Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)

• Formation: 1850
• Founders: Members of several German Christian churches near Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Background

The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) is a denomination of Christianity. It consists of more than 330,680 members based in 1,241 North American congregations. As a Lutheran synod, WELS follows the teachings of Martin Luther, one of the leaders of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation.

According to the Lutheran faith, the Bible provides people with all that they need to know to find a place in heaven. Furthermore, Lutherans believe that no matter how much good a person does, their inherent flaws prevent the person from measuring up to God’s standards. To Lutherans, the only way to reach heaven is to accept God’s love, forgiveness, and help. Lutherans still believe people should strive to do good deeds but that they should naturally want to do so out of gratitude to God, not because doing so is necessary to enter heaven.

History

WELS traces its roots to the early sixteenth century when Luther began publicly rejecting many of the Catholic Church’s teachings. Luther was a German priest and a professor of theology, and he believed that Catholicism had fallen out of step with what the Bible contained. Luther challenged many established ideas about Catholicism. He thought that the church placed too much value on traditions and practices that did not originate from the Bible. He took issue with the church’s practice of indulgences, which required members to make financial donations in order to secure a position in heaven. He also disputed the church’s assertion that the pope was infallible.

At the time, most of Europe was controlled by the Holy Roman Empire, which practiced Catholicism. Luther’s actions were an unwelcome challenge to the church, and he was excommunicated, losing his priesthood. He continued to write and spread his interpretation of Christianity. The term “Lutheran” was initially used as an insult by Catholics.

Although Luther was seeking to reform the Catholic Church, not break from it, his teachings and actions helped inspire the Protestant movement. “Protestant” is an umbrella term that includes many Christian denominations, such as present-day Methodists, Baptists, and Lutherans. Despite resistance from Catholics, Protestant denominations spread across Europe.

In 1848, German missionary John Muehlhaeuser settled in Wisconsin. There, he found other German immigrants and German pastors. By 1850, German Christians in the greater Milwaukee area came together and founded the Wisconsin Synod. The synod grew over the next two decades, but its expanding membership led to differences of opinion.

More nearby states began adopting their own synods, with some of the most prominent being the Missouri and Ohio synods. The synods regularly communicated, trying to determine how to best organize. By 1878, it was determined that each state with a large Lutheran presence would have its own synod, and these would be grouped into regions. The Wisconsin Synod joined with Minnesota’s and Michigan’s to become the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Wisconsin and Other States.

The joint synod grew rapidly during the twentieth century. In 1917, it reorganized. Each of the member state synods instead became known as a district, collectively making up the Wisconsin Synod. Nebraska joined Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.

The synod struggled financially during the Great Depression but emerged from World War II (1939-1945) with more influence than ever. It began funding global mission trips and expanded its membership to the US coasts. It officially adopted the name Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in 1959. During this time, it had maintained loose ties with the Missouri Synod, which had also grown significantly since the previous century. In 1961, WELS determined that the differences between the two synods were too great to maintain their connection. By the end of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first, WELS was one of the largest Lutheran denominations in North America.

Beliefs & Practices

Many elements of WELS faith are shared with other Lutheran synods, and some are shared with other Protestant and even Catholic denominations. One aspect that distinguishes WELS is that it is generally more conservative than other Lutheran congregations. It holds that in order to freely associate with other churches, they must fully agree on their interpretations of church doctrine. It is more relaxed on church rituals and traditions that are not explicitly ordered or forbidden by the Bible. WELS forbids women from taking on roles or voting on issues that would give them authority over men.

It generally follows a literal interpretation of the Bible, proclaiming that the text accurately records historical events. According to WELS, God directly inspired each of the Bible’s writers, ensuring that every word is complete truth. The church views marriage between one man and one woman as the only valid form of marriage and considers any sexual relations outside of marriage to be sinful.

WELS subscribes to the concept of a triune God. This means that there is only one God, who is an omnipotent, eternal being. However, that God has three distinct identities: Father, Son—Jesus—and the Holy Spirit.

WELS uses two sacraments—sacred rituals—in contrast with the seven traditionally practiced by the Catholic Church. The first is baptism, which is used to welcome people into the church family. Baptism involves wetting one’s head with water, which, according to WELS, is blessed by God. Any ordinary water may suffice for this rite.

The second is communion, or the Eucharist. This involves consuming bread and wine, which WELS believes contain the presence of the body and blood of Jesus. This references what Jesus said and did during the Last Supper and the sacrifice he made for humanity when he died. Many denominations of Christianity debate whether the bread and wine are literally transformed into the body and blood of Jesus or whether this is a symbolic gesture meant to remind them of his sacrifice and love. WELS proclaims that he is present in the earthly materials, but it does not officially determine the specific nature or timing of the process. As with baptismal water, the type of bread and wine is unimportant to Lutherans—God can work with common materials as easily as rare, expensive ones.

Lutherans believe that all humans are sinful, which prevents them from reaching heaven on their own merits. They say that church rituals and fellowship can help Christians strengthen their faith, but no particular ritual can deliver salvation. For that, Lutherans say a person must hold a sincere belief that God cares for them, and they must ask for forgiveness for their sins.

Bibliography

“About WELS.” WELS, wels.net/about-wels. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.

“Christian Aid and Relief Responds to Hurricane Helene.” WELS, wels.net/christian-aid-and-relief-responds-to-hurricane-helene. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.

“History.” The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, www.lcms.org/about/lcms-history. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.

Luther, Martin. Luther’s Large Catechism, Concordia Publishing, 2010.

Luther, Martin. Luther’s Small Catechism, Concordia Publishing, 2017.

“Lutherans in the USA.” USA Lutherans, usalutherans.tripod.com/id1.html. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.

Roper, Lyndal. Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet, Random House, 2016.