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.

For a church body the size of WELS, our synod is blessed to be able to provide a wide variety of spring and summer events. Each of those events presents opportunities for worship, spiritual growth, supporting the synod’s mission, training for service in various ways, and Christian fellowship. Some of the events held in 2024 feature all five elements.

Two of the synod’s summer events happen next week:

• WELS Women’s Ministry Conference
  The WELS Women’s Ministry Conference will be held July 28-30 at the Ingleside Hotel, Pewaukee, Wis. It is a sold-out conference with 450 attendees planning to come.

• WELS National Conference on Worship, Music, and the Arts
  The National Conference on Worship, Music, and the Arts will take place on the Carthage College campus in Kenosha, Wis., July 30-Aug. 2. More than 800 people have registered to attend. Walk-ins are welcome at the event.

Several other events occurred earlier this summer:

• Taste of Missions
  Nearly 500 people attended the annual Taste of Missions on June 15 at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., for a day of food, fellowship, fun, and learning about WELS mission work. The event kicked off with a special worship service in the morning, during which nine new home and world missionaries were commissioned.

2024 WELS International Youth Rally

• WELS International Youth Rally
  From June 25-28, WELS teens had the opportunity to worship together, learn and study God’s Word, grow in faith and fellowship with one another, as well as enjoy recreation and entertainment at the 2024 WELS International Youth Rally. Around 2,200 teens and 600 adults convened at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. This was the second largest rally ever, second only to the 2005 rally in Orlando, Fla.

• Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society convention
  The 61st annual convention of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society (LWMS) in Sioux Falls, S.D., on June 27-30 drew more than 1,000 people for the opening service. This year’s convention theme was “Being Built into a Spiritual House.” Convention highlights included the presentation of more than $100,000 to support WELS Home and World Missions projects and an opportunity to hear about the latest developments from mission administrators. In addition, the LWMS kids c.a.r.e. program received more than $43,000 in 2023–24 to support annual retreats for children of world missionaries who assimilate back to American culture.

• WELS Night at the Brewers
  More than 2,000 members from around the Midwest enjoyed an evening of fellowship, fun, and baseball at the annual WELS Night at the Brewers on July 12.
  

  Rev. Paul Lindhorst sang the national anthem at WELS Night at the Brewers.

In addition to those synodwide events, summer is also the time throughout the synod when district or regional gatherings are held. Those include such things as district conventions, Sunday school workshops, marriage retreats, Lutheran summer camps, handbell festivals, and lay leadership retreats.

The popularity of these events indicates that we are a synod whose members are willing to give their time to events that support the mission of the synod and provide them with opportunities to grow in their knowledge and be equipped for service.

Learn more about upcoming events at wels.net/events.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

During this summer’s district conventions, two districts elected new presidents. The Pacific Northwest District elected Rev. Daniel Lange, and the Arizona-California District elected Rev. Joel Heckendorf. They will replace the outgoing presidents: Rev. John Steinbrenner from the Pacific Northwest District, who accepted a call to serve as pastor at Martin Luther, Oshkosh, Wis., and Rev. Jon Buchholz, who chose not to stand for reelection in the Arizona-California District.

Rev. Daniel Lange, Pacific Northwest District president

Rev. Daniel Lange currently serves as pastor at Light of Life, Covington, Wash. Lange was born in Arkansas where his father, Rev. Douglas Lange, was assigned to plant a mission church.

During his childhood summers, Lange, with his family, had the opportunity to stay at a family property near Eagle River, Wis. “This place holds a special place in my heart,” says Lange. “It was here that I received most of my ministry encouragement from my grandfather, Robert Otterstatter. It was at his side, fixing a broken pipe or shingling a cabin roof, where he spent hours talking to me about ‘the good Lord.’”

Lange met his wife, Sara, at Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn. “I didn’t know at the time how tremendously the Lord would bless me through Sara,” remarks Lange. “For all the sermons I’ve given, my wife has given more. Her text is ‘Love your husband!’ and her sermons are preached through her daily actions in our house, at our church, and everywhere in our life together.” The Langes have been blessed with three children—Madelyn (14), Olivia (12), and Zachary (9).

As he begins his new role, Lange is grateful for the support and advice he has received from the outgoing district president. “John Steinbrenner continues to teach me many lessons,” says Lange. “In all things, he has placed the kingdom first.”

He continues, “I look forward to visiting our churches and schools. I’m eager to witness how Jesus is blessing them, to pray with them, and to serve them in any manner possible.”

Rev. Joel Heckendorf, Arizona-California District president

Rev. Joel Heckendorf currently serves as pastor at Light of the Valleys, Reno, Nev. As a Wisconsin native who grew up on a dairy farm in Jackson, Heckendorf remarks, “When I took the call to start a mission in Reno, it was the first time I lived outside of Wisconsin and it was the first time I was part of a congregation with less than one thousand members. Being in a mission has helped me gain a whole new perspective on ministry.”

Heckendorf has gathered insights from various people and congregations throughout his life. First, he learned from his parents, who were both involved in their home congregation. But it wasn’t until his senior year in high school that he considered becoming a pastor. “The summer before my senior year, I’d spend a few mornings a week lifting weights and playing basketball with a seminarian from my congregation,” explains Heckendorf. “As he let 17-year-old me hang around his seminary buddies, I started to consider pastoral ministry because of their peer influence.”

Now as he considers his new role as district president, Heckendorf can see how the Lord has prepared him for this path. For example, while serving as pastor at Immanuel, Greenville, Wis., Heckendorf served on the praesidium of the Northern Wisconsin District and learned a great deal from its president, Rev. Joel Zank. Additionally, Heckendorf explains, “Being on Synodical Council the past few years, I admired the laymen and administrators of our synod. Also, serving as Multi-Language Productions’ administrative chairman has broadened my experience to consider many cultures and to work alongside many gifted people.” He also notes how God prepared him through his wife, Mary. “Whether it’s watching her use her gifts or receiving her support, I thank God for providing the perfect complement.”

Heckendorf says he is grateful for all the prayers and words of encouragement through the years. “The number of people who have said they’d love to be my ‘Aaron’— to help hold me up—is amazing,” he says. “No matter what challenges we experience in our personal or professional lives, we can rejoice in the Lord, knowing that he is our Savior.”

Learn more about the role of district presidents in WELS President Rev. Mark Schroeder’s column in this month’s Forward in Christ.