The Conference of Presidents (COP) met for its winter meeting Jan. 7–10, 2025. The COP is composed of the 12 district presidents, the synod president, and the two synod vice presidents. The synod secretary serves as a non-voting advisory member of the COP. 

My president’s report included these items: 

• Reaction to the COP’s pastoral letter on man-woman roles has been positive with few questions or concerns raised. 
• Reaction to the COP’s pastoral brief on critical theory has also been generally positive. The few questions or concerns that have been raised have usually centered on the fact that there were aspects of this topic that the brief did not specifically address. The purpose of the brief was not to provide an exhaustive study of critical theory but to underline the scriptural principles involved and to enable WELS members to approach this subject from a biblical and evangelical perspective. 
• WELS is pursuing plans to declare fellowship with the Africa Mission Evangelism Church in Tanzania. This is a Lutheran church body with whom WELS has had extensive discussions to determine that our two church bodies are in doctrinal agreement. 
• The new long-range plan, entitled “Christ through us,” is still under development and will be ready for presentation to the synod convention in July. 

There are 140 parish pastor vacancies as well as 6 non-parish pastoral vacancies. 

The COP authorized a special synodwide offering related to the synod’s 175th anniversary. The offering will be directed to the synod in general, world missions, home missions, and ministerial education. More specific uses for the offering by each area of ministry will be announced prior to the start of the offering. Congregations and individuals will be invited to participate. 

Congregational Services will be releasing samples of alternative governance structures for congregations in the coming months. District constitution committees will be equipped to answer questions that may arise when it comes to congregational governance and related bylaws. 

The COP authorized Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary to begin a generosity campaign in support of its planned building project. If all parts of the project can be done, it will provide classrooms, remodeling of current space for faculty offices, remodeling of portions of the library, and a gathering space attached to the gymnasium. 

The Doctrine Committee of the COP will hold its annual meeting with the Doctrine Committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod in January. 

The deadline for congregations to submit their 2024 statistics and their 2025 Congregation Mission Offering (CMO) subscriptions is February 7. Looking ahead to CMO encouragement for 2026, “Joyful Generosity” and other stewardship materials will be made available by September 2025, including a CMO video presentation. 

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder 

“Your gifts, God’s blessings: An annual report to our members” is now available. The 24-page report includes photos and updates from WELS ministries as well as stories of faith.  

“God’s faithfulness is as steadfast for us as a synod as it is for us as individuals,” says WELS President Mark Schroeder. “The annual report reviews some of the ways that God has displayed his faithfulness and blessed our work together during the past year.” 

Some of those blessings include: 

• five home missions launching worship services in 2024; 
• more than 2,000 teens coming together for worship, spiritual growth, and fellowship at the WELS International Youth Rally; 
• sending two missionaries to a new mission field in Australia; and 
• the highest enrollment at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 15 years.
  

These ministry highlights and more are presented in the 2025 edition of “Your gifts, God’s blessings.” Print versions of the report are being sent to every WELS congregation and individual donor. Additional print versions are available from Northwestern Publishing House for free. Visit nph.net/wels or call 800-662-6022. 

To view the report online, visit wels.net/annualreport. There you can also download a PowerPoint presentation of the report with notes that allow anyone to share the highlights of our synod’s work. Alternatively, churches can invite a WELS Christian giving counselor to give the presentation. Contact WELS Ministry of Christian Giving at 800-827-5482 for more information. 

In recent years there have been concerns about the nature and underlying principles of what has been called “critical theory” (CT), which includes narrower subsets such as critical race theory (CRT).

The 2023 synod convention responded to these concerns by passing a resolution that asked the Conference of Presidents to prepare a pastoral brief that would evaluate critical theory and provide guidance for our called workers and members as they are confronted with these and other related issues. A pastoral brief is an explanation—not necessarily brief in length—intended to provide pastoral and evangelical guidance. The brief is entitled “A pastoral brief on critical theory (especially critical race theory)” and is available for you online.

This particular brief goes into great detail and depth regarding the history and philosophical foundations of CT and CRT. It was shared with WELS pastors a few weeks ago so they would have an opportunity to become familiar with it prior to a wider release to our synod members. The brief is lengthy and detailed because this is a complicated and controversial subject. A helpful summary of the brief is included as an introduction. God’s blessings as you consider the thoughts shared on this important matter.

