Pastor’s Perch
Galatians 5:25 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in step with it.
There is a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde struggle in all of us! No matter how much Dr. Jekyll tried to do good, his alter ego Mr. Hyde, would make a mess of things. He knew what path he wanted to take in his life and Mr. Hyde derailed his course time after time. How frustrating it was for him in this struggle.
Each of us have been set free from the overlord of our sinful nature by Christ’s sacrifice. We were dead in our sins, but Christ made us alive through the Holy Spirit. We are no longer slaves to sin but free to walk in righteousness. It all sounds good, but what is reality? No matter how hard we try to walk in step with the Spirit, we continue to sin! Now can you begin to see the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde struggle?
But before you throw up your hands in exasperation, remember what it means to walk in line with the Spirit. We live by the Holy Spiri,t who constantly brings us back to Jesus and his sacrifice. The Holy Spirit continues to cover us in the righteous robes of Jesus that he earned for us and gave us in our baptism. Our entry into heaven does not depend on how well we walk in step with the Spirit but on Christ and him alone. This is what frees us to throw off the guilt and shame of our failures. We have already won in Christ. This is what living by the Spirit means in our daily walk in life. This is the confidence we have as we walk in line with the Spirit. There is no more Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde struggle. You live by the Spirit and you will walk in step with the Spirit.
Dear Holy Spirit! Keep me connected to my Savior every day so I can confidently live my life to honor and glorify him as I walk in step with you! In Jesus’ name I pray! Amen!
A Servant of Christ,
Rev. Patrick Feldhus
Grace’s News
We are offering a Family bible study on familiar Sunday school stories, after worship on Sundays. Our current study is on the Exodus.
Our annual outdoor worship and church picnic is scheduled for August 17th beginning at 10 am at the Legion Park pavilion.
Synod News
“Christ through us” long-range plan adopted
On the final day of the 68th biennial convention, delegates were first reminded by Rev. Jesse Stern, pastor at Bay Pines, Seminole, Fla., in the opening devotion that “the joy of Christ for us is the privilege of Christ through us.”
Floor Committee #18: Elections announced the 23 men who were elected to synodical positions and who will be serving various boards and commissions in the upcoming years.
Delegates then heard from Floor Committee #9: “Christ through us” Long-Range Strategic Plan. Its single resolution recommended that delegates adopt the revised 2025 long-range strategic plan and urged “all areas of WELS ministry, under the direction of the Synodical Council, to establish SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) objectives for ministry, to fund and implement them with the four priorities and 20 goals of the long-range plan, and to ensure that the initial set of these SMART objectives and corresponding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is included in the 2026 Report to the Twelve Districts.”
Several delegates commented on the plan. Some asked for more clarification and direction on how to communicate and use this plan in their local congregations. Others encouraged exploring new ways to reach out with the gospel—especially to the younger generation—and emphasized the importance of everyone being involved in outreach to their families, friends, and acquaintances.
“This is an exciting time,” said Rev. Dan Baumler, a member of the long-range strategic plan floor committee. “We are not just talking about [the issues] in little groups. No. Together, we’re saying this is what we face. There are blessings, but let’s go, let’s tackle this, let’s trust our leaders. I hope everyone here is excited about where we’re going because of this plan that clearly maps out what we’re facing. And we’re going to do it together.” Delegates adopted the resolution and the revised long-range strategic plan.
WELS President Mark Schroeder then introduced Dr. Matthew Harrison, the president of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, who briefly addressed the delegates.
“Our dialogue with your guys has been the highlight of my professional career,” he said. “To rediscover that dialogue and have conversations with [President Mark Schroeder] and the rest of your guys has been a pleasure beyond which I know of no others as the president of the Missouri Synod. You push us toward the Scriptures.”
He continued, “Thank you for standing for the truths. . . . Thank you for confessing, thank you for being who you are, thank you for keeping the faith. We covet your prayers . . . God bless you in all your worthy endeavors.”
In his final remarks as the convention came to a close, President Schroeder encouraged delegates to remember what they experienced and share what they learned with their congregations. “Above all, we recognize that everything we do, every mission we undertake, every worship service we hold, is focused on one person, and that’s Christ. On his grace. On his promises. On the work that he did for us.” Read all the reports and resolutions at welsconvention.net/resolutions.
Our work together in Home Missions
“The synod is not an abstract entity—it’s us.”
Rev. Jonathan Bourman began his presentation on his ministry at Saint Mark Mankato, Mankato, Minn., with these words. It was an apt reminder for synod convention delegates—and for us.
Bourman was one of four home missionaries who shared their ministries with delegates on Wednesday evening, detailing the blessings and challenges of sharing God’s Word in their particular locations throughout the United States. What came through clearly was that each location is unique even as the gospel message that each missionary shares is the same. What also was obvious is that God is blessing the seeds that these missionaries and their members are spreading. Story after story highlighted the souls that are being reached with the gospel.
