Celebrating the past
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.
