The Office of the President of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Papers
Collection
Identifier: S012
Scope and Contents
The collection is made up of materials created by, received by or collected by the members of the Office of the President of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). The collection reflects the work of those who have served the WELS over the years in their capacity as shepherd of this small, conservative Lutheran church body. It reflects the major transitions the synod underwent from the boom years of the early 1970s to the lean years of the 1980s to the second boom in the 1990s to the lean years of the early 21st Century. The collection, above all reflects, that the synod nor those who have led her over the years wavered from the firm conviction that the Bible is the pure Word of God and therefore is to not only be kept in its truth and purity, but also proclaimed to all people. Finally, it reflects that all that took place over the course of the synod’s history was guided by God’s grace. The collection consists of the following series:Series 1: Case Files of Called Workers, Congregations, Laypeople and Synodical Schools Series 2: Documents regarding Fiscal Matters Series 3: General Correspondence Series 4: Documents regarding Inter-Church Relations Series 5: Letters of Clergy Certification Series 6: Documents regarding the Synodical Council.
Dates
- 1955 - 2003
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright restrictions may apply. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Biographical / Historical
The history of the Office of the President of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) can be traced back to the founding of the synod on 26 May 1850 and the selection of the first president, Pastor Johannes Muehlhaeuser. Since that time, eleven different presidents have served the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, called by the synod at-large to serve in that capacity. These men who served as president also served as parish pastors until 1959, when the WELS made the Office of the President a full-time position. At the celebration of it sesquicentennial, the WELS produced a brief history of the synod entitled, Together in Christ. Countless other histories, articles, essays and church history projects have examined and analyzed the lives and presidencies of those who have served as synod president. These writings can be found at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library, Mequon, Wisconsin. For further detail on the lives and service of two have served – Pastor John W.O. Brenner and Oscar J. Naumann – you can find the archival collections of their papers in the Archives of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Mequon, Wisconsin. Below is a complete listing of those who served in the Office of the President of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the years that they served:
1850 – 1860 Johannes Muehlhaeuser 1860 – 1864 John Bading 1864 – 1865 Gottlieb Reim 1865 – 1867 William Streissguth 1867 – 1887 John Bading 1887 – 1908 Phillip von Rohr 1908 – 1933 G.E. Bergemann 1933 – 1953 John W.O. Brenner 1953 – 1979 Oscar J. Naumann 1979 – 1993 Carl Mischke 1993 – 2007 Karl R. Gurgel Mark Schroeder 2007- Present.
Extent
5 Box : 5 boxes containing 137 file folders.
Language of Materials
English
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the TestR1 Repository
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