Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Suspends Fellowship with Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod

Wisconsin Lutherans Break with Missouri Synod

The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) has taken a significant step in its relationship with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), suspending fellowship with the LCMS by a vote of 124 to 49. This decision, made at the WELS’s 36th biennial meeting in Milwaukee, marks the end of nearly 90 years of cooperation between the two synods.

The resolution, which passed after a 10-hour debate, cited Romans 16:17–18 as a foundation for the action. The passage urges believers to avoid those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine they have learned, warning that such individuals serve their own interests rather than Christ.

This break has implications for joint worship and collaborative efforts between the synods. Projects such as cooperative missions stations, charities, and campus ministries may eventually be dissolved. The two synods have historically worked together through the Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America, with the WELS and LCMS as its principal members.

The Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (Slovak) and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (Norwegian) were not affected by the latest action. The WELS resolution emphasized that the suspension was not a judgment on the personal faith of any individual LCMS member but a response to the corporate body’s direction.

Another resolution left the door open for future fellowship, stating that the WELS is ready to resume discussions with the LCMS under conditions that do not imply a denial of previous testimony. These discussions would take place outside the framework of current fellowship.

Earlier in the convention, Rev. Oscar J. Naumann, re-elected WELS president, criticized the LCMS’s liberal tendencies. He argued that a new statement from the LCMS’s theological faculties represented an attack on the authority of Scripture. His remarks underscored the theological concerns that led to the decision.

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