Europe
The Europe mission team partners to share Christ’s grace in Albania, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Russia, and Ukraine while supporting sister church bodies in seven additional countries. Three WELS missionaries reside in Europe. A stateside administrative committee appointed by the Board for World Missions helps facilitate their work.
The Europe mission team partners with sister synods and independent churches in fellowship with WELS in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Germany. This partnership and support can come in the form of financial assistance, theological training or continuing education, visits and assistance from other World Missions representatives or missionaries, as well as the sharing of outreach ideas. A church in the Czech Republic and a synod in Latvia are directly supported by our mission partners in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS). Most mission partners are a part of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC), a worldwide fellowship of confessional Lutherans. Learn more at celc.info.
Fast facts
- 13 sister synods in Europe
- Mission partners in 12 countries
- 3 missionaries
Meet the missionaries
Rev. Dr. Michael Hartman - London, United Kingdom
Rev. Dr. Michael Hartman serves in the United Kingdom, with a focus on London and international outreach. Weekly worship services are held in London and Wolverhampton, where people from more than a dozen countries regularly gather around God’s Word. Hartman also works alongside others across the country who are working to begin new groups. The ministry extends online through Discover Hidden Gems, which has grown to more than 8,000 followers across platforms and reaches over 1,000 people daily. He has also developed a course, How to Read the Bible, designed to help spiritually curious people take their first steps in Scripture.
Hartman graduated from the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1999 and later earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in church planting. Before coming to the U.K., he served as a world missionary in Latin America for 23 years. During that time, he worked with the One Latin America Team to share the gospel across the Spanish-speaking world and to equip leaders with resources for forming new churches. God blessed these efforts with the founding of Academia Cristo, a Spanish-language Bible institute and church-planting ministry that continues to serve many today.
Hartman lives in London with his wife, Rachel, and their four children.
Download and read more biographies at wels.net/missionarybios.
Rev. Luke and Jennifer Wolfgramm - Leipzig, Germany
After graduating from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1997, Missionary Luke Wolfgramm was assigned to Novosibirsk, Russia, where he served for 25 years. In March 2022, Wolfgramm began a new role as a mobile ministry partner in Europe. The Wolfgramms currently live in Leipzig, Germany. From this base, he teaches online and travels to strengthen WELS fellowship with pastors and congregations in a dozen sister churches. Wolfgramm is also partnering with the ELFK, WELS’ sister church in Germany, to enhance ministerial education, leadership, mentoring, and pastoral wellness throughout Europe.
Wolfgramm is married to Jennifer, who was recently called by the Europe Team to serve women in Europe. Jennifer travels with Missionary Wolfgramm, building relationships and learning about opportunities for women’s ministry in our sister churches on individual, congregational, and inter-European levels. As her role grows, she looks forward to engaging in more mentoring, teaching, praying with, and encouraging women across Europe.
The Wolfgramms have three children who were born and raised in Russia and are adapting to life as adults in the U.S.: Christina, Katie (Xander), and Peter. They all live in the Milwaukee, Wis., area and like to get together for borsch and honey cake.
Download and read more biographies at wels.net/missionarybios.
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PICTURES OF EUROPE
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