News – WELS

From gratitude to generosity: How the Luehmanns put their faith into action through a donor-advised fund

2025/11/10/in Foundation, Grace of Giving, News, Newsletter

As Thanksgiving approaches, Joel and Denise Luehmann are reflecting on the many blessings God has given their family. “We are so thankful for our faith, family, church, and the opportunities
God has provided,” Denise shared. “We want to give back in gratitude—to honor God with the gifts he has entrusted to us.”

Now in a new stage of life with their children grown, they wanted to give in a way that is both intentional and impactful. They found a donor-advised fund (DAF) to be the ideal tool. It allows them to “bunch” donations and provide consistent gifts to the ministries they support—a feature they value because it helps ministries better plan for the gifts they receive each year. “Denise and I have also used the DAF for appreciated assets due to the tax and administrative advantages,” Joel added. They appreciated how a WELS Christian giving counselor helped clarify the details and guide them through the process. Working with their giving counselor and WELS Foundation, which manages DAFs and other planned gifts, the Luehmanns found the process straightforward and rewarding. “The WELS Foundation staff was warm and helpful and made it easy to get started,” Joel said. “They explained the options, answered our questions, and helped us implement a giving plan that fit perfectly with our goals.”

The Luehmanns also appreciate that their DAF is invested through WELS Investment Funds, which has generated strong returns. “It’s an underappreciated program,” Joel shared. “Professional management, very low fees, and the ability to pool investments with others—it actually generates better returns than we could on our own. The Lord increases the returns, which gives us even more to give—and more joy in giving.” Through their DAF, Joel and Denise support their home congregation—St. Paul’s in North Mankato, Minn.—as well as their area Lutheran high school, ELS ministries, and several WELS-affiliated ministries.

This Thanksgiving, you too can turn gratitude into lasting impact. To explore these opportunities—or to learn how to establish or donor-advised fund for a ministry close to your heart—contact your local WELS Christian giving counselor at wels.net/giving-counselors or call 800-827-5482.

WELS 175th anniversary offering crosses $200,000 mark

2025/10/21/in News, Together

As many WELS congregations hold worship services this month to commemorate the synod’s 175th anniversary, by God’s grace, the special offering launched at this summer’s synod convention has crossed the $200,000 mark. The offering celebrates God’s amazing blessings on our church body over the past 175 years and provides funding for the synod’s “Christ through us” long-range (ten-year) strategic plan.

The synod’s goals for the next ten years focus on culture, congregations, commission, and calling. Gifts to the WELS 175th Anniversary Fund will support these goals through the following categories:

North American ministry (Home Missions, Congregational Services),
international ministry (World Missions), and
worker training (Ministerial Education).

Michael Melott, a member at Good Shepherd, Holmen, Wis., contributed to the special offering, especially giving thanks for WELS’ scriptural foundation. “The thing that I am most thankful for is how our synod has insisted on teaching the true Word of God (law and gospel),” he says. “Through the Holy Spirit, WELS has not wavered in making sure we receive called workers that are well trained in the Word and teachings of Martin Luther.”

Special offering bulletin inserts were shipped to congregations this summer. Congregations can order more free inserts through Northwestern Publishing House.

Learn more about WELS’ 175th anniversary and the anniversary offering on the WELS Historical Institute website.

WELS Conference of Presidents meets

2025/10/21/in News, Together

The Conference of Presidents (COP) met Oct. 7–9 at the Center for Mission and Ministry (CMM) in Waukesha, Wis., to discuss the following areas:

Pastoral vacancies: The tally of pastoral vacancies includes 148 parish vacancies and 162 total vacancies for pastor-trained men. This represents a vacancy rate of just under 12 percent. The ideal vacancy rate is 6 to 8 percent. Larger classes from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in the coming years will provide some relief for the shortage, but recruitment of candidates for the pastoral ministry needs to be emphasized in our congregations.
Theology curriculum: The COP provided guidance to the team that is developing the new K-12 theology curriculum (replacing Christ-Light), noting that the materials should be available in multiple translations (New International Version and Evangelical Heritage Version) like the Small Catechism is.
Assignments: The Assignment Committee will meet via teleconference on Dec. 15 to assign mid-year graduates from Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn. The COP resolved that it would no longer assign tutors at the synodical schools (Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Martin Luther College, Luther Preparatory School, and Michigan Lutheran Seminary) for a third year, unless exceptional circumstances require it.
Retirement advice: The COP will be developing written advice for called workers who are nearing retirement. Ideally, the district president will meet with these workers to help them prepare for retirement.
WELS 175th anniversary: The COP is encouraging all WELS congregations to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the synod this fall. Worship materials are available in The Foundation, a worship resource provided by Congregational Services.
Calls: Michael Ewart, pastor at St. Peter, Appleton, Wis., was called to serve as a Christian giving counselor in the Northern Wisconsin District.
Congregation Mission Offerings: Congregation Mission Offerings continue to be strong. The COP is thankful to congregations and members for their generous support.

This was the first in-person meeting of the Conference of Presidents since the synod convention this summer, where delegates elected three men to serve in the synod presidium: Joel Voss as first vice president, John Bortulin as second vice president, and Tyler Peil as recording secretary. The first and second vice president serve as voting members of the Conference of Presidents and as advisors to the Synodical Council. The recording secretary serves as an advisory member of the Conference of Presidents. All three of these synod offices are part time.

As part of the meeting, Peil was installed into his new role as recording secretary at the CMM’s weekly chapel service. Voss and Bortulin had been installed during the closing service at the synod convention.

Leadership conference registration opens

2025/10/21/in News, Together

Registration is now open for the WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership, Jan. 19–21, 2026, at the Hilton in Chicago, Ill.

This conference is the flagship leadership event in WELS, offering called workers and lay members, men and women, and current and future leaders an opportunity to grow in their faith, learn new ministry strategies, and contemplate how they and their congregations can best reach out with the gospel in their communities.

“People will return home from this conference with new ideas, yes, but more important, with renewed hearts,” says Jonathan Hein, director of WELS Congregational Services and part of the conference planning committee. “That’s what strengthens a congregation more than anything else.”

Strengthening congregations is one of the four main priorities of the synod’s new long-range strategic plan, “Christ through us,” which was approved at the synod convention this past summer.

“The WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership is where we honestly wrestle with some of the major strategic challenges in WELS,” says Hein. “For example, at this conference you will see a strong focus on the retention of young members, on the need to better engage women in the ministry of the church, and on the need for a more robust approach to cradle-to-grave discipleship.”

Four keynote presentations will touch on larger strategic and cultural issues that affect every congregation and American Christianity as a whole. Sixty-nine breakouts, divided into tracks for those who want to focus on specific topics, will offer practical ideas for participants to bring home to their congregations, helping transform a long-range vision into real-world action.

Says Hein, “I’m most excited to see what happens after the conference—when the people who attended return home with renewed purpose and their congregations begin to feel that ripple of gospel momentum.”

This conference also will have a strong emphasis on youth participation, with conference planners working to have about 10 percent of attendees be high school- and college-aged members.

The deadline to register for the leadership conference is Nov. 30. Early-bird registration, ending Nov. 15, is $299 per person.

Register for the conference today and get a taste of just some of the breakouts being offered through short video teasers from conference presenters.

