WELS 175th anniversary events and resources

On Thurs., March 20, the first major event celebrating the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Wisconsin Synod was held at St. John’s on the Hillside in downtown Milwaukee. More than 800 people gathered in this historic church building to hear a joint concert presented by the Seminary Chorus of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., and the Martin Luther College Choir, New Ulm, Minn. St. John’s pastor Isaac Hayes commented, “It was as though the church building itself were singing.” The concert was presented again on March 29 at the Martin Luther College Chapel of the Christ. That concert was also well attended. The MLC YouTube channel has archived videos of both concerts.

More events are scheduled for the coming months including an anniversary dinner hosted by the WELS Historical Institute on Wed., May 28, at Salem Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. Get details and sign up online.

Resources for congregations and individuals to highlight the anniversary and explore WELS history continue to be developed and made available.

• Print-ready full-color bulletin inserts of major events in WELS history are being released on a monthly basis. Please consider using these in your congregation.
• An interactive timeline is now available. This is a useful resource for pastors or teachers desiring to explore WELS history in Bible classes and catechism classes.
• Subscribe to the WELS History YouTube page for video content. The first video is an interview with WELS President Mark Schroeder.
• A goal of the anniversary committee is to increase research, preservation, and publications of congregational histories. Several resources are available to help congregations write and preserve their histories, including what material to keep in archives. These resources can be found here.
• Anniversary commemorative items are now available. See options at welsstore.net/collections/175th-anniversary.
• The new pictorial history book, Christ Through Us: A Pictorial History of the Wisconsin Synod, 1850-2025, can be preordered at nph.net/175annivbook.

Congregations are encouraged to celebrate the synod anniversary as part of a three-week series in October. Worship resources are available online.

God in his grace has richly blessed our church body for seven generations as the message about Christ has been proclaimed to us and through us. This history is worth studying and celebrating.

Check the WELS 175 website for additional resources in the coming months.

Prof. Joel Otto
Chairman, WELS 175th Anniversary Planning Committee