Five new district presidents elected

Five new district presidents were elected during the 12 WELS district conventions held this June. Each WELS district holds a convention once every two years, in the year between synod conventions. These conventions allow delegates to consider local ministry topics and issues that apply to the synod at large and to hold elections for district officers and committee members.

The new district presidents elected by the convention delegates will join the other district presidents reelected to their positions, the synod president, and the two synod vice presidents to form WELS’ Conference of Presidents, which maintains the synod’s doctrine and practice and is responsible for funding the synod budget. The new district presidents are Paul Seager, South Central District; Stephen Helwig, Nebraska District; Kevin Westra, Northern Wisconsin District; Jonathan Schroeder, South Atlantic District; and Benjamin Tomczak, Dakota-Montana District.

The districts in which new presidents were elected all knew that they would be electing a new district president because the presidents in those districts did not stand for reelection or, in the case of Donald Patterson of the South Central District, could not stand for reelection because of a new call. The other men who completed their service on the Conference of Presidents are Philip Hirsch, Nebraska District; Joel Zank, Northern Wisconsin District; Charles Westra, South Atlantic District; and Douglas Free, Dakota-Montana District.

“We thank God and these men for their faithful service and pray for God’s continued blessing on their ministry,” says WELS President Mark Schroeder. “We pray for the Spirit’s wisdom and guidance on the five brothers in Christ as they begin serving their districts and their synod in this new role.”

The current Conference of Presidents now consists of WELS President Mark Schroeder; First Vice President Joel Voss; Second Vice President John Bortulin; Arizona-California District President Joel Heckendorf; Dakota-Montana District President Benjamin Tomczak; Michigan District President Snowden Sims; Minnesota District President Dennis Klatt; Nebraska District President Stephen Helwig; North Atlantic District President Michael Seifert; Northern Wisconsin District President Kevin Westra; Pacific Northwest District President Daniel Lange; South Atlantic District President Jonathan Schroeder; South Central District President Paul Seager; Southeastern Wisconsin District President Daniel Leyrer; and Western Wisconsin District President Michael Jensen. Synod Secretary Tyler Peil serves as an advisory member.

More district convention news and photos will be shared in the August issue of Forward in Christ magazine.