Strengthening WELS’ backbone

2025/10/21/in News, Together

The synod’s recently adopted long-range strategic plan, entitled “Christ through us,” establishes four main priorities for the next ten years. Those priorities are

cultivating a gospel-driven culture,
strengthening WELS’ backbone in congregations,
bringing Christ to the nations as our commission, and
living up to our calling to produce workers for a growing harvest field.

In this issue of Together, we focus on the second priority: strengthening WELS’ backbone in congregations.

Your congregation is a part of the vital foundation that supports our shared gospel ministry efforts. WELS congregations are where the light and truth of God’s saving gospel is proclaimed to members and where God’s truth is shared with people in the community. And, just as important, through their mission offerings, congregations support the proclamation of the gospel around the world and in newly planted congregations in the United States and Canada. Congregations are also places where members identify and encourage young people to consider preparing for a lifetime of service in the public ministry.

For all these things to happen, we need to encourage WELS members to be actively and personally engaged in the life and work of their congregation. Our goal is to better equip all members to embrace their God-given role in Christ’s mission. Members will be encouraged to view their friends and neighbors as their personal mission field and their homes as places where children are led by parents to know and serve their Savior. To succeed in equipping our lay members to carry out these tasks, we intend to provide congregations with the necessary resources to enable all members to serve their Savior and his mission joyfully and confidently according to their gifts and talents.

Beyond encouraging WELS members in our congregations, our goal is to continue to help congregations enhance their ministry efforts. That can happen in a number of ways. Maybe a congregation in a changing setting can adjust its ministry plans to reach people more effectively. Perhaps a congregation can re-evaluate the mission and sustainability of its elementary schools and early childhood ministries. Some congregations will explore collaboration or even merger with other congregations to expand efforts to reach more people with the gospel.

And, of course, when we talk about congregations, we also refer to the new home mission congregations that God will enable us to plant. One of the key strategic elements of our mission planting will be to prioritize starting new congregations—outposts for gospel proclamation—in places where our confessional Lutheran voice is not yet present. Read more about the seven new home missions that were recently approved.

But mission efforts really begin in the home as the first mission field. We recognize that the high school and college years are when many of our young members are tempted to drift away from congregational life and worship. The more that parents lay a firm foundation of faith in the home, the more our young adults will stay connected to the Savior, to worship, and to their congregations.

It all starts in the home with faithful, God-fearing parents. It continues in the congregation as the gospel works in people to strengthen their faith. And then, as we work together to take the saving message to more people in new places, God will work through us to build his church.

The “Christ through us” plan depends on all of us. We encourage you to read more about the plan—and how you can be part of it—at christthroughus.net.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

Seven new home mission starts approved

2025/10/21/in News, Together

In September WELS Board for Home Missions met and approved seven new missions toward the synodwide goal of starting 100 new missions and enhancing 75 ministries by 2033.

“With the approval of these seven new missions, we’re not just planting churches—we’re expanding the reach of the gospel where there isn’t a WELS presence,” says Mark Gabb, Home Missions administrator. “It’s also a direct step toward our synod’s goals laid out in the ‘Christ through us’ long-range strategic plan. Our goal is to expand WELS’ reach through strategic church planting so that millions more will have the opportunity to hear the gospel. This is at the heart of our 100 Missions in 10 Years initiative, and these new missions bring us closer to that milestone. We thank God for the prayers and support that make this bold outreach possible.”

The seven new mission starts include:

Altoona, Wis.: Altoona is one of the fastest-growing communities in western Wisconsin. With a population nearing 10,000 and projected to grow, Altoona attracts people seeking a small-town feel with access to urban amenities, which are located in nearby Eau Claire, Wis. A core group from St. Mark, Eau Claire, has been active hosting community events, launching monthly devotional services, and building a growing prospect list since early 2023.

Buffalo, N.Y.: Buffalo is one of the largest metro areas in the United States without a WELS church. The target area has about 95,000 residents within a two-mile radius. A dedicated core group has begun gathering for Bible study and outreach, laying the groundwork for a new church plant.

Naples, Fla.: Ranked among the best places to live and retire, Naples is seeing fast growth and demographic change. The district mission board and mission counselor have made multiple visits—talking with locals, meeting community leaders, and learning about the area’s needs. With strong support and a clear plan, the mission is ready to reach the many unchurched residents eager for spiritual connection.

Olathe, Kan.: Olathe, located in the southwest Kansas City metro area, has seen its population surge, and continued growth is expected. Major employers have fueled this expansion, making Olathe one of the most affordable and family-friendly cities in the nation. A dedicated core group from Mt. Olive in Overland Park, Kan., has been hosting regular Bible studies and planning meetings.

The Sandhills, N.C.: The Sandhills area of North Carolina is growing as retirees and young families move in. Its proximity to Fort Bragg also draws military personnel who often settle there permanently. A core group from Tree of Life, Cary, N.C., has begun outreach and canvassing, building momentum and a prospect list in a region where confessional Lutheran churches are few.

West Richland, Wash.: West Richland, located just outside the Tri-Cities, is experiencing rapid growth. A committed core group from Southridge, Kennewick, Wash., has been working to establish a second site in West Richland since 2024. The group has already begun outreach through community service activities and fellowship events and aims to launch regular worship and ministry activities in 2025.

Wilmington, N.C.: Wilmington is in one of the fastest-growing corners of North Carolina. A core group of 18 people from Ascension, Jacksonville, N.C., meets regularly for Bible study and planning. With no WELS church nearby and easy access along U.S. 17, the group is laying the foundation for a welcoming church that blends in-person and online worship, Bible instruction, and plenty of community service.

Learn more at wels100in10.net.

New long-range strategic plan in place

2025/09/15/in News, Together

The delegates to the convention in July adopted a new long-range strategic plan entitled “Christ through us.” This plan outlines the priorities of what we as a synod and as congregations have adopted for the next ten years. This plan was adopted not as a “top down” directive of what the synod will do and how we will conduct our ministry. Rather, it is an outline of the prayerful priorities and goals we have as we work together to carry out the mission that God has entrusted to us.

The title of the plan, “Christ through us,” emphasizes the focus and center of this plan, which is completely on Christ and on what he has done for us and for a world of sinners. But it also emphasizes the truth that God in his grace has chosen to work through us, his people and his ambassadors. The plan, which you will hear more about in the coming months, has four basic components: culture, congregations, commission, and calling.

When addressing culture, the plan stresses the importance of developing a culture in our congregations in which all our members recognize that they are Christ’s ambassadors, each with the personal privilege and responsibility of communicating the message of Christ to the people they know. It will guide us as we work to make our congregations places where people are welcomed and participate in the life and work of the congregation.
When addressing congregations, we will work to engage all members in the mission and ministry of the church. We will provide support and resources for ministry enhancement efforts in congregations. We will work to expand the synod’s gospel outreach through strategic church planting. We will elevate the home as the first mission field and provide sound Lutheran resources in discipleship, worship, outreach, and planning.
When addressing commission, we will foster international ministry partnerships to expand the gospel’s reach. We will equip a global missionary force, not only by sending WELS missionaries but also by training pastors and evangelists from global sister churches and establishing confessional Lutheran seminaries in key global locations. We will foster robust mission collaboration with church bodies in full doctrinal fellowship with WELS. We will expand multi-language mission efforts and explore mission work in high-risk and unreached areas.
When addressing calling, we will address the shortage of called workers by carefully expanding pathways into gospel ministry. We will establish innovative recruitment efforts for future called workers. We will maintain the long-term stability of our ministerial education schools. We will adopt a strategy for the professional development of called workers and will support their spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being.

