Changes in the WELS Commission on Worship

Rev. Bryan Gerlach, director of the WELS Commission on Worship, has announced his intention to retire. He will retire partially mid-2024 but continue serving until the planning for next summer’s National Conference on Worship, Music, and the Arts is completed. He will fully retire after the conference takes place July 30–Aug. 2. In his partial retirement, he also will continue to focus on two Worship publications—Preach the Word and Worship the Lord—and provide ongoing assistance to individuals and congregations on worship issues. While he serves in a part-time capacity, his title will be the associate director of the Commission on Worship.

The Conference of Presidents has asked Rev. Paul Prange to begin serving immediately as the interim director of the Commission on Worship. Prange currently serves as administrator of the Board for Ministerial Education and chairman of the Joint Mission Council. He will retain these responsibilities. Prange will serve as interim director until a staffing review takes place at the end of 2024.

As interim director of the Commission on Worship, Prange will give attention to several important initiatives, including:

• Working on strategic planning with the Commission on Worship chairman Rev. Michael Schultz.
• Serving on a preaching enrichment task force.
• Helping link hymnology with the religion curriculum that is being developed.
• Providing worship enrichment resources for new and existing home mission congregations.
• Offering chapel planning resources for area Lutheran high schools.
• Assisting in the advance planning for “The Foundation” resources for worship and preaching.

Because Prange’s work will take place in the areas of ministerial education, missions, and worship, he will have the opportunity to develop increased coordination and cooperation among these various synodical entities.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder