WELS President Addresses LCMS Convention for First Time Since 1961 Fellowship Suspension

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) President Mark Schroeder addressed the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) convention in July 2026, marking the first time a WELS president had done so since the two denominations suspended fellowship in 1961.

The address came during the LCMS convention, which also re-elected President Matthew Harrison for what he said will be his final term. Harrison defeated professor Joel Biermann in the election. The convention also re-established the Commission on Worship and passed a resolution calling for further study on the use of female lay readers in public worship.

The LCMS and WELS, along with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), were once united in the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America. The ELS suspended fellowship with the LCMS in 1955, and the WELS followed in 1961. WELS and ELS have maintained fellowship with each other throughout the period of separation.

Since 2012, representatives from all three synods have met annually for informal discussions. These meetings are not formal doctrinal negotiations but are intended to foster better understanding and identify areas of agreement and disagreement.

Leaders from all three synods have acknowledged significant theological common ground, including shared positions on justification, creation, the Trinity, and the sacraments. Remaining differences center on prayer fellowship, the nature of the pastoral office, and the role of women in congregational governance.

Despite the historic nature of Schroeder's address, leaders from all three synods have stated that restoring full church fellowship is not a near-term goal. Future plans include continued leadership meetings and possible broader conferences for clergy and laity.