Savor the rain
Martin Luther was not only a student of the Scriptures but also a keen observer of history. He was well aware of how the Christian church spread and grew from…
Up close and personal
Nothing brings WELS’ world mission work to life like visiting those missions in person. I had such an opportunity last October. Along with WELS World Missions Administrator Larry Schlomer and…
Partnering to spread God’s Word in Kenya and Ethiopia
In October 2022, WELS President Mark Schroeder visited two of WELS’ sister synods in Africa—the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ–Kenya and the Lutheran Church of Ethiopia. Larry Schlomer, administrator…
It’s never too early
Sometimes even the most terrible people say something that is undeniably true. A vicious and deranged dictator said, “He alone, who owns the youth, owns the future.” He set about…
A new chapter for John Braun—and Forward in Christ
After 16 years of service as executive editor of Forward in Christ, John Braun is retiring effective Dec. 31. This is his final issue. “One of the things that I…
Thanks for not giving
Thanksgiving is a time when we pause to give special thanks to God for the many ways in which he has blessed us. We have many blessings: a Savior, our…
Hope for the future
I grew up in the 1960s. Anyone who lived through those years will remember that those were turbulent, violent, and unsettling times, when events seemed to threaten the very foundation…
Our task is not over
Last June, the United States Supreme Court struck down the infamous 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that decreed that abortion is a right guaranteed by the United States Constitution. The…
Update on WELS’ effort in Vietnam
The COVID pandemic that began in 2020 affected the ministry and worship in all our WELS congregations. It also caused the temporary suspension of our synod’s efforts to build a…