CHRIST’S LOVE,
OUR CALLING
Title Slide
WELS ANNUAL REPORT 2014
MESSAGE FROM
THE PRESIDENT
 “The synod” is a spiritual family united in a mission to
share the Savior faithfully and efficiently across the
world.
 I pray this annual report gives you a glimpse of God’s
blessings on our common mission, reminds you of the
privilege we have to do that work, and encourages in
you a zeal to participate.
CALLED TO PROCLAIM
CREATING MINISTRY CONNECTIONS
WELS facilitated the connection of Peter Bur, a South
Sudanese man enrolled in our synod’s Pastoral
Studies Institute, with other South Sudanese men in
the U.S. and Ethiopia, and with the head of the
Lutheran seminary in Ethiopia.
As a result, a number of WELS pastors have begun
training South Sudanese men in the U.S., and South
Sudanese men who are refugees in Ethiopia are
growing in their understanding of the gospel on the
way to becoming Lutheran pastors.
CALLED TO PROCLAIM
Rev. E. Allen Sorum of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary’s Pastoral
Studies Institute (PSI), Peter Bur (back row, third from the left),
and another South Sudanese PSI student recently visited with five
South Sudanese pastors in Ethiopia.
CALLED TO PROCLAIM
RUSSIAN ORDINATIONS
On Easter 2014 two native
Russians were ordained and
installed as pastors—the only two
national pastors for the 312member church body. “It’s just a
new chapter for the church—to
have the Russians in charge and
leading,” says Rev. Larry
Schlomer, administrator of the
Board for World Missions.
CALLED TO PROCLAIM
WORLD MISSIONS
 Has a presence in 23 different countries
 Serves 76,500 baptized members in Lutheran
churches
 Serves 52,000 more souls through correspondence
and workshops
 Is training 170 men to become pastors in their own
countries
 Is assisting national pastors to train hundreds of
people to be congregational leaders in their home
countries
CALLED TO PROCLAIM
WORLD MISSIONS
 Is exploring outreach possibilities in five additional
countries
 Supports 41 missionaries, 9 teachers, and more
than 70 lay workers in our missions
 Produces digital and print materials for more than
45 different languages through Multi-Language
Publications
 Maintains www.wels.net/missions to tell WELS
members about the amazing work being done
CALLED TO PROCLAIM
HOME MISSIONS
 Called to proclaim God’s Word in English-speaking
North America
 Includes campus and multi-cultural ministries
CALLED TO PROCLAIM
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Saviour of the Nations, Vancouver, British Columbia held
its first worship service in March 2009 but for most of its
existence has shared a pastor with two other
congregations and only had a pastor to lead worship
services once a month. The congregation is excited to
now receive funding from Home Missions to fully staff its
ministry and move forward on the opportunities that it
feels God is placing before it.
CALLED TO PROCLAIM
MINOT, NORTH DAKOTA
Grace, Minot, N.D. began worshipping together in the
mid-90s, served 1-3 times per month by pastors living
hours away. With the influx of people to the state due to
the energy boom, WELS Home Missions authorized
funding for full-time pastor Nate Walther. Walther says,
“You have no idea how much your prayers and support
mean to us. Thank you.”
CALLED TO PREPARE
MARTIN LUTHER COLLEGE, New Ulm, Minn.
MLC student Rachel Brokmeier spent her summer at St.
John, Wood Lake, Minn., paid by the congregation to give
free music lessons to the community. On the way to the
piano at the front of the church one student asked about
the Bibles and hymnals, and Rachel was able to talk to
him about Jesus. The boy and his siblings later returned to
attend the church’s VBS.
CALLED TO PREPARE
MARTIN LUTHER COLLEGE, New Ulm, Minn.
 Training for pastors, teachers, and staff ministers;
offers continuing education for called workers
 Enrollment: 727 students on campus; 120 in
graduate program
 Office of Graduate Studies and Continuing
Education served 894 people in 2013-14
 Master of Science in Educational Administration
degree being created
CALLED TO PREPARE
MARTIN LUTHER COLLEGE, New Ulm, Minn.
 New Teacher Induction guides beginning teachers
through their first two years of teaching through
seminars and mentors
 Programs to give students mission experience
CALLED TO PREPARE
WISCONSIN LUTHERAN SEMINARY, Mequon, Wis.
 Has prepared more than 3,500 pastors since 1863
 Offers continuing spiritual and professional growth
opportunities for pastors
 Pastoral Studies Institute guides and assists nontraditional students through their pre-seminary
and seminary training
CALLED TO PREPARE
LUTHER PREPATORY SCHOOL, Watertown, Wis. and
MICHIGAN LUTHERAN SEMINARY, Saginaw, Mich.
