Sister church bodies support and encourage one another in a shared mission to proclaim Christ.

WELS has been a member of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC) since its inception in 1993. This worldwide fellowship of 35 Lutheran church bodies, committed to the teachings of the Lutheran Church found in the Book of Concord of 1580, gathers triennially for theological discussion, fellowship, encouragement, and mutual support in their shared confession of faith.

Being part of this fellowship has proven important for all CELC member churches, scattered bastions of Lutheran orthodoxy. “I am deeply grateful for the fellowship we share in the CELC,” says Kalyan Gollapalli, president of the Lutheran Mission of Salvation of India. “In a world filled with religious confusion and spiritual compromise, it is a great comfort to stand together with brothers and sisters who believe and confess the same Savior and the same gospel.”

Below are some photos from the latest CELC convention held this past summer in Lusaka, Zambia, the first time this international convention has met in Africa.

Learn more about the CELC at celc.info.

Volume 113, Number 08
Issue: August 2026

Meet a few of our brothers in faith

HOLGER WEISS

Church body: Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Germany

Ministry: President of Lutheraniches Theologisches Seminar in Leipzig. Also teaches dogmatics, New Testament, Greek, and Latin.

Thoughts on fellowship: I would like to thank all of you for the support we have received over the years. The fellowship between WELS and the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (ELFK) has not only been a fellowship on paper, but especially the ELFK seminary was able to see this fellowship put into practice . . . My personal plea is: Let’s continue this fellowship by God’s help and grace. It has been a great blessing for the ELFK and to me personally. Many thanks for your friendship in Christ for 150 years! Let’s add another 150 years by God’s grace! Wouldn’t that be great?”

Prayer request: “Many former conservative churches in Germany have become more liberal within the last 20 or 30 years. That’s now our neighborhood: a secular society and many very liberal Christians. Even for people in our congregations, it is easy to leave the church and find something more pleasant than a traditional church body with pastors preaching law and gospel. . . . Please pray that God continues to preserve us in faithfulness to his Word and sacraments. Only he can strengthen and preserve the unity in faith that he has given to us in his grace. And please keep on praying for Germany. The country of the Reformation has turned into a mission field again. As God’s redeemed children we are longing for a new spiritual awakening in Germany and Europe. Please pray that he may grant such beginnings and that he calls faithful men who are willing to preach the pure gospel.”

KALYAN K. GOLLAPALLI

Church body: Lutheran Mission of Salvation of India

Ministry: Pastor at Good Shepherd, a mission congregation in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, in southeast India. Also serves as president of Lutheran Mission of Salvation of India and teaches in the seminary program.

Favorite Bible passage: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

“In an honor-shame culture, where social pressure and family expectations can be very strong, confessing Christ can bring misunderstanding, rejection, or shame in the eyes of others. Yet St. Paul reminds the church that the gospel is never something to be ashamed of. It is not merely good advice or ethics for moral improvement. It is the very power of God for salvation. It gives forgiveness, life, and salvation in Christ.”

Prayer request: “I would humbly ask WELS members to pray that the Lord would preserve us in the pure teaching of his Word and strengthen us in the faithful confession of Christ. Please pray for more faithful pastors, gospel workers, and courageous witnesses as we face growing persecutions. Pray for our seminary students, our congregations, our children, and our Bible women. And pray that the Lord would open doors for the gospel among Hindu families and that those who come to faith would be firmly rooted in Christ through Word and sacrament.”

New international partners