St. Matthew’s is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). The Wisconsin Synod began in 1850 when three German pastors joined in a common fellowship in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  As a Christian church body, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod’s calling is to nurture the faith of our members and to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

WELS is the third largest Lutheran church body in the United States with 1,270 churches, 369,221 baptized members, and 293,228 communicant members.

WELS has 12 districts to allow for more area-specific ministry, personal contacts, and member involvement. WELS supports work in mission fields in the United States and in countries around the world.

WELS maintains four schools for the education of our pastors, teachers, and staff ministers—Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wis.; Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minn.; Luther Preparatory School in Watertown, Wis.; and Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw, Mich.

WELS congregations—either individually or as federations—operate one of the largest parochial school systems in the United States. This system includes 313 Lutheran elementary schools, 403 early childhood ministries, and 25 area Lutheran high schools.

WELS is a member of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, an organization of 24 confessional church bodies throughout the world. Five separately incorporated entities work closely with WELS to provide resources necessary to carry out WELS’ ministry.

The synod’s headquarters is located at N16W23377 Stone Ridge Dr, Waukesha, WI 53188.

For more information, visit wels.net or call 414-256-3888.