The “Christ through us” plan depends on all of us. We encourage you to read more about the plan at christthroughus.net.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

Open enrollment for WELS VEBA

2025/09/15/in News, Together

The WELS VEBA Commission is offering open enrollment this fall to all eligible workers at WELS and ELS organizations for health coverage effective January 1, 2026. The enrollment period opens November 3 and runs through December 1.

Workers and organizations are encouraged to consider this opportunity to enroll as the commission does not hold an open enrollment every year. This is the first full open enrollment in three years. Approximately 80 percent of WELS organizations already participate in WELS VEBA to provide medical care for their workers.

The 2026 rates are posted at welsbpo.net. While health care rates continue to rise across the country, the VEBA plan’s rate of increase is about one percent lower than the national average.

Rates will increase by 8.5 percent for all plan options due primarily to continued inflation for health care services and prescription drugs. In addition, 2026 will be the second year in the commission’s three-year effort to update the geographic rate regions and regional rating factors for all areas so that rates better reflect current health care costs across the country. This means that the total 2026 health care rate change for each sponsoring organization will be a combination of the 8.5 percent trend increase and the organization’s new regional rating factor.

Director of WELS Benefit Plans Mr. Joshua Peterman says, “During this recent period of high health care cost inflation, the commission has provided stability by maintaining comprehensive benefits and nationwide access to network providers, and by not increasing member deductible and maximum out-of-pocket amounts—except to comply with IRS regulations for plan option three to remain qualified for use with health savings accounts.”

Learn more about the WELS VEBA health plan at welsbpo.net.

From New Zealand to Texas: How Sue found a church home and a way to give back

2025/09/05/in Foundation, News

Sue’s journey of faith led her to a WELS congregation—and to a joyful way of supporting gospel ministry for generations to come.

Sue Stricker’s faith journey began far from Dallas, Texas. Originally from New Zealand, she came to the United States as a student and eventually settled in Dallas. Raised Anglican, she longed for a deeper spiritual nourishment she wasn’t finding at the first churches she visited.

That changed when she walked through the doors of Calvary Ev. Lutheran Church, a WELS congregation in Dallas. The service structure felt familiar, but the Christ-centered preaching truly fed her soul. Soon she became active in her new church home—teaching Sunday school, serving on the altar guild, and sharing her musical gifts by playing piano for worship services.

Now, at age 88, Sue reflects with gratitude: “The Lord has given me good health and so many opportunities to serve. I’m thankful I can give back for all he’s done for me in Christ.”

Through her local WELS Christian giving counselor, Sue learned about charitable gift annuities (CGAs). A CGA allows her to receive quarterly payments during her lifetime while designating the remainder to support gospel ministry after the Lord calls her home to heaven. Over the past several years, Sue has established three charitable gift annuities—benefitting her congregation, supporting Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary students, and strengthening the work of WELS as a whole. “It’s a meaningful way to help the church further the work of preaching and teaching,” she shares.

She is especially grateful for the assistance of her Christian giving counselor, “I trust him, and he knows the needs [of the synod].”

Sue’s joy is contagious. “I’m happy I’m able to do this. I’ve been blessed in many ways. To others in the same position who can do it—I would encourage it!”

Like Sue, you can use planned giving tools to support the ministries that mean the most to you. Options include charitable gift annuities, gifts of cash or appreciated assets, or designating a gift through your will, trust, retirement account, or life insurance. Each provides a meaningful way to care for loved ones and advance gospel ministry for generations to come.

To explore these opportunities—or to learn how to establish or add to an endowment for a ministry close to your heart—contact your local WELS Christian giving counselor at wels.net/giving-counselors or call 800-827-5482.

WELS schools are back in session

2025/09/02/in News, Together

This is the time of year when schools begin a new year. Parents have been shopping for school supplies and clothes, kids are saying goodbye to summer vacation, and teachers are ready to put their summer preparation to work in the classroom.

This should be a time when all members of our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod pause to reflect on the amazing blessings of our Lutheran schools. Our synod operates one of the largest private school systems in the country, operating 340 early childhood ministries, 276 elementary schools, and 30 area Lutheran high schools. In addition, we are blessed to have two synodical prep schools that prepare students for a lifetime of service in the church, a college of ministry, a seminary, and a Lutheran college that prepares laypeople for Christian vocations. These schools serve nearly 48,000 students.

Our schools are a blessing because of what happens in them. They offer many of the things that public schools offer, but they also provide something that public schools can’t: daily instruction in the truths of God’s Word and classes that are taught from a biblical and Lutheran perspective. Our Lutheran schools certainly do not replace the vital and primary role that parents play in bringing up their children in the training and instruction of the Lord, but they do offer our children years in which the foundation laid in the home is built upon and supplemented. In our schools children grow in their faith and learn to know their Savior better.

WELS schools are also a blessing because of what they do for the students who eventually graduate from them. They produce young adults who are ready to enter a world in which they will live as children of God, serving him, serving others, and being the salt and light that God intends them to be.

With WELS school enrollments experiencing significant growth over the past few years, we are facing the challenge of a shortage of qualified teachers. That situation is being addressed by a special task force, or “think tank,” comprised of representatives from the WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools, Martin Luther College, area Lutheran high schools, elementary schools, and members of the Conference of Presidents. We ask for God’s blessings on their work.

Serving with you in Christ,
President Mark Schroeder

Updates from the Theology Curriculum Task Force

2025/09/02/in News, Together

On July 14-16, a focus group of pastors and teachers met at the WELS Center for Mission and Ministry in Waukesha, Wis., to provide feedback to the Theology Curriculum Task Force.

The task force began meeting in 2023, led by Mrs. Melanie Giddings, curriculum coordinator for WELS Lutheran Schools. Consisting of pastors and teachers across all grade levels, leaders on the task force are now using the information gained from the focus group to revise and clarify information for the project’s writing teams, which are poised to begin their work in 2026.

Other updates on the theology curriculum project include:

The curriculum will include four instruction programs designed for four age groups—early childhood, elementary school, middle school, and high school.
Four writing teams are being assembled for these four programs.
Both digital and print materials are being developed.

Rev. Ben Reichel, youth and young adult pastor at St. Mark Ministries, De Pere, Wis., serves on the curriculum’s task force. He notes that the task force decided to start with the end in mind. “We came up with six ‘picture of the graduate’ statements [see image] that summed up who we wanted our students to be when they graduated from high school,” says Reichel. “With that picture in mind, we worked our way backward to guiding principles and supporting standards, which would then help us create the content we wanted to see.”

Read more in the article “Developing a new theology curriculum” in the August issue of Forward in Christ.

Another convention filled with blessings

2025/08/18/in News, Together

The synod convention, held in July at Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn., made some important decisions. It adopted a new long-range strategic plan, setting the direction and focus of the synod for the next ten years. It adopted the ministry financial plan, which details how the synod will fund its various ministries. And it changed the way that elections for synod officers (president, vice presidents, and secretary) will be held in the future. Instead of the current practice of delegates nominating individuals for those offices at the synod convention, delegates will make those nominations several months prior to the convention. Once the ballot is established (based on the number of nominations), the ballot will be posted, giving delegates an opportunity to learn more about the nominees.