Serving together with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools completed the annual Lutheran school statistics collection from all WELS schools for the 2024-25 school year. On the surface, the numbers are very close to a year ago, with preparatory and area Lutheran high school enrollments increasing by 103 for a total of 7,484 students, Lutheran elementary school enrollments increasing slightly to 28,361 students from 28,081 in 2023, and the number of students served by early childhood ministries decreasing to 11,338 from 11,799. The number of called teachers has grown by 49 to 3,108.  

The following insights come through close examination of trends in our schools over the past 3, 5, and even 15 years. Even though early childhood ministries and Lutheran elementary schools have continued to open, a much greater number have closed. When compared to the 2010 statistical report, the number of early childhood ministries has decreased from 388 (225 connected to a Lutheran elementary school and 163 standalone) to 345 (241 connected to a Lutheran elementary school and 104 standalone), though total enrollment has increased by 13 percent. The number of Lutheran elementary schools has decreased from 328 in 2010 to 276 currently, though during that period total enrollment has increased by 17 percent. The number of area Lutheran high schools has grown by four, including a fully accredited WELS online high school enrolling 14 students, with overall area Lutheran high school enrollment increasing by 23 percent since 2010.  

Although enrollment overall has been at record numbers the last two years due to increased interest in Christan education, fewer but larger schools are a result of mergers, consolidations, and closures due to the reality of rising costs and decreased enrollments, making it more difficult for smaller schools in smaller congregations with fewer supporters to continue to exist. 

The Commission on Lutheran Schools stands ready to provide consulting guidance and onsite support for schools dealing with fiscal sustainability challenges, declining enrollment, and merger considerations. Thanks to generous gifts toward utilizing schools for outreach, funds are now available to review, provide guidance for, and help all schools develop and implement effective harvest strategies for the growing number of unchurched and community members enrolling in our schools. It is our prayer that every school is effectively using a harvest strategy to connect more families to the gospel. Please contact [email protected] for further information. 

View the WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools statistical report. 

In Christ,
Mr. James Rademan, director, Commission on Lutheran Schools 

WELS Schools Accreditation (WELSSA) is marking 20 years of helping WELS schools provide the assurance of a quality, Christ-centered education to families.  

Mr. Paul Patterson, associate director of the WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools, says, “Accreditation is really about assurance. You’re being assured that you’re doing the things that good schools should be doing and that you are meeting the needs of students. It’s assurance that the ministry aspect of what you’re doing is active and working, so that the gospel is spread.”  

The WELSSA accreditation process reviews and evaluates a school’s mission and if it’s faithful to that mission, the business and administration practices of the school, policies (such as safety), curriculum, the facility itself, and how student services are being offered.  

Patterson explains: “Accreditation is a two-part improvement process that a congregation would go through. The first part of accreditation is a self-study. A self-study is a congregation looking at a set of standards and identifying if they have or are doing the things listed in those standards. The second part of accreditation is a peer review. So, you bring in people from nearby schools or from other parts of the United States who verify that self-study. If a school is meeting 85 percent of our standards, then we recommend that the Commission on Lutheran Schools, WELSSA’s governing board, accredits the school.”  

While the initial accreditation process takes about 15 months, it is not a program to simply put a stamp on a school to declare it “good,” but rather it’s a process of continual improvement and ongoing evaluation.  

Once a school is accredited, it provides annual reports of the school’s progress on the recommended improvement plans and is re-evaluated every six years. To begin the WELSSA accreditation process, school leaders can contact the office of the Commission on Lutheran Schools to get started.  

Currently, 162 WELS schools are accredited by WELSSA—about 50 percent of Lutheran elementary schools and high schools and about 25 percent of early childhood programs. Due to the regulatory and accreditation policies in some states, some WELS schools also receive accreditation from other agencies. In total, 60 percent of WELS elementary schools, 85 percent of high schools, and 40 percent of early childhood programs are accredited through a recognized agency in their state.  

