The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
WELS
St. Paul's First Lutheran Church is a member of the WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod). The WELS has congregations in all 50 states and several provinces of Canada. Mission work is carried out in countries throughout the world to seek the lost.
The word "synod" means "walking together." In this Synod we are joined with other Christians, who believe and teach the same things that we believe and teach. This fellowship of faith enables us to accomplish many things that would be difficult or impossible if we stood alone.
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Spreading the Word... Around the World
WELS, characterized as theologically conservative, is the third largest Lutheran church body in America. With national offices today at 2929 N. Mayfair Rd., Milwaukee, Wis., WELS began in 1850 when three German pastors met in Milwaukee. Today, it has grown to over 1,200 congregations in North America. It has over 400,000 baptized members, which includes over 300,000 communicants, served by over 1,000 pastors.
Nearly 500 years ago, the Christian church was corrupted by many false teachings. A man named Martin Luther led people back to the teachings of the Bible. His work, and that of his friends, is called the Reformation. Through Luther God restored the church to purity of doctrine and a new life of faith in Christ.
The doctrines of the Lutheran Church are not new. They are the teachings of the Bible. Thus the Lutheran Church is not a new church. It is not a sect or cult.
It is a church whose teaching is based on the words written by the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament. The Bible tells us about Jesus Christ.
The teachings of the Lutheran Church are those of the original, ancient church of the apostles and early Christians.
