175th Anniversary Dinner Presentation

The WELS Historical Institute celebrates the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod at a dinner at Salem Lutheran Church and School. The original constitution for WELS was adopted on May 26, 1850. That adoption took place at the first synod convention, which was held in a small log cabin church at Salem Lutheran Church in Granville. WELS President Mark Schroeder and former WELS President Karl Gurgel began the program with their greetings, and Professor Joel Otto gave a special presentation on the history of WELS.

Professor Otto chairs the WELS 175th anniversary committee (2025). Since 2011, he has served at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, where he teaches church history and education and is the dean of students. Previously he served congregations in Michigan, California, and Wisconsin. He is also the chairman of the WELS Historical Institute and serves on the Commission on Inter-Church Relations. He has previously served on the Commission on Worship, the Commission on Lutheran Schools, the WELS Hymnal Project, and as a writer for Forward in Christ. He is also the co-author of, Christ Through Us: A Pictorial History of the Wisconsin Synod, 1850-2025.