This convention also elected three new synod officers. The two vice presidents and the recording secretary are part-time positions, so parish pastors serving in these positions continue to serve their congregations. Rev. Joel Voss of Resurrection, Centerville, Ohio, (who had been serving as the second vice president since 2009), was elected to a four-year term as the first vice president. Rev. John Bortulin of St. John, Mukwonago, Wis., was elected to a two-year term as second vice president. Rev. Tyler Peil of Prince of Peace, Taylorsville, Utah, was elected to a four-year term as recording secretary. Ending their time of service were Rev. James Huebner (first vice president) and Rev. Robert Pasbrig (recording secretary). We thank God for their faithful service and pray for God’s blessings on those who were newly elected.

Many other positions on various boards and committees were also elected. You can find those results online.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

Find all synod convention news, photos, videos, and reports and resolutions at welsconvention.net.

Conference offers connections and insights

2025/08/18/in News, Together

Opportunities to connect, share experiences, and grow in God’s Word were just a few of the blessings attendees experienced at the Hands of God conference held this past July.

Sponsored by the WELS Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the conference focused on how to serve the deaf and hard of hearing members of God’s church. Forty people—including more than 20 deaf or hard of hearing individuals—discussed topics like using technology devices in church for the deaf/hard of hearing, welcoming deaf/hard of hearing guests at church, and setting up a deaf Bible study. One workshop—led by a panel of deaf members—centered on the Deaf culture, how it is unique, and how congregations can bridge any gaps.

“In America, about three percent of deaf people regularly attend church,” says Rev. Daniel Frey, pastoral advisor for the WELS Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Committee. “So we talked a lot about what we can do to really help that number grow.”

Eight people from Frey’s congregation, Gethsemane, Lee’s Summit, Mo., attended the conference, including five who are deaf and two interpreters.

“As their pastor, I was so happy that they were there and got to talk with other deaf Christians and tell their story to other deaf Christians,” Frey says.

The WELS Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, part of WELS Special Ministries, exists to help congregations share the gospel with members of WELS and others who are deaf or hard of hearing. One of its current initiatives is adding to an online religious sign language dictionary to help the deaf and interpreters share the gospel more effectively.

Learn more at wels.net/mdhh. Read about one of Frey’s members and the Deaf ministry at Gethsemane in Forward in Christ magazine.

WELS Foundation makes annual endowment distributions to support ministry

2025/08/18/in News, Together

Thanks to the generosity of God’s people, WELS Foundation distributed $1.4 million for our Savior’s gospel ministry in July from the WELS endowment funds. The endowment funds managed by WELS Foundation provide ongoing, dependable support for the Lord’s work in WELS Ministerial Education, WELS Home and World Missions, and cross-cultural outreach.

WELS Foundation also manages endowments established by individuals, congregations, and other WELS-affiliated ministries. In total, WELS Foundation distributed $4.7 million from more than 400 endowments this year, providing ongoing financial support for Christ’s gospel work throughout WELS.

“An endowment is a long-term fund in which the principal is invested, and a portion of the earnings is distributed annually to support ministry,” explains Mr. Jim Holm, executive director of WELS Foundation. “Endowments are invested and managed through WELS Investment Funds, ensuring responsible stewardship of every dollar.”

Endowment support in action

Every year, young men at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., dedicate themselves to rigorous theological training in preparation for a life of service as pastors in WELS. Their calling is clear—but covering the cost of their education can be a challenge.

Thankfully, God is working through the generosity of his people.

In July 2025, more than $52,000 in scholarship support was distributed to seminary students from donor-established endowments through WELS Foundation. These gifts are the result of faithful Christians who were motivated by love for the gospel and a desire to help the next generation of shepherds proclaim Christ. By establishing endowments, they have created a legacy of Christian generosity—one that provides reliable, yearly support for seminary students answering the Lord’s call.

In addition to student scholarships, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary received $98,469 from the WELS Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Endowment. This endowment provides ongoing support for seminary operations, helping ensure the seminary can continue its mission of preparing the next generation of pastors.

Seminarian Connor Herter shares, “Over the past two years, I have been showered with abundant financial gifts, which have enabled me to focus on fulfilling our Lord’s Great Commission. The gifts ensure that there is no financial barrier for any young man who seeks to serve as a pastor in our synod.”

Herter relays his gratitude to those who have provided support through endowments. “While you and I may never meet, I can only express my deepest appreciation and love for your generous hearts,” he says. “Your gifts have enabled me to stand shoulder to shoulder with other young men who seek to do the same thing: serve God and love his people. God bless each one of you.”

Supporting endowments for generations to come

“Whether you establish your own named endowment or contribute to an existing one, your support becomes part of something enduring—a legacy that supports gospel work for years to come,” concludes Holm.

To learn more about adding to an existing endowment or establishing a new endowment for a ministry close to your heart, contact your local WELS Christian giving counselor at wels.net/giving-counselors or call 800-827-5482.

Closing service sends delegates home with encouragement from God’s Word

2025/07/25/in News, Together

“Look back at all the memorial stones. Look back at that really cool memorial stone [the one that temporarily sealed Jesus’ tomb], and thank God for his goodness, his power, and his love. And then look forward and trust God to continue to display that goodness, power, and love in your life and the life of his church.”

Rev. Doug Free, president of the Dakota-Montana District, used those words to conclude his sermon for the closing service of the 68th Biennial Convention of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Free based his sermon on Joshua 4:1-9. The service took place in the Chapel of the Christ on the campus of Martin Luther College (MLC) in New Ulm, Minn.

MLC President Rev. Rich Gurgel was the presiding minister of the service, and MLC student Ben Foster served as organist.

During the service, Gurgel installed into office Rev. Joel Voss (Resurrection, Centerville, Ohio) as the newly-elected first vice president of the synod and Rev. John Bortulin (St. John, Mukwonago, Wis.) as the newly-elected second vice president. Recording Secretary Rev. Tyler Peil (Prince of Peace, Taylorsville, Utah), also elected at this convention, was unable to be present for the installation.

The service closed with an MLC tradition: the a cappella singing of “God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage,” sung to the tune Friedrich (Fritz) Reuter, a Dr. Martin Luther College music professor, composed in 1916.

Mr. Greg Bartz, a lay delegate from St. John’s, Sleepy Eye, Minn., was attending his first synod convention. What impressed him about the closing service was the singing. “With all the pastors there and teachers and laypeople, the singing just added to the beauty of the service. My ninth-grade choir teacher told me I couldn’t sing, and so I normally don’t, but when it was so loud, I felt I could sing because nobody was going to hear me.”

But it was not just the closing service that made an impression. Bartz noted, “The one thing that impressed me with the convention was the unity. We all pretty much agreed on everything.”

So with the encouragement of God’s Word, the delegates headed home.

Watch the closing worship service at welsconvention.net/news/livestream.

“Christ through us” long-range strategic plan adopted

2025/07/24/in News, Together

On the final day of the 68th biennial convention, delegates were first reminded by Rev. Jesse Stern, pastor at Bay Pines, Seminole, Fla., in the opening devotion that “the joy of Christ for us is the privilege of Christ through us.”

