutheran pastor suspended over interfaith meet
> Missouri Synod wants apology for meeting with 'pagan clerics'
>
> Alan Cooperman, Washington Post
>
> A high-ranking Lutheran pastor has been suspended from his duties and ordered to
> apologize to all Christians for participating with Muslims, Jews, Sikhs and Hindus in an
> interfaith prayer service in New York's Yankee Stadium after Sept. 11.
>
> Supporters of the Rev. David Benke say he will appeal his suspension as a district president
> -- the equivalent of a bishop -- in the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod, which has 2.6
> million members and is the 10th-largest church in the United States.
>
> If he does not apologize or appeal by Wednesday, he will automatically be removed from the
> Missouri Synod's clergy.
>
> "By President Benke's joining with other pagan clerics in an interfaith service (no matter
> what the intent might have been), a crystal clear signal was given to others at the event and
> to thousands more watching by C-Span. The signal was: While there may be differences as
> to how people worship or pray, in the end, all religions pray to the same God," the Rev.
> Wallace Schulz, the Missouri Synod's national second vice president, wrote in the
> suspension letter.
>
> "To participate with pagans in an interfaith service and, additionally, to give the impression
> that there might be more than one God, is an extremely serious offense against the God of
> the Bible," Schulz added.
>
> Twenty-one Missouri Synod pastors and congregations filed charges against Benke because
> of his participation in the Sept. 23 Prayer for America. The televised service, whose host
> was Oprah Winfrey, brought together New York's Cardinal Edward Egan, other Christian
> ministers, Sikh and Hindu holy men, imams, rabbis and civic leaders.
>
> The ruling against Benke illustrates the growing tension between two major trends in
> American religion: ecumenical or interfaith efforts, which have been bolstered by President
> Bush's calls for tolerance since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and back-to-tradition or
> "renewal" movements, which have taken hold among Presbyterians, Episcopalians and
> Methodists as well as Lutherans.
>
> While the interfaith efforts emphasize common values, the renewal movements emphasize
> theological differences.
>
> The charges against Benke included "unionism" -- mixing the beliefs of various Christian
> denominations -- as well as "syncretism" -- mixing Christian and non-Christian views. Both
> are forbidden by the 1847 constitution of the Missouri Synod, which is based in St. Louis
> and is the country's second- largest Lutheran group, after the 5.1 million-member
> Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
>
> "The principle is, you don't want to do anything that would compromise the gospel of Jesus
> Christ," said the Rev. David Mahsman, editor of the Missouri Synod's newspaper, the
> Lutheran Witness. "The question is, does participating in an interfaith service after
> September 11th do that? Benke would say no. In fact, it honors Christ and shows that
> Lutherans are concerned about the well- being of the entire community. Others would say it
> placed Christ on an equal footing with Allah and Vishnu and whatever gods are involved."
>
> In February, after a bout of negative publicity over the charges, the synod's board of
> directors barred Benke, the complainants and all other parties to the dispute from talking
> about it. But Missouri Synod members, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the charges
> are viewed as an attack not only on Benke but also on the synod's national president, the
> Rev. Gerald Kieschnick, a moderate who was elected last year.
>
> Before the gag order went into effect, Kieschnick said in an interview that he gave Benke
> permission to attend the interfaith service. He cited a decision by the synod last year to
> allow pastors to participate in civic events as long as they are free to express their
> religious view.
>
> Formal accusations of syncretism have been filed against Kieschnick, too. But a church panel
> ruled that he answers only to the full synod, which convenes every three years. In the
> meantime, both Kieschnick and his first vice president recused themselves from ruling on
> Benke, which is why the case fell to Schulz.
>
> In his letter suspending Benke as president of the church's New York district, Schulz
> stressed that even though the pastor had permission to join the prayer service, "you are
> still accountable for your own actions."
>
> Benke's deputy, the Rev. Charles Froehlich, who has temporarily taken over Benke's duties,
> wrote Schulz that the decision "contains inaccuracies and intentional omissions" and
> "reflects the author's preconceived bias." He also expressed confidence that Benke would
> win his appeal, which goes first to a three-member panel and then to a five-member panel, a
> process that could take six months or more.
>
> C2002 San Francisco Chronicle. Page A - 2
>
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