Europe
WELS World Missions conducts gospel outreach throughout Europe, partnering to share Christ’s grace in Albania, Bulgaria, London and the U.K., Portugal, Russia, and Ukraine while supporting sister church bodies in seven additional European countries. An administrative committee appointed by the Board for World Missions helps facilitate world mission work throughout the continent of Europe.
Meet the Missionaries
Rev. Luke Wolfgramm - Team Leader
Missionary Luke Wolfgramm graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1997, was assigned to Novosibirsk, Russia, and has been there ever since. He previously served as a congregational pastor in the Concord Evangelical Lutheran Church. Now the church is blessed with three Russian pastors and one talented seminary student who carry out pastoral ministry. Luke focuses on worker training and mentoring church leaders.
Luke also works with our other WELS European mission churches in Albania and Bulgaria. He also spends time with independent sister churches in Europe and provides fellowship and encouragement to help pastors and congregations who are often small and isolated.
Luke is married to Jennifer, who loves to work with music in the congregations and help get people involved with their congregations in a variety of ways. She travels with Luke to meet and strengthen friendships with the women of our sister congregations. They have three children. Christina is living in Nebraska and studying drafting and design. Katie is in her final year at Milwaukee School of Engineering and is engaged to Xander Neuwirth. Peter is a sophomore at Fox Valley Lutheran High School. He lives with Luke’s brother and family in Appleton.
Download and read more biographies at wels.net/missionarybios.
Rev. Michael Hartman - London and the U.K.
Missionary Michael Hartman serves as missionary to the United Kingdom, with a focus on London and international ministry. As the first WELS missionary to the area, he carries out exploratory work among a core group of WELS members living in the U.K. He is also in contact with individuals who reside in London and are members of churches that share fellowship with WELS in Europe, Asia, South America, and the Caribbean.
Prior to his call to the U.K., Missionary Hartman served as leader of the Latin America mission team, a group of missionaries who work to bring the gospel to Latin America and train leaders to help them teach others about Jesus. Missionary Hartman spent time in Latin America after graduating from the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1999, at which time he was assigned to Mexico City. During the first 14 years of his ministry, he helped our sister synod in Mexico plant churches and develop leaders.
In 2013, drawing on the foundation laid by former missionaries to Latin America, Missionary Hartman worked with a team to create Academia Cristo, a ministry that provides Biblical material and training in Spanish. Today, Academia Cristo engages with an average of four million people every month. More than 500 students are active in a training program in which they learn Biblical theology and receive tools and mentoring as they work to plant churches in their neighborhoods.
Missionary Hartman has a Doctor of Ministry in church planting. His passion for mission work stems from his ongoing desire to tell others about Jesus so they can join the heavenly ranks with believers from around the world.
Missionary Hartman and his wife Rachel have been married for more than 20 years and have been blessed with four children.
Download and read more biographies at wels.net/missionarybios.
Rev. Conifer Berg - London and the U.K.
Conifer Berg, son of Haley and Martin Berg, was born in 1995 in Appleton, Wis. He was confirmed at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Appleton. Conifer went to high school at Appleton North High School and graduated from Luther Preparatory School in Watertown, Wis. He graduated from Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minn., in 2017. He spent his vicar year serving at Christ Lutheran Church in Denver, Colo., graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wis., in 2022, and was assigned as a missionary to London and the U.K.
Conifer and Ruth, née Nitz, were married in Appleton, Wis., on June 17, 2016. God-willing, Conifer and Ruth will be moving to the United Kingdom this summer. Conifer will be part of the Europe mission team as one of the missionaries to London. He is extremely honored to have this opportunity and looks forward to seeing first-hand the wonders God will do through his Word across the pond. Conifer is also a big football (soccer) fan and is excited to live and work in such a multi-cultural area of the world.
Download and read more biographies at wels.net/missionarybios.
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Europe Mission Partners
Other Mission Partners
WELS Missions also partners with sister synods and independent churches in fellowship with WELS throughout Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Germany. This partnership and support can come in the form of financial assistance, theological training or continuing education through the Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI), 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). Visit the ELS world outreach page to learn more about that work.
Many of these mission partners are a part of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC), a worldwide fellowship of confessional Lutherans. To learn more about the CELC and these mission partners, visit celc.info.
SUPPORT WORLD MISSIONS
Consider supporting mission work in Europe with your prayers and gifts.
PICTURES OF EUROPE
Browse through and share pictures of Europe taken by WELS missionaries and national workers.
