Our focus for 2025–2035

The new long-range strategic plan names four priorities for WELS to focus on for the next ten years. These sweeping areas tackle the challenges the church—and WELS—face today. With the plan’s theme, “Christ through us,” we are given a powerful reminder—God works through us to carry out his work as his ambassadors.

Culture: Cultivating a gospel-driven culture
Congregations: Strengthening WELS’ backbone
Calling: Producing workers for a growing harvest
Commission: Bringing Christ to the nations

Closely connected to the Great Commission is Jesus’ call for some to be full-time called workers in gospel ministry.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

My answer was simple: “Fran Tarkenton.”

Some of you are old enough to remember Fran and his quarterback skills. I wanted to be like him and play in the NFL on Sunday in front of huge crowds.

Thankfully others knew my skills and encouraged me in a different direction—to be a pastor. I did get to play quarterback at a small college called Northwestern (think Martin Luther College today) in front of crowds that were not so huge and not on Sundays.

The need for workers

Today my Sundays are filled with preaching and building relationships with the crowd at the church I serve. I’ve been a pastor for more than 35 years. My wife has been a teacher for about the same amount of time. She graduated from Dr. Martin Luther College (think Martin Luther College today). We both received excellent training from our ministerial education schools and have been blessed to serve. But it’s clear that the end of our careers is approaching. I would like to think that along the way a young person or two has heard me preach or had my wife in class and said, “I want to be like him.” “I want to be like her.”

We need more people to be like my wife and me. Not us per se, of course, but our positions—the ones that we get to “play” in the field that God provides. And God seems to be providing lots of fields for us—mission fields around the world and in our own backyards. Opening new missions, planting more churches, and expanding Lutheran schools emphasize the call for pastors, teachers, and staff ministers to serve. That is our calling. Each of us. All of us. Working together.

Closely connected to the great “Go” commission and command of Jesus (Matthew 28:19,20) is his call for some to do that as “evangelists, . . . pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11). But how many is some? Jesus doesn’t tell us, but we can look at the crowds of this world, like Jesus once did when he described them as “sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36), and draw the same conclusion as Jesus did: We need more workers!

Preparing for “generations ahead”

Jesus’ words echo in our ears as we consider the “Christ through us” long-range strategic plan, which includes this call to action: “Faithful stewardship of this mission requires us to act with wisdom and urgency. We must intensify efforts to recruit and train workers while aligning plans for ministry growth with projections of a sustainable workforce. This dual task is not merely practical but a sacred charge to equip God’s people to proclaim his love to a world in need, now and for generations ahead.”

I’d like to highlight the last two words: “generations ahead.” The love of Christ for us causes this generation (us!) to be looking ahead to the next and to do our best so that the love of Christ is a blessing for many more people in the years to come. As Christ’s love works in us, we will eagerly seek to enhance and expand ways to carry out the ministry of reconciliation that he has entrusted to us. As Christ works through us, we will seek to do our best, and we ask the Lord to bless the efforts of the long-range plan, confident that Christ is with us.

Some of the goals in that plan include the following:

We’ll continue our high-quality training of workers, equipping them to be faithful proclaimers of the gospel, sharing God’s Word with clarity and courage. We have been blessed with a ministerial education system that has been the stable foundation for supplying workers in the past and will be for the future. My wife and I, and many like us, are thankful for the training we received at these ministerial education schools, and I believe generations to come will also be thankful for that training. And then . . .

• We will recruit more students to be trained for gospel ministry. This means maintaining the quality work that is currently being done and being innovative in our efforts, seeking fresh ways to spark interest in and eagerness for gospel ministry among youth and second-career candidates. New ministry recruitment counselors are now at work developing ways to work with congregations and key leaders to encourage more people to prepare for full-time gospel ministry. But there’s more . . .
• We will expand pathways into gospel ministry. As the Lord blesses recruitment efforts and ministry opportunities, we will look at the paths that lead a person to full-time ministry. Under the guidance and oversight of our worker training system, we will carefully consider ways to reach and teach a broader and more diverse pool of candidates, ensuring that every willing and qualified individual is equipped to serve. This also means . . .
• We will encourage congregations and schools to rejoice in the gospel and gospel ministry and to be thankful for their called workers. This includes paying attention to ministry expansion and workload as well as offering support and care for called workers, which fosters resilience and joy in service.

I trust that you noticed that these efforts all include the word we. Gospel ministry is truly a team sport, and we all play a role and have a position. We may not all be quarterbacks—pastors or teachers or staff ministers—but we can recruit them! We simply want more people, young and old, to declare, “I want to be like him!” “I want to be like her!” And then we can encourage, support, and pray for our workers. Because, finally, Jesus calls each of us to get in the game and do the best we can so that as many souls as possible might celebrate with us the victory Christ has won, a celebration that lasts for all eternity.

Author: Duane Rodewald
Volume 112, Number 11
Issue: November 2025

How can I be Christ’s ambassador?

SUPPORT: Does your congregation have a Care Committee for Called Workers? If not, learn more about this group that supports called workers and their families. Visit wels.net/cccw.
LEARN: Ask your pastor about his path to ministry. Why did he become a pastor? What kind of training did he receive?
CARE: Organize care packages for students in your congregation who are studying to be pastors, teachers, and staff ministers.
INSPIRE: Do you know someone who has the gifts to be a pastor, teacher, or staff minister? How might you encourage him or her to consider full-time ministry?
EXPLORE: Visit wels.net/school to discover different ways to serve in the full-time ministry and alternative pathways for those considering second-career options.

Remember: The work of the church is Christ’s alone, but Christ works through YOU!

Visit christthroughus.net for more ideas and to learn more about WELS’ “Christ through us” long-range strategic plan.