Tag Archive for: Together06212022

Two new district presidents elected

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All 12 districts held their conventions during the last two weeks. The conventions reviewed the reports submitted by all areas of ministry and provided reaction and input to those reports and to future plans that have been made.

Districts also held elections for district officers and for other board and committee positions. Two of those elections resulted in new district presidents.

Rev. Don Tollefson, president of the North Atlantic District, retired as of the end of June. Rev. Michael Seifert, serving at Living Hope, Midlothian, Va., was elected as the new district president. Rev. David Kolander, president of the Southeastern Wisconsin District, chose not to run again. Rev. Daniel Leyrer, serving at St. Marcus, Milwaukee, Wis., was elected as the new district president. Because of the size of the district in terms of congregations and called workers, Kolander has accepted a call to serve as the assistant to the new district president in addition to his current call as pastor at Christ the Lord, Brookfield, Wis.

Both new district presidents will serve on the Conference of Presidents.

We thank God for the faithful service of Revs. Tollefson and Kolander and pray for God’s continued blessings as they serve him in the future.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

Coverage of the district conventions will be included in the August issue of Forward in Christ magazine.

 

 

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WELS’ 2021 statistics are now available

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The complete 2021 Statistical Report as well as the 2021 Statistical Summary are now available at welscongregationalservices.net/stats.

“Statistics are one of the tools believers use as they seek to steward God’s blessings wisely,” says Rev. Jonathan Hein, coordinator of WELS Congregational Services. Hein explains that each year, WELS congregations track certain statistics—membership totals, attendance figures, ministrations, offerings, types of gains and losses, etc. That information can help churches with their ministry planning. WELS compiles all that congregational information in its annual statistical report, which aids WELS’ leaders as they plan the synod’s collective ministry. The complete statistical report is hundreds of pages of information. WELS Congregational Services annually produces a briefer statistical summary report. This year’s summary is 19 pages long and contains information such as:

  • The reported total WELS membership at the end of 2021 was 340,511.
  • From 2020 to 2021, total WELS membership decreased by 1.1 percent (down 3,733 souls). That is the smallest loss WELS has experienced in the past six years.
  • Currently 20 percent of WELS members fall into the category of “youths”—those newborn through 8th grade.
  • Congregation Mission Offerings for 2021 increased by 4 percent from the previous year.

“The statistical summary gives us reasons to praise the Lord of the church,” says Hein. “It also identifies challenges that deserve prayer and planning.”

Hein concludes, “The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians, ‘You do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed’ (1:7). God has richly blessed our congregations and our synod with every type of resource we need to proclaim his gospel. May the Spirit give us the faith and the wisdom to steward those resources well.”

For more details, visit welscongregationalservices.net/stats.

 

 

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