“The benefit of WELSSA is that we have standards in place that help schools remain distinctively Lutheran, and we want to encourage our schools to embrace the beauty of the truths we have in our Lutheran Confessions and our understanding of how God comes to us in the means of grace,” says Patterson.  

He concludes, “We are so thankful for God’s grace for the 20 years he has allowed this program to exist. We pray that his grace would continue to help schools improve so that families who send their kids to our schools can know their kids are getting a great education and they are being connected to Jesus.” 

The Conference of Presidents (COP) held its fall meeting Oct. 8-11. Items discussed or decided include:  

• The COP adopted a statement on critical theory in keeping with a request from the 2023 synod convention. This paper will provide information on what critical theory is and how our pastors and members can evaluate it and respond to it. The paper will be released in the coming weeks.  

• The COP discussed a suggestion that the synod convention be changed from a biennial convention to a triennial convention. After receiving input from the district conventions last summer, the COP decided not to bring this proposal to the 2025 synod convention.  

• Rev. Steven Wiebe, who serves an independent Lutheran congregation in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, applied for colloquy into WELS. After a thorough process, his colloquy request was granted, and he is now a member of the WELS ministerium.  

• In reviewing the pastoral vacancies in the synod, the COP noted that there are 151 vacancies for parish pastors, 1 foreign missionary, 1 professor, and 2 other pastor-trained positions. These numbers are similar to the number of vacancies one year ago.  

• The COP will release guidelines for congregational governance. Several models will be provided for congregations of different sizes. Release is scheduled for early 2025. Meetings will be planned for district constitution committees so they are familiar with these guidelines.  

• The COP received a report from Curriculum Coordinator Melanie Giddings, which outlines the progress and plans for the new theology curriculum for K-12 currently in development.  

• The COP issued a divine call for a national coordinator of early childhood ministries. The position will become vacant upon the retirement of Mrs. Cindi Holman, who has served in the role since 2011. The call was extended to Miss Jennifer Mehlberg, who currently serves at Martin Luther College.  

• The COP appointed Mr. Jon Thibaudeau to serve as a lay member on the Commission on Lutheran Schools.  

• The COP will submit a recommendation to the 2025 synod convention to change the way synod officers (president, first and second vice presidents, and secretary) are elected. Currently, nominations for these positions are made by the delegates at the synod convention. This proposal would have the delegates submit nominations prior to the convention. When a final ballot is determined, that ballot would be published prior to the convention.  

• A committee was formed to develop a shared philosophy of ministry for WELS schools to elementary and secondary students and families active in other Christian churches.  

• The COP reiterated the synod policy that says that any church worker who is directly involved with the means of grace should be called, not hired.  

• Martin Luther College has proposed a three-part strategy to increase the number of ministry-certified teachers in our synod. The COP approved the plans.  

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder 

This weekend, Oct. 12 and 13, the WELS Christian Aid and Relief assessment team traveled to Florida and spent two intensive days viewing damage and talking to pastors, members, and church leaders. The team visited WELS congregations in Sarasota, Tampa, and Seminole. Northdale Lutheran in Tampa had a large tree on its school that needed to be removed as well as water damage to its sound system. Ascension in Sarasota had soffit damage. Thankfully damage to church buildings is light and should be repaired quickly. 

The team also visited several members of WELS churches with varying levels of damage to their personal properties. Some have extensive damage from storm surge entering their homes. There is also quite a bit of tree damage and debris that needs to be cleaned up in the area of impact. Christian Aid and Relief is thankful to report that all members of our churches are safe with no reports of injury or loss of life. 

Currently, Christian Aid and Relief is working to set up a deployment to help with the work that needs to be done. Local volunteers will be utilized as much as possible, but volunteers with special skills will be brought in as needed. To sign up as a disaster relief volunteer, please visit welsdisasterrelief.org. Christian Aid and Relief will keep you updated on its deployment plans. 

In addition to the work in Florida, Christian Aid and Relief is in touch with WELS pastors in North Carolina and is working to help several families in need.  

We couldn’t do any of this without your support. We are grateful for God’s people in WELS who have offered many prayers and abundant financial gifts to help those in need. Thank you so much! 

Rev. Dan Sims, director, WELS Christian Aid and Relief 

Visit wels.net/relief to learn more about the work of WELS Christian Aid and Relief.

