cut all contact

jusrme wrote:did your pastor give a reason why he advised no contact?

My impression was that the pastor felt that if someone left WELS, then the family should invoke Matthew 18 discipline.

jusrme wrote:Was your pastor a generation older than you?

The pastor was 15 years younger than me.

jusrme wrote:How did you respond to your pastor verbally?

I was in shock that he advised Draconian action.

jusrme wrote:Does your pastor still have that same advice for you? For others?

I moved, and so did the pastor. It's difficult to know what private advice any pastor gives to others; nevertheless, I heard about a situation where a couple aged 30-something where planning their wedding (first time for both of them), and life together. It was to be a mixed marriage: him WELS + her LCMS. They told this pastor that they planned to have her leave LCMS and become WELS so they would be members together in the WELS congregation; however, occasionally they would as a couple attend a family event at the LCMS church. The pastor told them that attending anything at an LCMS church was forbidden (even occasionally), so they gave up on WELS and he switched over to LCMS.

Rob - did your pastor give a reason why he advised no contact? Was your pastor a generation older than you? How did you respond to your pastor verbally? Does your pastor still have that same advice for you? For others?

That's horrible! It sounds like something hardcore catholics would say to their own. I know my mother's parents threatened not to come to her wedding because my mom was a catholic marrying a WELS Lutheran.

john wrote:Rob this can't be true?...

I ignored the pastor's advice. Nevertheless, I wonder where he got the idea. In Scripture? In his formal training? In his life experience?

Rob wrote:When my daughter married outside WELS and asked our congregation to drop her membership, a pastor advised me to cut all contact with my daughter. Was this good advice?

Rob this can't be true?...

When my daughter married outside WELS and asked our congregation to drop her membership, a pastor advised me to cut all contact with my daughter. Was this good advice?