Circling back to Bourman’s words, each soul that hears God’s words from those in home missions is being supported by all WELS members. This came through in the presentation given by Rev. Matthew Brown, chairman of WELS Board for Home Missions, and Rev. Mark Gabb, administrator of WELS Board for Home Missions, on Wednesday afternoon. The work of Home Missions is supported through individual mission offerings as well as through the Congregation Mission Offerings that WELS congregations send to the synod. It is also supported by volunteers of WELS Mission Journeys who travel to mission settings from established congregations.
Gabb noted that five new home missions were approved in the spring of 2025, and as resources are available, he believes that as many as six more could be approved in the fall. Yet he also emphasized that the work of Home Missions is expensive—both in dollars and in manpower. Therefore, the Board for Home Missions carefully considers each new mission and ministry enhancement.
WELS Home Missions is in year three of a ten-year initiative to open 100 new missions and enhance 75 existing ministries. Since this “100 in 10” initiative began, 21 new missions and 24 mission enhancements have been supported, leading to many new opportunities to spread the gospel throughout North America. To learn more and find out how you can be involved, visit wels100in10.net.
WELS World Missions: “My name will be great among the nations”
Wednesday morning’s presentations from the Commission on Inter-Church Relations (CICR) and the Board for World Missions echoed the sentiments shared in the morning’s opening devotion. Steven Prahl, pastor at Foundation, Peyton, Colo., encouraged the assembly of delegates “to look upon a world of broken and lost souls with compassion.”
A flourishing partnership in Africa
On Wednesday morning, delegates heard a presentation from Prof. James Danell, chairman of the Commission on Inter-Church Relations. He reported that the CICR is deferring its planned declaration of fellowship with the Africa Mission Evangelism Church (AMEC) in Tanzania to the 2027 convention (read the official statement).
The delay will allow more time for AMEC’s newly elected leadership to circulate its doctrinal statement even more widely among its congregations.
Despite the delay, Baltazar Kaaya, bishop of AMEC, attended the convention as a special guest. He expressed his gratitude for the partnership his church body shares with WELS. “I am so happy to be welcomed in the conference,” Kaaya shared. “It’s been a privilege to our church to have missionaries from WELS in our country visiting congregations but mainly holding seminars with all of our pastors.”
To help delegates better understand the complexities involved in declaring fellowship with other confessional Lutheran church bodies, Danell outlined the careful, thorough, and often years-long process followed by the CICR:
• As a first step, local missionaries take the lead in engaging the church body in conversation and guiding leadership through a discussion of Luther’s Small Catechism.
• Stage two involves deeper, more involved doctrinal conversations with a wider circle of leadership and church membership. A member of the CICR travels to the country and works in partnership with the One Africa Team to guide a church in developing a statement of faith. This stage culminates with CICR’s request for a formal group statement of faith and a church constitution for review.
• Stage three involves a greater focus on doctrine as it’s lived out in practice within the church body. Missionaries and even a CICR team member travel again to the country to see how the church body practically carries out worship, evangelism, stewardship, Christian education, doctrinal discipline, etc.
• In step four, if all parties agree, a declaration of fellowship is recommended and brought to the Synod in Convention.
“We fully anticipate that AMEC will complete this work and that we’ll bring the same recommendation back to the Synod in Convention in 2027. In the meantime, our One Africa Team has very concrete plans to continue to develop and nurture this relationship over the next two years,” said Danell. “I thank you for your patience and your understanding as we carefully and prayerfully carry out this work. We ask for God’s blessings on all who labor around the world in our name for unity of faith and love in Christ.”
Equipping a global missionary force
Delegates also heard an update on WELS World Missions from Rev. Jonathan Schroeder, chairman of the Board for World Missions, and Rev. Larry Schlomer, World Missions administrator. During his introductory remarks, Schroeder shared that WELS shares fellowship with church bodies in 49 foreign countries with exploratory work in 16 prospective mission fields.
He urged the assembly to remember its God-given purpose to act as the Lord’s mouth to an unbelieving world. “You have been called on to preach Christ publicly, to share Christ privately, to live Christ openly,” said Schroeder. “This is an invitation to be a mission that takes this message to every tribe and language and nation and people.”
When Schlomer took the stage, he set the scene for the work WELS carries out in the world with the Lord’s prophecy found in Malachi 1:11: “ ‘My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
Schlomer reported on many of the ways in which WELS supports and trains over 500 pastors and 300,000 members outside the United States. He also highlighted the goal, as stated in the proposed long-range strategic plan, to serve 1,000,000 members by 2035 in the United States and beyond. For example, God has richly blessed mission work in places like Ukraine, Tanzania, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Latin America. Programs like TELL and Academia Cristo have also been instrumental in extending the synod’s reach far beyond existing borders and barriers.