Floor Committee #18: Elections announced the 23 men who were elected to synodical positions and who will be serving various boards and commissions in upcoming years.

Delegates then heard from Floor Committee #9: “Christ through us” Long-Range Strategic Plan. Its single resolution recommended that delegates adopt the revised 2025 long-range strategic plan and urged “all areas of WELS ministry, under the direction of the Synodical Council, to establish SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) objectives for ministry, to fund and implement them with the four priorities and 20 goals of the long-range plan, and to ensure that the initial set of these SMART objectives and corresponding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is included in the 2026 Report to the Twelve Districts.”

Several delegates commented on the plan. Some asked for more clarification and direction on how to communicate and use this plan in their local congregations. Others encouraged exploring new ways to reach out with the gospel—especially to the younger generation—and emphasized the importance of everyone being involved in outreach to their families, friends, and acquaintances.

“This is an exciting time,” said Rev. Dan Baumler, a member of the long-range strategic plan floor committee. “We are not just talking about [the issues] in little groups. No. Together we’re saying this is what we face. There are blessings, but let’s go, let’s tackle this, let’s trust our leaders. I hope everyone here is excited about where we’re going because of this plan that clearly maps out what we’re facing. And we’re going to do it together.” Delegates adopted the resolution and the revised long-range strategic plan, available here.

WELS President Mark Schroeder then introduced Dr. Matthew Harrison, the president of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, who briefly addressed the delegates.

“Our dialogue with your guys has been the highlight of my professional career,” he said. “To rediscover that dialogue and have conversations with [President Mark Schroeder] and the rest of your guys has been a pleasure beyond which I know of no others as the president of the Missouri Synod. You push us toward the Scriptures.”

He continued, “Thank you for standing for the truths. . . . Thank you for confessing, thank you for being who you are, thank you for keeping the faith. We covet your prayers . . . God bless you in all your worthy endeavors.”

In his final remarks as the convention came to a close, President Schroeder encouraged delegates to remember what they experienced and share what they learned with their congregations. “Above all we recognize that everything we do, every mission we undertake, every worship service we hold, is focused on one person, and that’s Christ. On his grace. On his promises. On the work that he did for us.” Read all the reports and resolutions at welsconvention.net/resolutions.

Our work together in Home Missions

2025/07/24/in News, Together

“The synod is not an abstract entity—it’s us.”

Rev. Jonathan Bourman began his presentation on his ministry at Saint Mark Mankato, Mankato, Minn., with these words. It was an apt reminder for synod convention delegates—and for us.

Bourman was one of four home missionaries who shared their ministries with delegates on Wednesday evening, detailing the blessings and challenges of sharing God’s Word in their particular locations throughout the United States. What came through clearly was that each location is unique even as the gospel message that each missionary shares is the same. What also was obvious is that God is blessing the seeds that these missionaries and their members are spreading. Story after story highlighted the souls that are being reached with the gospel.

Circling back to Bourman’s words, each soul that hears God’s words from those in home missions is being supported by all WELS members. This came through in the presentation given by Rev. Matthew Brown, chairman of WELS Board for Home Missions, and Rev. Mark Gabb, administrator of WELS Board for Home Missions, on Wednesday afternoon. The work of Home Missions is supported through individual mission offerings as well as through the Congregation Mission Offerings that WELS congregations send to the synod. It is also supported by volunteers of WELS Mission Journeys who travel to mission settings from established congregations.

Gabb noted that five new home missions were approved in the spring of 2025, and as resources are available, he believes that as many as six more could be approved in the fall. Yet he also emphasized that the work of Home Missions is expensive—both in dollars and in manpower. Therefore, the Board for Home Missions carefully considers each new mission and ministry enhancement.

WELS Home Missions is in year three of a ten-year initiative to open 100 new missions and enhance 75 existing ministries. Since this “100 in 10” initiative began, 21 new missions and 24 mission enhancements have been supported, leading to many new opportunities to spread the gospel throughout North America. To learn more and find out how you can be involved, visit wels100in10.net.

To watch the presentations, visit welsconvention.net/news/livestream. Home missionary presentations are available from the Wednesday evening recording and the Home Missions presentation is during the Wednesday afternoon recording.

WELS World Missions: “My name will be great among the nations”

2025/07/23/in News, Together

Wednesday morning’s presentations from the Commission on Inter-Church Relations (CICR) and the Board for World Missions echoed the sentiments shared in the morning’s opening devotion. Steven Prahl, pastor at Foundation, Peyton, Colo., encouraged the assembly of delegates “to look upon a world of broken and lost souls with compassion.”

A flourishing partnership in Africa

On Wednesday morning, delegates heard a presentation from Prof. James Danell, chairman of the Commission on Inter-Church Relations. He reported that the CICR is deferring its planned declaration of fellowship with the Africa Mission Evangelism Church (AMEC) in Tanzania to the 2027 convention (read the official statement).

The delay will allow more time for AMEC’s newly elected leadership to circulate its doctrinal statement even more widely among its congregations.

Despite the delay, Baltazar Kaaya, bishop of AMEC, attended the convention as a special guest. He expressed his gratitude for the partnership his church body shares with WELS. “I am so happy to be welcomed in the conference,” Kaaya shared. “It’s been a privilege to our church to have missionaries from WELS in our country visiting congregations but mainly holding seminars with all of our pastors.”

To help delegates better understand the complexities involved in declaring fellowship with other confessional Lutheran church bodies, Danell outlined the careful, thorough, and often years-long process followed by the CICR:

As a first step, local missionaries take the lead in engaging the church body in conversation and guiding leadership through a discussion of Luther’s Small Catechism.
Stage two involves deeper, more involved doctrinal conversations with a wider circle of leadership and church membership. A member of the CICR travels to the country and works in partnership with the One Africa Team to guide a church in developing a statement of faith. This stage culminates with CICR’s request for a formal group statement of faith and a church constitution for review.
Stage three involves a greater focus on doctrine as it’s lived out in practice within the church body. Missionaries and even a CICR team member travel again to the country to see how the church body practically carries out worship, evangelism, stewardship, Christian education, doctrinal discipline, etc.
In step four, if all parties agree, a declaration of fellowship is recommended and brought to the Synod in Convention.

“We fully anticipate that AMEC will complete this work and that we’ll bring the same recommendation back to the Synod in Convention in 2027. In the meantime, our One Africa Team has very concrete plans to continue to develop and nurture this relationship over the next two years,” said Danell. “I thank you for your patience and your understanding as we carefully and prayerfully carry out this work. We ask for God’s blessings on all who labor around the world in our name for unity of faith and love in Christ.”

Equipping a global missionary force

Delegates also heard an update on WELS World Missions from Rev. Jonathan Schroeder, chairman of the Board for World Missions, and Rev. Larry Schlomer, World Missions administrator. During his introductory remarks, Schroeder shared that WELS shares fellowship with church bodies in 49 foreign countries with exploratory work in 16 prospective mission fields.

He urged the assembly to remember its God-given purpose to act as the Lord’s mouth to an unbelieving world. “You have been called on to preach Christ publicly, to share Christ privately, to live Christ openly,” said Schroeder. “This is an invitation to be a mission that takes this message to every tribe and language and nation and people.”

