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Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) is a North American religious denomination with practice rooted in the Lutheran tradition of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Wisconsin. As of 2005, it had a membership of over 398,000 in more than 1,200 congregation, in all 50 U.S. states as well as 24 countries. It is the third largest Lutheran denomination in the United States, following Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS).

WELS is in fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), a smaller denomination based in south-central Minnesota, and is a member of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC), a worldwide organization of Lutheran church bodies. It should be noted that the WELS, along with the LCMS, are independent Lutheran denominations and are not a part of the ELCA, which is structured to have "synods" within the denomination. Thus, the term "synod" used by the ELCA refers to administrative districts in different regions of the United States (example: Illinois Synod of the ELCA), whereas the word "synod" descends from a Greek word that means "walking together" and, in the case of WELS and LCMS, is applied to the entire church body and not just individual administrative units.

Organization and structure

Synodical government

The WELS is headed by a president and is supported by two vice presidents elected during its synod convention for terms of four years. The president oversees the administration of the synod. The current synod president is Rev. Mark Schroeder.

Beneath the president are numerous administrative divisions addressing various areas of ministry. Among these are ministerial education, world missions, home missions, parish services, and fiscal services.

Synod conventions are held biennially in odd-numbered years and consist of elected male lay members, ordained pastors and certified male teachers. Half of all delegates are to be lay members while the remaining half is divided between pastors and teachers. Synod conventions elect synodical leaders, and discuss and vote on synodical business. The WELS Synodical Council governs the church, when the church is not in convention.

The WELS is divided into 12 geographical districts in the United States and Canada, each headed by a district president elected in district conventions held during even-numbered years. District presidents serve terms of two years.

Ministerial and other education

The WELS maintains four schools of ministerial education: two college preparatory schools Michigan Lutheran Seminary and Luther Preparatory School; a pre-seminary and teacher training college, Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota; and a seminary for training pastors, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, located in Mequon, Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Lutheran College, a liberal arts college in Milwaukee, is affiliated with, though not run by, the WELS, and there are numerous area Lutheran high schools, Lutheran elementary schools, and early childhood education centers maintained by WELS congregations.

Publishing and publications

Northwestern Publishing House() is the official publishing house for the WELS. It is devoted to publishing Christian literature and WELS related religious materials, as well as several WELS periodicals.

Main WELS periodicals include:

Forward in Christ — The WELS' monthly family magazine.
Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly — A quarterly theological magazine.
The Lutheran Educator — A quarterly professional journal by WELS teachers.

History

Historical background

The WELS' direct predecessor, known as The German Evangelical Ministerium of Wisconsin was founded in 1850 by several churches in and around Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Many of the early pastors were educated and trained by mission societies in Germany, and the early churches in the Wisconsin Synod had a strong German background; services and church business were conducted in German.

In 1871 the Wisconsin Synod formally declared fellowship (in this context, an agreement recognizing doctrinal unity) with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod to form the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America, commonly called the "Synodical Conference." The Synodical Conference was later joined by the ELS in 1917. The fellowship union included full communion among members, the sharing of educational facilities, joint mission and benevolence work, and open pulpit between pastors of the different synods. This fellowship relationship would last for 90 years.

In 1893, two Wisconsin Synod missionaries began work in Arizona at Peridot and Old San Carlos among the Apache people. Congregations were soon established. Currently there are eight Wisconsin Synod congregations on the reservation.

In 1917 the Wisconsin Synod joined with several sister synods in neighboring states, including the Minnesota Synod, the Michigan Lutheran Synod, and the Nebraska Synod, to become the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. By 1930, the merger and other factors had pushed the WELS to become a primarily English-speaking synod.

From 1926-29, a small group of persons and congregations were expelled or voluntarily left the WELS in an incident known as the "Protes'tant Controversy." They formed the Protes'tant Conference.

Doctrinal differences among the synods of the Synodical Conference, especially concerning the doctrine and practice of church fellowship, surfaced during the 1940s and '50s. Problems began when the LCMS began exploratory talks with leaders of the American Lutheran Church (ALC). The ALC differed on their doctrine of Predestination and therefore did not share doctrinal fellowship with the Synodical Conference. Since there had been no recent change on the ALC's doctrinal position, the LCMS was then charged by some within the Synodical Conference of changing its position on church fellowship. After years of continued talks, the ELS severed its fellowship relations with the LCMS in 1955 and withdrew from the Synodical Conference. Two years later the WELS publicly recognized the same doctrinal disagreements with the LCMS, but did not officially break fellowship with the LCMS until 1961. In this time period, the WELS instead decided to "admonish" the LCMS to return to its former doctrine and practice. Dissatisfaction over this decision led about 70 pastors and a similar number of congregations to leave the WELS and form the Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC). Their chief complaint was that the WELS misapplied the principles of Christian fellowship by not breaking immediately with the Synodical Conference and the LCMS after it had publicly recognized doctrinal disagreements. To this day the CLC and the WELS remain at odds regarding this issue.

