Could we discover something about what the numbers might be telling us by approaching them from the back door?

Nobody asked on the survey how many of the respondents attend non-traditional services. We cannot off-handedly decide that all the ELCA churches are poor catechizers with weak theology. We cannot assume the opposite for the LCMS congregations. However, we can say this: by and large Lutherans do not read Scripture, and do not attend Bible Studies. The only contact a pastor may have with members of his congregation is when they are in the pew, in the hospital, or in the box. Is it not incumbent upon the pastors of such lazy Lutherans to ensure that what they are fed from their altar is not pap-n-sap?

I would guess that the majority of respondents of the survey attend services in a non-traditional or quasi-traditional setting. In my congregation's circuit, we have ONE Confessional church. Other congregations may use LW in their services, but the preaching and teaching are hardly confessional. I believe this ratio holds true throughout the NID. I think it is possible to forthrightly say that the liberal-moderate fluff and all the feel-goodies and basketball games and family centers aren't saving anyone, either. 'Course not. They aren't meant to. Word and Sacrament has a corner on that market, and it best be given straight or, as it appears right now, no one gets the message.

I'll be very bold as to maintain that when the church had one publicly maintained confession of faith expressed weekly in a common worship setting, the survey would have been grossly different -- and it's not the changes in society which made people different so their faith changed. The church changed to accomodate society and her message changed, which then changed the confession of her people.

Emily Carder