Yes, for those who are not aware, Benke participated in an interfaith prayer service in September of 1998. On October 22, 1998, he signed a public apology and assurance to the Synod.
However, I really doubt that Benke's suspension will be upheld.
That's very possible, of course. Benke has two rounds of appeals available to him. He could be reinstated.
I think the controversy, caused by Benke, will finally end the phony unity of the LCMS.
I hope you're right. We may not know which way the Synod will go until July of '04 (the next synodical convention).
And I am quite certain that Kieschnick will drive Wallace Schulz out of the synod.
That is by no means certain at this point.
Benke belongs in the ELCA.
That's for sure. Benke has called our differences with the ELCA, to use his words, "idiotic" and "trivial." He has said "it feels way too good" for him to be among ELCAites.
He [Kieschnick] should win the next election handily.
That is not at all clear. What it takes for an incumbent LCMS president to lose is for him to . . . uh, tick . . . a lot of people off. Kieschnick is doing a very good job of that. People do not like discord, and it has been nothing but that since Jerry took office.
Also, I believe Kieschnick will effectively split the synod, and that will be good. The conservatives should leave. They lost a long time ago. It's time to form a new synod.
It's premature to say which side is going to end up leaving. This thing could go either way. If somebody has to leave, I'd rather it be the liberals. That would be addition by subtraction.
What you say could happen. The libs could prevail, and the conservatives/confessionals would have to leave. But I'm telling you--and I keep up with what's happening on a daily basis--everything is still in play. It really could go either way.