When Schlomer took the stage, he set the scene for the work WELS carries out in the world with the Lord’s prophecy found in Malachi 1:11: “ ‘My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,’ says the LORD Almighty.”

Schlomer reported on many of the ways in which WELS supports and trains over 500 pastors and 300,000 members outside the United States. He also highlighted the goal, as stated in the proposed long-range strategic plan, to serve 1,000,000 members by 2035 in the United States and beyond. For example, God has richly blessed mission work in places like Ukraine, Tanzania, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Latin America. Programs like TELL and Academia Cristo have also been instrumental in extending the synod’s reach far beyond existing borders and barriers.

During his presentation, Schlomer shared a vision of a global confessional Lutheran church with a shared, borderless mission. “This network . . . will be with us when we reach our heavenly home,” he shared. “Let’s step into this mission. Let’s ask the Lord to bless our work so that the gospel can be heard in the darkest corners of the world.”

On Wednesday evening, delegates heard presentations from world missionaries, including Rev. Luis Acosta (Academia Cristo for Spanish ministry), Dr. Erik Landwehr (Native American Missions), and Rev. Howard Mohlke (One Africa Team). To watch the presentations, visit welsconvention.net/news/livestream. Learn more about WELS World Missions at wels.net/missions.

Delegates hear updates, resolutions, and news

2025/07/23/in News, Together

On Wednesday, delegates continued to hear updates from WELS areas of ministry as well as began considering resolutions brought to the floor from various floor committees. Delegates also learned that WELS President Mark Schroeder is serving his final term, ending his service as synod president at the 2027 synod convention.

Schroeder made the announcement after delegates adopted a resolution about the procedure for electing synodical officers. “The next election we’ll be electing a new synod president, so I think this process will greatly help people to get to know who these candidates are,” said Schroeder. “So that is my official announcement . . . that I am serving my last term that ends in 2027.”

Delegates unanimously adopted that amendment to the WELS bylaws that will change the procedure for nominating synodical officers: president, first vice president, second vice president, and recording secretary. (The synod president and second vice president are elected in alternate conventions with the synod first vice president and recording secretary.) With this amendment, convention delegates will be able to submit one name by June 1 for each office being filled. The five nominees who receive the largest number of nominations for the office of the president and the three nominees who receive the largest number of nominations for the other three offices will comprise the ballot. Delegates will receive the ballot, along with biographical information, by June 15, with the actual election taking place at the convention. Currently nominations for these positions first occur at the synod convention, giving delegates limited time to make informed voting decisions.

After some discussion, delegates also adopted the ministry financial plan for the next biennium, covering fiscal years 2025–26 and 2026–27. The resolution encouraged “every congregation and WELS member to generously support the ministry the Lord has entrusted to our synod.”

Read more reports and resolutions at welsconvention.net/resolutions.

Recruitment remains a top priority

2025/07/23/in News, Together

Rev. Duane Rodewald, pastor at Abiding Peace in Simpsonville, S.C., and the chairman and acting administrator of the Board for Ministerial Education (BME), informed delegates that “we are blessed with harmony among our four schools”—harmony involving the faculties, staff, and student bodies.

The four schools Rodewald referenced that comprise WELS Ministerial Education are Michigan Lutheran Seminary (MLS), Saginaw, Mich.; Luther Preparatory School (LPS), Watertown, Wis.; Martin Luther College (MLC), New Ulm, Minn.; and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS), Mequon, Wis.

LPS President Matthew Crass highlighted three important blessings at LPS: the gospel, which is all about “Christ for us;” students; and the campus. He described two important items currently receiving attention—recruitment of students and the effort to build a new music center.

President Mark Luetzow of MLS updated delegates on the status of the school’s 2023-2025 strategic plan in the areas of its new administrative structure; the development of a master site plan; communication coordination; student growth, including curriculum review; and ministry encouragement, which has the goal of having a licensed counselor from Christian Family Solutions on campus.

WLS President Earle Treptow pointed to three reasons for giving thanks to God. Last year’s enrollment of 155 students was the highest in 15 years. The incredible generosity of God’s people was a second reason for thanksgiving. The third was the accreditation report that marveled at the makeup and nature of the seminary’s faculty, students, and program.

President Richard Gurgel of MLC introduced a video that emphasized the importance of encouraging more young people to consider training for the public ministry. Following the video, he urged delegates to do three things: pray, identify, and share. Pray that the Lord would send more people into the harvest field. Identify at least one person who shows gifts for the public ministry, then talk to that person and pray for him or her. Finally, share the video.

After hearing the presentations on the schools that the synod owns and operates, Mr. Del Abel, a member of Bethlehem in Germantown, Wis., remarked, “The education students get at our high schools, college, and seminary is excellent. I’ve been thinking, myself, who can I help get here? Who can I talk to or provide money to get them here?”

Doing ministry with you

2025/07/23/in News, Together

Congregational Services is “the ministry group that does ministry with you,” explained Rev. Jonathan Hein, director of the Commission on Congregational Counseling, as he addressed delegates Wednesday morning. “We get boots on the ground into congregations and schools to help you as you assess your path forward in serving the mission of Jesus Christ.”

Congregational Services comprises several commissions to assist local ministry, including Worship, Evangelism, Discipleship, Special Ministries, Congregational Counseling, and Lutheran Schools.

There are four main ways that Congregational Services assists congregations and schools with their local ministry efforts: 1) consulting, 2) producing confessional Lutheran resources, 3) analyzing trends and statistics, and 4) putting together events to build up members in service to the church. The next major event is the Lutheran Leadership conference, which will be held Jan. 19–21, 2026, in Chicago.

Rev. Paul Prange, director of the Commission on Worship, explained further how Congregational Services carries out these duties under the direction of the Conference of Presidents. He laid out eight different types of consultations available for congregations and schools, including ministry revitalization, long-range planning, outreach, and cultivating congregational partnerships. In 2024, Congregational Services conducted 161 consultations.

The website welscongregationalservices.net houses resources—Bible studies, online training modules, and videos—for all aspects of congregational ministry, including outreach, member retention, youth ministry, stewardship, marriage, and more.

In addition, welscongregationalservices.net features The Foundation, a collection of weekly resources for worship planners based on the historic lectionary readings. It uses the full resources of the Christian Worship hymnal and the associated suite of resources.

Following Prange’s overview of the work of Congregational Services, Mr. James Rademan, director of the Commission on Lutheran Schools, provided more details about the blessings and challenges of WELS schools.

“Over the past biennium, we’ve had more called teachers than we’ve ever had in WELS before. We’ve had more students than we’ve ever had in WELS schools before,” began Rademan. “With that growth of enrollment, the number of teachers we’ve needed has certainly grown.”

Over the last few school years, there have been about 655 open teacher positions in WELS schools, on average. “When we talk about the [teacher] shortage, it’s not that we have fewer [teachers], it’s that we need more for the opportunities that are out there,” said Rademan. In the 2024–25 school year, more than 2,500 of the students in WELS high schools were from either unchurched families or other Christian denominations. Rademan implored delegates to think of a young person they could encourage to consider entering the ministry.

The cornerstone of all WELS schools is the solid Lutheran doctrine taught in each and every classroom. A new theology curriculum is under development. The framework defining the “picture of a graduate,” along with the associated standards, has been completed, and content creation for the curriculum will begin in the coming year.

