WELS Missions

06/03/2026

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.” — Psalm 133:1

From May 29–June 1, delegates gathered in Lusaka, Zambia, for the 2026 Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC) convention.

Every three years, representatives from CELC member churches around the world come together for fellowship, encouragement, and mutual support in their shared confession of faith. The convention also provides an opportunity to welcome new church bodies into this worldwide fellowship.

This year, Sínodo Iglesia Cristo WELS Internacional was welcomed as a member of the CELC, and Rev. Nathan Seiltz was installed as the new CELC president.

We thank God for the unity he continues to provide among believers across nations, languages, and cultures as we work together to proclaim the gospel throughout the world.

06/02/2026

Following Call Day and graduation at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, we had the opportunity to invite several graduates who have been assigned to serve in home and world missions to be commissioned at Taste of Missions 2026. We are grateful that the following graduates will be joining us for this special commissioning service:

- Bush, Aaron T. - Jarrell, Texas (New start)
- Dimke, Alexander M. - Redeemer, Edna, Texas (Enhancement)
- Gerling, Stephen P. - World Missions exploratory, Senegal
- Neumann, Micah C. - Cedar Lake, Ind. (New start)
- Nguyen, Minh (Ronny) T. - Mount Olive, St. Paul, Minn. (Restart)

Join us for commissioning of these individuals and many others into the mission field. Register at tasteofmissions.com/register before June 7 to receive food tickets.

06/01/2026

New seminary graduate Stephen Gerling and his wife, Hannah, will serve as one of two missionary families sent to a new mission in Senegal. Drawing from their unique international backgrounds and experiences growing up in mission fields, the Gerlings share their excitement, challenges, and hopes as they prepare to build relationships and share the gospel with the Wolof people in Senegal.

Veteran WELS world missionary Dan Kroll and his wife, Karen, will serve alongside the Gerlings as they minister to the Wolof tribe. Both Stephen Gerling and Dan Kroll will be commissioned by WELS Missions at Taste of Missions on June 13.

06/01/2026

"Last March, Missionary Howard Molhke and I made our first visit to a church in the Republic of Congo. The ROC, which is commonly referred to as Congo-Brazzaville, neighbors the Democratic Republic of Congo to the northwest. This is the first time ever that WELS missionaries have traveled to this country. The Eglise Evangélique Luthérienne du Congo-Brazzaville (EELCB) reached out to WELS and the One Africa Team because they wanted to remain a confessional Lutheran Church. "

Read more from Missionary Jake Vilhauer as he shares about their recent trip to Congo - Brazzaville.

The first visit by WELS missionaries to the Republic of Congo illustrates the opportunities for Gospel outreach in Africa.

05/31/2026

Please pray with us!

Triune God, we praise you for the work you are doing through the Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church of Japan, including sustaining six congregations as they faithfully serve your people. We thank you for the 100 adults and 10 children you have gathered into these flocks. We rejoice with the angels in heaven over the soul brought to the waters of Holy Baptism this past year, and we thank you for the three pastors you have provided to shepherd these congregations with the pure gospel. Lord, we also marvel at how you open doors for your kingdom. Thank you for the Chinese immigrants in Tokyo and beyond who have been drawn to the LECC, including those who have been confirmed in the faith this year. We ask that you continue to use these cross-cultural connections to spread the life-giving message of Christ. Amen.

05/30/2026

Taste of Missions 2026 is in 2 weeks! Last year's event was a joyous day fill with the commissioning of missionaries into the harvest field. Join us this year as we send out a new group of missionaries and graduates at Taste of Missions 2026!

Register before June 7 at tasteofmissions.com/register!

05/29/2026

Rev. Dr. Francisco Cossio La Rosa accepted the call to serve as a missionary on the One Latin America Team in May 2026. He will help teach online courses through Academia Cristo and support students who are planting churches in their own communities. Prior to this role, he served as pastor at Santo Tomás Lutheran Church in Phoenix, Ariz.

Cossio was born in Holguín, Cuba. He earned degrees as a medical doctor and worked as a physician before hearing the Word of God and being brought to faith through the work of WELS missionaries. He was confirmed at Pescadores de Hombres congregation in Cuba in 2001 and served as its pastor while taking classes through the Pastoral Studies Institute’s Hispanic branch. In July 2009, Cossio finished his theological studies and served as a vicar at Santo Tomás Lutheran Church in Phoenix, Ariz. He graduated in 2010 from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary’s Pastoral Studies Institute. After graduating, Cossio continued serving at Santo Tomás.

Learn more and register before June 7 at tasteofmissions.com/register.

05/28/2026

“Over four decades, God kept bringing us back.”

What began with a first visit to the Apache reservation in 1994 became a decades-long story of reunion, ministry, and God’s faithfulness. From reconnecting with former students and fellow missionaries to worshiping alongside Apache Christians in congregations that have stood for more than a century, Glen and Beth Thompson have witnessed firsthand how God continues to strengthen faith through his Word.

Their return to the East Fork Mission this spring is more than a trip back—it is a reminder that God uses relationships, history, and unexpected opportunities to continue his mission across generations.

Read more about the Thompsons’ journey back to the Apache reservation, the history of the mission, and the blessings of worshiping with believers in these historic congregations.

Read more ➡ https://wels.net/my-four-journeys-to-east-fork-1994-to-2026/

05/28/2026

Rev. Nathan Strutz began serving as a mission counselor for WELS Home Missions in April 2026. He is supporting the South Atlantic, Southeastern Wisconsin, Northern Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Colorado mission districts as they work to plant new mission churches and support and encourage existing home mission congregations.

Strutz graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1997 and has served in home missions throughout his entire ministry. His first call was to a dual parish in Holmen and Galesville, Wis. (1997-2010), where the congregation in Galesville established one of the first multi-site ministries in WELS by opening a new location in Arcadia, Wis. Strutz also served at Resurrection in Verona, Wis. (2010-2022), and Tree of Life in Cary, N.C. (2022-2026). New mission efforts were started at both congregations during his time of service. He has served as chairman of the Western Wisconsin District Mission Board and as a member of the Board for Home Missions Executive Committee.

Learn more and register before June 7 at tasteofmissions.com/register.

05/27/2026

The first and second grade class at Our Redeemer in Madison, Wis., and the 5th grade class at St. Mark's in De Pere, Wis., both hosted their Taste of Mission School Challenge parties.

Students from Our Redeemer were able to talk to Missionary Peter Janke in Australia via Zoom and learn more about his past work in East Asia and his current work in Australia. Students from St. Mark's had a chance to meet virtually with home missionary Rev. Fred Berger at Forgiven Lutheran in Kronenwetter, Wis., and hear more about his experience starting a new mission.

Thank you to all who participated!

Learn more about the School Challenge activities at tasteofmissions.com/school-challenge and join us for Taste of Missions on June 13, 2026, at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wis.