WELS Church Censors Interview Between Accused Child Porn Possessor and Mark Neumann

Update: Child porn charges filed against church official (MJS).

WELS church communications director, and advisor to the WELS Synodical Council and Conference of Presidents, Joel Hochmuth, [since removed from linked page], has been arrested on child porn charges, WISN reported.

This morning the WELS church scrubbed Hochmuth's interview with prominent WELS member, U.S. candidate Mark Neumann [and member of the WELS Kingdom Workers national Board of Directors (Spring 2011 Newsletter; p.5),] from the WELS site, where the two discussed the "Good Lord," "Christian principles," "abortion," and God's plans for Neumann in politics.

The interview page now reads: "You do not have sufficient privileges to view the requested page. If your user account has access to this page, please log in." [Now replaced with different video.]

This message began appearing after the piece, WELS—Mark Neumann's Church—Comm Director Arrested on Child Porn Charges, was posted here this morning.

The claim of "sufficient privileges" contradicts the site's Technological page reading: "Sign In is not required for http://www.wels.net/, ... ."
 
WELS Board member, Neumann and whole of WELS leadership should condemn Hochmuth and Neumann should use his considerable influence with his church to ax this guy.

WELS should stop covering up, and start speaking up.

Do what Joe Paterno refused to do.
 
I don't care if it's Penn State football, the Catholic Church or WELS, preying on children is flat-out wrong, and silence is acceptance.

Update: WELS—Mark Neumann's Church—Comm Director Arrested on Child Porn Charges

Joel Hochmuth, director of communications
for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Update: Child porn charges filed against church official (MJS)

WISN is reporting Mark Neumann's church's (WELS)communications director, and advisor to the WELS Synodical Council and Conference of Presidents [since removed from linked page], Joel Hochmuth, has been arrested on child porn charges.

Listen to WELS Communication Services Director, Joel Hochmuth, speaking with Mark Neumann [Note: In the last hour after 10:30 A.M., WELS has shut down this link. Seems Neumann is putting some distance between Joel Hochmuth and his campaign.] ... about serving the "Good Lord," "Christian principles," "abortion," and God's plans for Neumann in politics.

WELS is notorious as an extreme right-wing church demanding submission to church doctrine.

See for example, WELS Q and A on fighting Satan, who evidently has just won a round.

No comment yet reported from the Mark Neumann for U.S. Senate campaign, though Neumann as recently as Spring 2011 served on the WELS Kingdom Workers national Board of Directors (Spring 2011 Newsletter; p.5), and is arguably WELS' most famous member 'submitting to Church doctrine.'

Recently, Neumann's biography was inexplicably removed from the WELS website.

Writes Neumann on his religious involvement in politics on the WELS site: "In the Old Testament God directly called leaders. One need only think of Moses. He was living comfortably in Midian, tending his father-in-law's flocks, when God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He became the political and religious leader of Israel. He was not elected. The people were not involved in deciding he should be their leader."

At our particular time in history, God in his wisdom has permitted us to elect our governing officials. It was with this understanding that after much prayer and careful consideration my wife, Sue, and I decided to run for the United States House of Representatives. The Lord's planning was clearly present in our efforts."
From WISN:

A Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod employee was arrested Tuesday on child pornography charges, according to Waukesha police.

Investigators said the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force provided them with evidence that child pornography was distributed from a home in the 1900 block of Hunter Court. Police searched the home and arrested Joel Hochmuth after they found numerous images of child pornography, according to a police report.

Hochmuth, 52, is the director of communications for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. He was in the Waukesha County Jail on Tuesday night and was expected in court on Wednesday.

12 News spoke with the group's president, Mark Schroeder, by phone. He said he is hopeful the allegations prove to be a false alarm or a mistake. He said Hochmuth's job does not involve direct contact with children.

See also:

Mark Neumann in His Own Words
Mark Neumann: The Mean Machine
Mark Neumann for Gov. - Please Jesus, Yes!