Bring Back the Archives!

Thanks to Pr. Bill Cwirla for pointing out that the archives of Issues, Etc. should be restored to the show's website. As he says, "While there may have been reasons for canceling the show - and we will wait to hear the official rendering of those reasons - there was no reason to remove the archival content of the show from the web. Countless people have turned to these essays and interviews to confront the issues facing the church today."

Let me echo Pr. Cwirla. With him, I do find it ironic in the extreme that the very same Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod that wants to set the world "ablaze" with the "love of Jesus" now silences one of the strongest voices that has been doing just that (and I'll resist the temptation to comment on the extreme lovelessness that seems apparent in this cancellation and firing). Not only that, but the irony runs even more extreme when we see the archives of the show removed - as if Issues, Etc. never existed? Does someone have a problem with real life and recent history? Sorry, such tactics will not go unnoticed! The Issues, Etc. archives have given and will continue to give a treasure trove of resources for many to hear the Truth of God's message of mercy in Jesus Christ and for many to engage in the Church's ongoing task of reaching out to a lost and dying world.

So, in addition to contacting the LCMS and/or KFUO to register our extreme dissatisfaction for the cancellation of Issues, Etc., let's also give a clarion call to restore the archives of shows past. As Pr. Cwirla says, "If you are at all interested in apologetics and evangelism in the way of Lutheran orthodoxy, bring pressure to bear on the LC-MS to release the rights to the Issues, Etc. archive so that it can be restored to the web. There is no godly reason not to allow this, though it is a mistake to attribute godliness to institutions. For now, Issues, Etc. is in a Babylonian Captivity."

Once again here is the contact information that I have:

LCMS: 888-843-5267 (or 314-996-1200)
KFUO: 314-725-0099

David Strand's email: David.Strand@lcms.org

Street address of the LCMS (for snail mail):
1333 S. Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, MO 63122-7295

LCMS Information Center: infocenter@lcms.org