During his presentation, Schlomer shared a vision of a global confessional Lutheran church with a shared, borderless mission. “This network . . . will be with us when we reach our heavenly home,” he shared. “Let’s step into this mission. Let’s ask the Lord to bless our work so that the gospel can be heard in the darkest corners of the world.”
On Wednesday evening, delegates heard presentations from world missionaries, including Rev. Luis Acosta (Academia Cristo for Spanish ministry), Dr. Erik Landwehr (Native American Missions), and Rev. Howard Mohlke (One Africa Team). To watch the presentations, visit welsconvention.net/news/livestream. Learn more about WELS World Missions at wels.net/missions.
Delegates hear updates, resolutions, and news
On Wednesday, delegates continued to hear updates from WELS areas of ministry as well as began considering resolutions brought to the floor from various floor committees. Delegates also learned that WELS President Mark Schroeder is serving his final term, ending his service as synod president at the 2027 synod convention.
Schroeder announced after delegates adopted a resolution about the procedure for electing synodical officers. “The next election we’ll be electing a new synod president, so I think this process will greatly help people to get to know who these candidates are,” said Schroeder. “So that is my official announcement… that I am serving my last term that ends in 2027.”
Delegates unanimously adopted that amendment to the WELS bylaws that will change the procedure for nominating synodical officers: president, first vice president, second vice president, and recording secretary. (The synod president and second vice president are elected in alternate conventions with the synod first vice president and recording secretary.) With this amendment, convention delegates will be able to submit one name by June 1 for each office being filled. The five nominees who receive the largest number of nominations for the office of the president and the three nominees who receive the largest number of nominations for the other three offices will comprise the ballot. Delegates will receive the ballot, along with biographical information, by June 15, with the actual election taking place at the convention. Currently, nominations for these positions first occur at the synod convention, giving delegates limited time to make informed voting decisions.
After some discussion, delegates also adopted the ministry’s financial plan for the next biennium, covering fiscal years 2025–26 and 2026–27. The resolution encouraged “every congregation and WELS member to generously support the ministry the Lord has entrusted to our synod.”
Read more reports and resolutions at welsconvention.net/resolutions.
Doing ministry with you
Congregational Services is “the ministry group that does ministry with you,” explained Rev. Jonathan Hein, director of the Commission on Congregational Counseling, as he addressed delegates Wednesday morning. “We get boots on the ground into congregations and schools to help you as you assess your path forward in serving the mission of Jesus Christ.”
Congregational Services comprises several commissions to assist local ministry, including Worship, Evangelism, Discipleship, Special Ministries, Congregational Counseling, and Lutheran Schools.
There are four main ways that Congregational Services assists congregations and schools with their local ministry efforts: 1) consulting, 2) producing confessional Lutheran resources, 3) analyzing trends and statistics, and 4) putting together events to build up members in service to the church. The next major event is the Lutheran Leadership conference, which will be held Jan. 19–21, 2026, in Chicago.
Rev. Paul Prange, director of the Commission on Worship, explained further how Congregational Services carries out these duties under the direction of the Conference of Presidents. He laid out eight different types of consultations available for congregations and schools, including ministry revitalization, long-range planning, outreach, and cultivating congregational partnerships. In 2024, Congregational Services conducted 161 consultations.
The website welscongregationalservices.net houses resources—Bible studies, online training modules, and videos—for all aspects of congregational ministry, including outreach, member retention, youth ministry, stewardship, marriage, and more.
In addition, welscongregationalservices.net features The Foundation, a collection of weekly resources for worship planners based on the historic lectionary readings. It uses the full resources of the Christian Worship hymnal and the associated suite of resources.
Following Prange’s overview of the work of Congregational Services, Mr. James Rademan, director of the Commission on Lutheran Schools, provided more details about the blessings and challenges of WELS schools.
“Over the past biennium, we’ve had more called teachers than we’ve ever had in WELS before. We’ve had more students than we’ve ever had in WELS schools before,” began Rademan. “With that growth of enrollment, the number of teachers we’ve needed has certainly grown.”
Over the last few school years, there have been about 655 open teacher positions in WELS schools, on average. “When we talk about the [teacher] shortage, it’s not that we have fewer [teachers], it’s that we need more for the opportunities that are out there,” said Rademan. In the 2024–25 school year, more than 2,500 of the students in WELS high schools were from either unchurched families or other Christian denominations. Rademan implored delegates to think of a young person they could encourage to consider entering the ministry.
The cornerstone of all WELS schools is the solid Lutheran doctrine taught in each and every classroom. A new theology curriculum is under development. The framework defining the “picture of a graduate,” along with the associated standards, has been completed, and content creation for the curriculum will begin in the coming year.
Learn more and find resources at welscongregationalservices.net. Read more about the theology curriculum at forwardinchrist.net/developing-theology-curriculum.