Learn more and find resources at welscongregationalservices.net. Read more about the theology curriculum at forwardinchrist.net/developing-theology-curriculum.

Rev. Tyler Peil elected to serve as synod recording secretary

2025/07/23/in News, Together

Synod convention delegates elected Rev. Tyler Peil to be the synod’s new recording secretary. Peil, a pastor at Prince of Peace, Taylorsville, Utah, has accepted this call.

The WELS Bylaws note that the responsibilities of the recording secretary include serving as chairman of the synod’s Nominating Committee, recording the proceedings of synod conventions, and serving as secretary and an advisory member of the Conference of Presidents. The term of office is four years with no limit on the number of terms a recording secretary may serve. Peil will continue to serve in his current call as he carries out duties as the recording secretary.

Rev. Robert Pasbrig has served as WELS’ recording secretary since 2005. He chose not to be considered for nomination at this year’s convention.

Plan proposes synodical priorities for all WELS members to internalize

2025/07/22/in News, Together

On Tuesday afternoon, Rev. Jonathan Hein, a member of the synod’s Long-Range Planning Task Force, presented a proposed ten-year long-range strategic plan as WELS enters its eighth generation of God’s grace.

This plan’s theme, “Christ through us,” is taken from 2 Corinthians 5:18-20: “God . . . reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

Hein explains, “ ‘Christ for us’ is ‘the message of reconciliation’ St. Paul speaks of. What Christ did for us is our motivation. We love because he first loved us. ‘Christ THROUGH us’ is the method by which Christ shares that message. He gives us his Word and sacraments and asks us to use those life-giving tools in a dying world.”

This proposed strategic long-range plan is an issues-based plan, offering priorities and goals related to key issues the committee uncovered after conducting surveys and cultural analyses and talking to focus groups. An example of one such issue is the exodus of young adults from churches.

The committee is proposing four intertwined priorities on which WELS will focus over the next ten years:

Culture: Cultivating a gospel-driven culture

Congregations: Strengthening WELS’ backbone

Calling: Producing workers for a growing harvest

Commission: Bringing Christ to the nations

Each priority has five goals that further define how WELS will meet the challenges and opportunities it faces. If these priorities are approved at the synod convention, the areas of ministry will develop more specific objectives and “KPIs” (key performance indicators) to assess progress toward the goals.

“The way I like to picture the long-range plan is almost like a filing cabinet,” says Hein. “The four priorities are your four drawers and then there’s five goals, like five filing folders, within each of those drawers. Then areas of ministry and even support groups are going to put their objectives, their programs, their initiatives, into one of those 20 folders.”

Hein stresses that this plan is different from those in the past, which focused more on synodical goals for the areas of ministry. “The emphasis is really on understanding that the ‘US’ in ‘Christ through us’ is all of us. It’s not the synod, it’s not the pastors, it’s all of us. The Lord has given all of us the opportunity to serve as his ambassadors in the relationships that he places us in. . . . I think if we can do that more broadly as a church body, that we take personal ownership of the mission that Christ has given to his church. I’m excited to see what Christ will do through that effort.”

Mr. Ken Hall, a lay delegate from St. John, Sturgis, Mich., is ready to take what he heard and share it with his church and neighboring congregations. “The whole thing was eye-opening,” he says. “You get involved in your own things [in your congregation] . . . and so you’re not really looking at all the other things—the big picture. And this was the look at the big picture. It was huge.”

One big thing Hall took away from the presentation was “the notion that the Great Commission is our commission. The called workers are there to equip us; we’re the foot soldiers and that really needs to be brought home to people.”

The “Christ through us” Long-Range Strategic Plan Floor Committee, consisting of a mix of pastor, teacher, and lay delegates from 9 of the 12 districts, met via Zoom in June to study the plan. Hein and Mr. Kurt Nitz, another member of WELS Long-Range Planning Task Force, met with the group to review the document. Since then, the floor committee has been working collaboratively to offer thoughts and suggestions on the strategic plan even before the convention began.

Rev. Bradley Wordell, floor committee chairman, says he encouraged his floor committee to study the entire Book of Reports and Memorials since the long-range plan encompasses areas affecting the synod in its totality.

“One clear message that we have gotten is that we’re a very blessed church body. We have the gospel. We have the Word of God,” says Wordell, a pastor delegate from the Southeastern Wisconsin District. “The Lord is definitely using our beloved synod in amazing ways for the sake of the gospel and his kingdom.”

The “Christ through us” Long-Range Strategic Plan Floor Committee will be offering any resolutions and/or reports on the plan in the coming days. Read the strategic plan and view Hein’s presentation at welsconvention.net. Learn more from Hein on trends in WELS based on the 2024 statistics in his recent Forward in Christ article.

Celebrating the past

2025/07/22/in News, Together

Rev. Joel Otto, professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., recapped 175 years of WELS history in his presentation to delegates Tuesday afternoon. Otto, the chairman of WELS’ 175th Anniversary Planning Committee, wove together photos and stories to illustrate God’s surprising grace to WELS in areas such as home and world missions, ministerial education, and synodical leadership.

Otto made the following anniversary applications for WELS members:

Remember God’s faithfulness to his promise that the gospel will be preached; by his grace, “Christ through us.”
Confession for our shortcomings; trust in God’s grace and forgiveness.
Appreciate God’s victories through sinful and flawed people.
Teach a new generation about God’s surprising grace to and through WELS for 175 years.
Give thanks for God’s enduring love to us.

After the presentation, each delegate received a complimentary copy of Christ Through Us: A Pictorial History of the Wisconsin Synod, 1850-2025, co-authored by Otto and Rev. John Braun, another anniversary committee member.

In the evening, Martin Luther College Professor Paul Koelpin provided a presentation on the history of Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn. Koelpin saw this as one of the purposes of his presentation: “Especially in this anniversary year, it seems to me that we should be thinking of what kind of heritage our church body has given to us. This is the college where we train future pastors, teachers, and staff ministers. If you know the history of how the college started in this place and then what happened over time, it helps you understand the growth and adjustment and change of the synod in general.”

For more information on Martin Luther College, visit mlc-wels.edu.

Special guests welcomed at the 2025 synod convention

2025/07/22/in News, Together

Several special guests and observers were present for the 2025 synod convention. Rev. Makisimu Musa, president of the Obadiah Lutheran Synod (OLS) of Uganda, Africa, was invited as a special guest. In 2023, WELS declared fellowship with the OLS (read more here), a Lutheran church body with more than 30 congregations and 6,000 baptized souls. While Musa was unable to attend the 2023 convention, he expressed his joy in being present this year.

During his address to the delegates, Musa reported on the history of the OLS and the work God is doing in and through his people in Uganda—including a seminary training program, growing schools, a thriving disability ministry, and much more. Musa emphasized that the Lord has richly blessed the OLS, which plans to plant 20 new congregations within the next five years.

“We are confident in our God and the plans he has for us to continue preaching and teaching the Word, and we are grateful for the support of WELS as we continue those efforts. My prayer is that our partnership with each other will continue to be a blessing for both of our churches for many years to come. I pray also that the Lord would bless the people of WELS and the work you are doing in his name,” said Musa. “May he use you to touch the lives of countless others, just as he has used you to touch the lives of the people in the OLS.”

