Surprising Stuff
Those pesky Lutherans over at that evangelical (that means come join us or we’ll come get you) church on the Bypass are on the move.
It appears that John Ivan, the long time and much beloved music director at the church, was fired for checking out a financial account kept by the church. That he had allegedly started this account himself years ago seemed to not matter. John Ivan’s sister was pretty upset by his abrupt termination, especially after the church received a $40,000 contribution to buy a new Steinway piano for him to use. She writes on Facebook: “To my friends at Immanuel Lutheran Church…I wanted you to know my brother John has been fired from Immanuel church because he was accused of “stealing” a password for a program he set up years ago… a program that since its start he has been an administrator on, and a program of which he has always been allowed to send emails. John went to send a group email pertaining to upcoming cantata rehearsals and couldn’t get in, so as he’s done in the past took the proper steps to recover the password. Immanuel friends, I urge you greatly to QUESTION EVERYTHING!!! Watch these pastors, especially Martha. She was out for John since he questioned her authority. John has been a DEDICATED SERVANT of Immanuel for 22 years and after this woman comes to “reign” within 6 months, 2 people quit and JOHN GETS FIRED!!! Question your council. Question everything. Demand to see where YOUR MONEY goes… Don’t allow them to drag John through the mud. He has a right to be treated fairly and I assure you, he was not. This Sunday is a HUGE vote for your future… I suggest finding the right people to fill vacant council spots. Since I will most likely not see most of you anymore, unless you’re at Walmart, I wish you the best. Good luck and God Bless you.”
Another Facebook post came went up recently, sent in by some of John’s church friends currently abroad: “Charlotte & I have watched attendance at the 9:45 service continue to drop Sunday after Sunday, and now without John? Unfortunately, we are out of the country now and will not be there to see who attends this Sunday, but I am betting (not a good Christian practice) it will be down substantially. No John, No Rick and Charlotte.” The Gunderson’s took a back exit from Faith last year, and it’s fairly safe to now come to think that devastation has been strewn across the heaving and quivering masses left adrift inside that beautiful structure, since their passing.
Cartoon of the Week
I was once a God Fearing Man and still am..but Eversince retiring up here in the Geneva Lake area? I’ve seen the # of Self Proclaimed Churches of all kinds of Denominations and Faiths, sprout up like Weeds ..Seems like every Year I see another One sprouting up and thin, at this rate we’ll have a ‘Church” on every street and I’ll have to pay More Real Estate taxes due to so many Churches Not doing so ! And Most of these Nice Looking Churches are all but Empty thru out the Off season ( 8 mos a yr) Maybe we can use them in their off season as Homeless Shelters and invite the Homeless out here from Milwaukee?
Interesting concept for sure, Dennis.
It would seem a gesture like that would be in keeping of the Christian Philosophy.
Thanks for your imput
John was not fired, he resigned. He was asked to agree to HR procedures that ALL other staff had signed and agreed to and wouldn’t. He was asked to respond to this request, and a request for the return of a password, within a certain time frame and by not doing so, the Council would view his silence as his resignation. The issues with John have, unfortunately, gone on for over six years. Please verify your news sources before repeating lies and gossip.
John did not resign, according to John.
He was flat out fired and that was done so in a cowardly guise
using some ridiculous old contractual language invented just for the occasion.
According to John and his wife.
Obviously, the “council” whomever these aging coots are,
are angry that John Ivan’s story was given public view.
This church has been going through financial problems and those problems
deserve more public sharing, before any other aging couple deeds over
the appreciation of their homes or makes church elders trustees of their estates….
There seems to have been a insidious influence floating around over the past several decades (or is it hundreds of decades?), especially with TV-evangelism, etc. that the facade of the church is a priority and the parishioner is required to continue to feed these prop up these facades.
Few ever really focus on Christian principles and promote giving to the outside community instead of giving to the empty facade of Church.