 Prepare high school students to attend Martin
Luther College and serve as called workers
 Enrollment: 441 at Luther Prep and 231 at
Michigan Lutheran Seminary
 Students given opportunities to do ministry on
campus or during mission trips, shadow called
workers
CALLED TO PREPARE
A Michigan Lutheran Seminary student
participates in a Taste of Ministry
opportunity at Emanuel, Lansing, Mich.
Luther Preparatory School is celebrating
its 150th anniversary. The celebration will
culminate with a special worship service
on Nov. 15, 2015.
CALLED TO SERVE
CONGREGATION AND MINISTRY SUPPORT GROUP
 EVANGELISM: Daily Devotions to nearly 10,000 people,
200th School of Outreach, third outreach movie by
Christmas 2015
 LUTHERAN SCHOOLS: online Bible courses for high
school students, support for early childhood ministries,
school accreditation
 YOUTH AND FAMILY MINISTRY: 1,400 teens and 400
youth leaders attended International Youth Rally in
Knoxville, Tenn.
 WORSHIP: More than 1,000 attended 2014 national
worship conference
CALLED TO SERVE
CONGREGATION AND MINISTRY SUPPORT GROUP
 ADULT DISCIPLESHIP : Shanna and Tyler Miller joined
49 other couples in Hood River, Ore., for a weekend in
October for a marriage retreat presented by WELS Adult
Discipleship. “We loved every minute,” said Tyler. “We
loved having the time to focus on each other, as well as
sharing our faith with dozens of other like-minded
couples seeking to strengthen their marriages.”
CALLED TO SERVE
CONGREGATION AND MINISTRY SUPPORT GROUP
 SPECIAL MINISTRIES:
 Helps churches conquer barriers to ministry like member
disabilities and distance from a congregation
 Prison Ministry: During any given month 1,700 prisoners
were studying the provided Bible study resources
 ConquerorsthroughChrist.net helps people who struggle
with the temptations of Internet pornography. Since the
launch WELS counselors are reporting a marked increase
in people seeking help for this temptation.
CALLED TO SERVE
 COMMUNICATION SERVICES: Forward in Christ
magazine celebrated its 100th anniversary
 MINISTRY OF CHRISTIAN GIVING: Optimized online
giving site for mobile and added tribute gifts
option
 CHRISTIAN AID AND RELIEF: Provided $324,000
toward humanitarian aid projects that helped build
bridges to proclaim the gospel
 TECHNOLOGY: Launched faster, more reliable, and
easier version of WELS Mobile app
CALLED TO SUPPORT
WELS FOUNDATION helps God’s people support
WELS gospel ministry at their congregations,
schools, synod, and other affiliated ministries
through planned gifts.
CALLED TO SUPPORT
WELS INVESTMENT FUNDS provides
professionally managed investment portfolios.
Currently serving 154 congregations and 33
affiliated organizations.
NORTHWESTERN PUBLISHING HOUSE released
Meditations Daily Devotional app, which has
been downloaded 20,000 times in 138
countries; has more than 115 e-book titles
CALLED TO SUPPORT
WELS CHURCH EXTENSION FUND provides loans
and grants for home missions through funding
from gifts and investments from WELS
members, congregations, and affiliated
organizations.
 In fiscal year 2013-14, $22.1 million of new loans
and $0.9 million of new grant requests were
approved
 CEF’s loan portfolio grew to more than $141.5
million with 206 loans to WELS congregations and
affiliates
CALLED TO SUPPORT
WELS BENEFIT PLANS Office administers the
WELS Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary
Association (VEBA) Health Plan and the WELS
Pension Plan. About 80 percent of WELS and
ELS calling bodies currently provide this
nationwide, long-term health coverage to their
workers.
FINANCIAL PICTURE
 We thank our gracious God for his many
blessings on WELS ministries
 In 13-14 congregation mission offerings of
$20.9 million, plus $7.7 million from
bequests, foundation grants, and gifts from
individuals funded $28.6 million of ministry
 Due to a reduction in 2014 subscriptions,
congregations reconsidered their
commitments, resulting in a one percent
increase over 2013.
FINANCIAL PICTURE
FINANCIAL PICTURE
WELS IN BRIEF
WELS’calling: Nurture the faith of members and spread
the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world
 Third largest Lutheran
church body in the
United States
 1,272 churches
 376,177 baptized
members
 298,899
communicant
members
 One of the largest
parochial school
systems in U.S.
 318 elementary
schools
 409 early childhood
ministries
 23 area Lutheran
high schools
WELS IN BRIEF
• Twelve districts allow for more areaspecific ministry
• Member of the Confessional Evangelical
Lutheran Conference, an organization of
24 confessional church bodies
throughout the world
• Headquarters in Waukesha, Wis.
Thank you for your support!
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
N16W23377 Stone Ridge Drive
Waukesha, WI 53188-1108
Phone: 414-256-3888
Web site: www.wels.net