Rev. Glenn Obenberger, currently serving his final year as president of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), is also attending the convention. He addressed the delegates on Tuesday morning to extend his greetings from the ELS and expressed gratitude for the years of fellowship and friendship shared between the synods.

“We have been walking together with you for the last 153 years of your 175 years of existence,” said Obenberger. “So, we join you in your celebration of God’s gracious working among you—blessing your many synodical tasks as Christ continues to work through you, as he has promised, advancing his kingdom both near and far.”

Also present was Rev. Karl Gurgel and his wife, Barb. Gurgel was elected to the office of WELS president in 1993 and served faithfully through 2007 for a total of 14 years. In celebration of the synod’s 175th anniversary, his presence speaks to the long history of faithful leaders who have helped lead the Wisconsin Synod into the present day. During his address to the delegates, he encouraged WELS in its ongoing mission to share Christ with the world. He remarked, “Under his blessings, as he—through us—brings his Word to the world, may we go forward confidently.”

Additional special guests and observers of the 2025 synod convention include Dr. Matthew Harrison, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod president; Rev. James Krikava of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod; Rev. Joseph Naumann, Church of the Lutheran Confession vice president; Rev. Baltazar Kaaya, Africa Mission Evangelism Church of Tanzania bishop; and Rev. John Braun, WELS 175th Anniversary Planning Committee member and former executive editor of Forward in Christ magazine.

WELS enters new biennium financially strong

2025/07/22/in News, Together

“WELS is blessed to enter the new biennium with strong financial footing,” said Mr. Kyle Egan, WELS’ chief financial officer and treasurer. “[This is] supported by robust reserves and a well-funded Financial Stabilization Fund, allowing for both annual stability and continued growth in mission and ministry.”

On Tuesday morning, Egan shared WELS’ recent financial information with synod convention delegates and later presented key elements of the proposed ministry financial plan for the upcoming biennium, covering fiscal years 2025–26 and 2026–27. Egan also highlighted the blessings of consistent annual increases in Congregation Mission Offerings, which fund approximately 70 percent of annual synod operating support.

Egan concluded his remarks with gratitude for the generosity of God’s people: “We give thanks to our gracious Lord for the continued, robust support through gifts, grants, and bequests, which enable the ongoing expansion of ministry [in WELS].”

Rev. Gary Pufahl, a pastor delegate from the Arizona-California District, is serving as chairman of the Financial Results and Ministry Financial Plan convention floor committee. “We praise and thank our gracious Lord for blessing WELS with financial stability,” Pufahl notes. “WELS exceeded projections and ended with an overall increase in reserves. Estimates indicate that this trend will continue in the next biennium. Thanks be to God as he continues to bring his gospel to people through WELS.”

In the coming days, convention delegates will consider adoption of the balanced ministry financial plan, which includes support for WELS ministerial education, WELS missions, congregation and district ministry, and ministry support. For details, see Egan’s full presentations, available at welsconvention.net/convention-resources.

Rev. John Bortulin elected as WELS’ new second vice president

2025/07/22/in News, Together

On Tuesday afternoon synod convention delegates elected Rev. John Bortulin to be WELS’ new second vice president. Bortulin, a pastor at St. John, Mukwonago, Wis., accepted this call after taking some time to consider it.

The WELS Bylaws note that the responsibilities of the second vice president include assisting the WELS president and first vice president, serving on the Conference of Presidents, and acting as WELS’ corporate secretary. WELS’ second vice presidency is a part-time position, and Bortulin will continue to serve in his current position at St. John.

Bortulin’s term of office will be two years to finish the four-year term vacated by Rev. Joel Voss’ election as first vice president. Bortulin may be nominated and reelected to serve in future years.

Rev. Joel Voss elected as new synod first vice president

2025/07/22/in News, Together

On Tuesday morning synod convention delegates elected Rev. Joel Voss to be the synod’s new first vice president, and he has accepted the call. Voss, a pastor at Resurrection, Centerville, Ohio, has served as the synod’s second vice president since 2009.

The WELS Bylaws note that the responsibilities of the first vice president include assisting the WELS president, serving on the Conference of Presidents, and acting as president if the president cannot perform his duties. His term of office is four years with no limits on the number of terms he may serve. The office is part time, and Voss will continue to serve in his current position at Resurrection.

Rev. James Huebner has served as WELS’ first vice president since 2009. He chose not to be considered for nomination at this year’s convention.

Delegates began voting for a new synod second vice president following the announcement of Voss’ election as first vice president.

President’s report looks back and sets tone for the future

2025/07/22/in News, Together

WELS President Mark Schroeder presented his report to synod convention delegates on Tuesday morning. He began by noting that this year marks 175 years of God’s grace on the synod. He added, though, that “while there may be a temptation on an anniversary such as this to look at our own efforts and accomplishments, our anniversary and convention theme places the focus where it belongs. On Christ. On his gospel. On his grace. On him, as he works through clay jars like us.”

Schroeder continued to expand on that anniversary and convention theme—“Christ through us”—as he walked delegates through the synod’s history and its current blessings and challenges. Setting the stage for the presentations that would follow from synod leaders, Schroeder said, “As we look at our synod today, important issues lie before us, both challenges and opportunities. At this convention, you will hear of both. We will neither hide from the challenges nor ignore the opportunities.”

Schroeder concluded his report with words that the apostle Paul spoke to Timothy: “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1). “Recognize the source of your strength,” Schroeder encouraged delegates. “Depend on that strength to meet the challenges you will face. And be confident and joyful in that strength as you carry out the mission you’ve been given.”

Delegates remarked following the report that both the synod history and the current statistics shared were interesting and will help inform their work at the convention. Read the full “Report of the President.”

Opening worship examines what Christ did for us

2025/07/21/in News, Together

The opening worship service of the 68th Biennial Convention of WELS took place July 21, 2025, in the Chapel of the Christ on the campus of Martin Luther College (MLC), New Ulm, Minn.

Rev. Mark Gabb, administrator for WELS Home Missions, delivered the sermon. WELS President Mark Schroeder served as the presiding minister, while First Vice President James Huebner assisted as cantor.

While this year’s convention theme is “Christ through us,” the sermon Monday evening focused on what Christ has done “for us.”

Gabb said, “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Can you believe it? God became man. Can you believe it? The God who said, ‘Let there be light,’ came into this sin-darkened world for us.”

A choir of area WELS and Evangelical Lutheran Synod members—in addition to almost 20 musicians—under the direction of MLC Professor Adrian Smith, provided special music. Benjamin Foster, an MLC student, served as organist and choir accompanist.

“I’m a member of a very small church, and it’s great to hear beautiful music and beautiful singing,” comments Mr. Marty Kurth, a member at Bethany, Gibsonia, Penn. “Everybody is very excited to be here. To me, this is one of the main reasons I like to come to this.”

Mr. John Chung, a member at Bethlehem, Carmel, Ind., remarks, “I’m just floored. I don’t think I’ve ever been part of a church service like this. I truly felt blessed. I’m probably one of the youngest delegates here, and I want to keep this church going for another 175 years.”

Gabb closed his sermon by reminding worshipers, “Remember this: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us to live for us, to die for us, and to equip us to do the work through us.”

The convention devotions on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will focus on Christ doing his work through us in the core areas of our synodical work: publications, worker training, and missions.

Watch the archived livestream of the service.

View photos from the service

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