Mr. Dan Nommensen started as the new director of WELS Communication Services on Oct. 1, following the retirement of previous director Mr. Lee Hitter.  

For the past year, Nommensen had been serving the synod as operations manager for WELS Congregational Services, working closely with Communication Services as new programs and services were launched. Previously he spent 25 years with Christian Family Solutions, working not only as a Christian counselor but also in an operations capacity with roles in marketing, communications, donor development, information technology, and leadership development.  

“I thoroughly enjoy getting to know everything that our synod provides to our congregations and schools,” he says. “The resources we offer through our synod are timely and help the members of our church body move forward with the gospel to impact people in our homes, neighborhoods, and throughout the world. I am looking forward to helping our audiences receive information about these great resources.”  

Nommensen notes that he has seen in a personal way how these resources can make a difference after a family member received a cancer diagnosis. “Later that day she read her daily devotion. It was called ‘It is all under control.’ It helped her set her focus on her Savior as she prepares for the many things that she will face that are indeed out of her control,” he says. “Our synod cares and brings resources like Daily Devotions right in front of people, and the Lord uses the Word to bring comfort at just the right time. I’m privileged to have the opportunity to be part of a synod that puts Christ first.”  

As director of communications, Nommensen serves under the Conference of Presidents and reports directly to the synod president. He is responsible for coordinating all internal and external communications for WELS, including assisting areas of ministry, synod schools, and district leaders in planning and developing communication strategies and tools.  

Nommensen, a member at Christ Alone, Thiensville, Wis., is married and has two children. 

Fall classes have begun at the four synodical schools. The opening enrollments at the schools are encouraging.

The best news comes from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., which opened with a total enrollment of 154, compared to 134 last year. First-year student enrollment is 49, a significant increase from last year’s total of 37.

The enrollment at Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn., showed only a slight decrease in total enrollment. This year’s enrollment is 614 compared to 620 last year. But the 2024–25 freshman class of 174 is significantly larger than last year’s class of 150, an encouraging sign for a growing enrollment in the coming years.

Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wis., began the school year with 415, a small increase compared to last year’s opening enrollment of 412. The size of the freshman class increased from last year’s 102 to 112 this year. For the first time in some time, the boys in the freshman class outnumber the girls (63 boys and 49 girls). This is significant because that high number of boys is likely to translate into more candidates for the pastoral ministry.

Finally, enrollment at Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Saginaw, Mich., is at 190, down only slightly from 192 in 2023. This year’s freshman enrollment is 49, the same as last year.

These numbers are evidence of God’s blessings on our recruitment efforts—efforts not only undertaken by the four synodical schools but also by pastors, teachers, parents, and grandparents in our congregations. Given the significant shortage of both pastors and teachers, our commitment to encourage young people to prepare for the public ministry needs to continue and increase in the years to come. Continue to ask God to send workers into his harvest field. He will hear and answer those prayers.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

The WELS VEBA Commission will offer a limited open enrollment this fall for eligible workers at participating organizations to join the WELS VEBA health plan, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Limited open enrollment materials will be mailed to eligible workers and organizations by the end of October.

Due to the rising costs of health care and prescription drugs, 2025 VEBA rates will increase by seven percent for all plan options. This inflation-driven increase is in line with projected average national increases in 2025 and is necessary to ensure that the VEBA plan remains well funded to provide benefits for called workers and their families. In addition, new geographic rate regions and rating factors—determined now by zip code rather than state—will be implemented beginning in 2025. This means that the total 2025 VEBA rate change for an organization will be determined by its location and will comprise a combination of the overall seven percent increase and the organization’s regional rating factor. Total 2025 VEBA rate changes will vary from a 0.7 percent decrease to an 18.9 percent increase, depending on the rating factor that applies to a particular region.

The WELS VEBA Commission approved the new rate regions and rating factors so that WELS VEBA rates will better reflect current health care costs across the country. The new regional rating factors will be implemented over three years (2025 through 2027) to ease the financial impact to organizations. With the three-year transition period, the regional rating factor that applies to an organization’s rates for 2025 will also apply to that organization’s rates for 2026 and 2027.

Learn more about the 2025 rate change and find the 2025 VEBA rates for your organization.