Origins of the Organization

The group was conceived of around 2005 as an effort to rally Lutheran laymen to support sound teaching of the faith and as a financial backer of the largely popular radio and i-pod broadcast Issues, Etc. That year Pastor Rossow was visiting the Issues. Etc. studio and asked Pastor Wilken, the shows host, and Jeff Scwharz, the shows producer, what they thought of the idea of starting a men’s group to support Issues, Etc. and other confessional media causes. That idea just sort of steeped for a while until Holy Week, A.D. 2008. On Holy Tuesday of that week, the show was abruptly cancelled by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. The reason given for the cancellation was that it was a financial drain on the synod. Many have questioned if there was not more to it than “just finances.” The current leadership of the LCMS 2008 directs the synod to reject our grandfather’s church whereas Issues, Etc. is known for promoting our grandfather’s church and even more than that, Issues, Etc. promotes the ancient church of the apostles, even the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. We at BJS believe promoting things like Issues, Etc. is not a financial drain, but instead is just good stewardship of God’s gifts to us.