In 1993 the ELS and WELS, working with a number of other Lutheran synods around the world -- some of which had been founded through mission work by both synods -- founded a new fellowship organization which is the theological successor of the Synodical Conference: the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC).

WELS Presidents, past and present

The following is a list of Presidents of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod from 1850 to the present.

Years of Service	President
1850-1860	Johannes Muehlhaeuser
1860-1864	John Bading
1864-1865	Gottlieb Rein
1865-1867	William Streissguth
1867-1887	John Bading
1887-1908	Phillip von Rohr
1908-1933	G.E. Bergemann
1933-1953	John Brenner
1953-1979	Oscar J. Naumann
1979-1993	Carl Mischke
1993-2007	Karl R. Gurgel
2007-present	Mark Schroeder

Beliefs and practice

Core beliefs

The WELS teaches that the Bible is the only authoritative and error-free source for doctrine. It subscribes to the Lutheran Confessions (the Book of Concord) not in-so-far-as but because it is an accurate presentation of what Scripture teaches. It teaches that Jesus is the center of Scripture and the only way to eternal salvation, and that the Holy Spirit uses the gospel alone in Word and Sacraments (Baptism and Holy Communion) to bring people to faith in Jesus as Savior and keep them in that faith, strengthening them in their daily life of sanctification.

Differences from LCMS (Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod)

The main facets of doctrinal difference between WELS and the LCMS include:

Fellowship — WELS teaches that all forms of Christian fellowship require complete unity in matters of doctrine. The LCMS, meanwhile, teaches that there are different levels of fellowship among Christians, so that altar fellowship (sharing in the Eucharist together), pulpit fellowship (exchange of preaching privileges among ministers of various congregations), and other manifestations of Christian fellowship (such as fellowship in prayer), are distinct. Thus, according to LCMS doctrine, members of different church bodies can engage in greater or lesser degrees of fellowship depending on the extent of their doctrinal disagreement.
Doctrine of the ministry — The WELS believes that there are many different forms of one, divinely established Ministry. These forms of the Ministry include pastor, Christian day-school teacher, staff-minister and others. The LCMS teaches that only the pastoral office is divinely established, while all other church offices are human institutions.
Role of women in the church — The LCMS and WELS agree that Scriptures reserve the pastoral office for men. In "This We Believe," published in 1999, WELS states that "women may participate in offices and activities of the public ministry except where that work involves authority over men (1 Timothy 2:11,12). This means that women may not serve as pastors nor participate in assemblies of the church in ways that exercise authority over men (1 Corinthians 11:3; 14:33-35)." WELS beliefs WELS does not allow women suffrage in congregational matters that would exercise authority over men. LCMS teaches that women may take on roles of lay authority in the church, such as voting in church elections and serving in "humanly established offices" such as congregation president, reader, or member of church councils, including elected executive roles in the church.

Differences from ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)

Scriptural interpretation — WELS confesses that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God and follows an Historical-Grammatical approach to interpretation. The meaning of a portion of Scripture is discerned by paying careful attention to grammar, syntax, vocabulary and context. In this regard, the historical setting forms part of the context of Scripture, the text itself indicating how important a part. The ELCA, on the other hand, has been open to Historical-Critical Methods of Biblical interpretation which seek to understand the scriptures with primary reference to historical and social context. Most other specific doctrinal differences between the two churches stem from this overarching disagreement.
Creationism — WELS teaches that the account of creation given in Genesis 1-3 is a factual, historical account , while the ELCA has not enforced an official position, allowing members to embrace positions ranging from strict creationism to Theistic evolution.
Sexuality — WELS teaches that extramarital sex and homosexual relations are sins, while the ELCA and its predecessor churches have been somewhat open to multiple viewpoints on these matters. The ELCA does not officially permit the ordination of non-celibate homosexuals or same-sex unions, although in 2007 the Churchwide Assembly passed a resolution calling on bishops to withhold action against churches performing such ordinations There have recently been sharp divisions within the church over these issues, and a statement is expected during the 2009 Churchwide Assembly
Fellowship — WELS teaches that churches must agree on all doctrines of Scripture before they can enjoy any form of fellowship with each other, while the ELCA teaches that agreement on all aspects of doctrine is not necessarily required as a prerequisite for fellowship. It thus practices fellowship with a handful of other mainline Protestant denominations.
Role of women in the church — WELS holds that, according to Scripture, women may not serve as clergy nor vote within their congregations where authority is exercised over men (see above), while the ELCA’s three predecessor churches began ordaining women into the ministry in the 1970s.

Ecumenical relations

Fellowship between the WELS and other church groups is established only upon investigation and confirmation that both church groups hold complete unity in scriptural doctrine and practice.

The WELS is in fellowship with the members of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, all of which meet this requirement.