Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
N16W23377 Stone Ridge Drive
Waukesha, WI 53188
United States
Attesting Officer
Media Contact
43.0513276, -88.2122599
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod's (WELS) calling is to nurture the faith of 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 1,275 churches and a baptized membership of about 364,000. WELS supports work in mission fields in the United States and in countries around the world. WELS congregations - either individually or as federations - operate one of the largest parochial school systems in the United States. WELS is a member of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, an organization of 24 confessional church bodies throughout the world.
Membership
| Full Communicants | Average Attendance | Other Members | Total Inclusive Members | Total Churches | Membership Calculation Method | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 306,264 |
404,564 |
1,128 |
|||||
| 1978 | 303,924 |
402,972 |
1,116 |
|||||
| 1977 | 301,944 |
401,489 |
1,099 |
|||||
| 1976 | 297,862 |
399,114 |
1,082 |
|||||
| 1975 | 293,237 |
395,440 |
1,057 |
|||||
| 1974 | 286,858 |
388,865 |
1,031 |
|||||
| 1973 | 283,130 |
387,286 |
1,013 |
|||||
| 1972 | 278,442 |
385,077 |
991 |
|||||
| 1971 | 275,500 |
383,263 |
987 |
|||||
| 1970 | 271,117 |
381,321 |
967 |
|||||
| 1969 | 265,069 |
376,319 |
916 |
|||||
| 1964 | 358,466 |
869 |
||||||
| 1963 | 354,840 |
822 |
||||||
| 1962 | 349,981 |
846 |
||||||
| 1961 | 348,184 |
840 |
||||||
| 1960 | 235,073 |
829 |
||||||
| 1957 | 342,993 |
841 |
||||||
| 1956 | 339,106 |
858 |
||||||
| 1954 | 328,969 |
850 |
||||||
| 1953 | 322,947 |
886 |
||||||
| 1952 | 316,839 |
837 |
||||||
| 1951 | 311,477 |
830 |
||||||
| 1950 | 214,425 |
307,216 |
829 |
|||||
| 1946 | 288,355 |
828 |
||||||
| 1943 | 191,008 |
133,484 |
259,097 |
914 |
Clergy
| Serving Churches | Retired | Other Service to the Church | Total Clergy | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 963 |
1,276 |
||||
| 1978 | 928 |
1,241 |
||||
| 1977 | 912 |
1,203 |
||||
| 1976 | 880 |
1,155 |
||||
| 1975 | 853 |
1,080 |
||||
| 1974 | 818 |
1,041 |
||||
| 1973 | 820 |
1,026 |
||||
| 1972 | 791 |
995 |
||||
| 1971 | 757 |
967 |
||||
| 1970 | 733 |
938 |
||||
| 1969 | 739 |
923 |
||||
| 1964 | 629 |
789 |
||||
| 1963 | 647 |
800 |
||||
| 1962 | 649 |
800 |
||||
| 1961 | 634 |
800 |
||||
| 1960 | 637 |
727 |
||||
| 1957 | 696 |
762 |
||||
| 1956 | 674 |
778 |
||||
| 1954 | 659 |
741 |
||||
| 1953 | 674 |
790 |
||||
| 1952 | 650 |
700 |
||||
| 1951 | 633 |
753 |
||||
| 1950 | 631 |
54 |
685 |
|||
| 1936 | 632 |
|||||
| 1929 | 593 |
Education
| Total Schools | Staff | Pupils | Total Individuals | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 1,061 |
47,027 |
||||
| 1978 | 1,045 |
47,862 |
||||
| 1977 | 1,042 |
49,700 |
||||
| 1976 | 1,039 |
52,315 |
||||
| 1975 | 1,018 |
54,159 |
||||
| 1974 | 996 |
54,405 |
||||
| 1973 | 952 |
55,401 |
||||
| 1972 | 918 |
56,527 |
||||
| 1971 | 920 |
57,569 |
||||
| 1970 | 920 |
59,742 |
||||
| 1969 | 890 |
60,288 |
||||
| 1963 | 801 |
5,000 |
48,916 |
53,916 |
||
| 1962 | 781 |
5,000 |
48,500 |
53,500 |
||
| 1961 | 781 |
5,000 |
53,336 |
58,336 |
||
| 1960 | 841 |
4,071 |
50,650 |
54,721 |
||
| 1957 | 841 |
4,071 |
47,471 |
51,542 |
||
| 1956 | 762 |
4,071 |
44,550 |
48,621 |
||
| 1954 | 821 |
4,071 |
44,996 |
49,067 |
||
| 1953 | 812 |
4,071 |
42,232 |
46,303 |
||
| 1952 | 543 |
4,071 |
39,359 |
43,430 |
||
| 1951 | 543 |
4,071 |
37,040 |
41,111 |
||
| 1950 | 543 |
0 |
0 |
39,900 |
||
| 1923 | 345 |
17,699 |
||||
| 1922 | 345 |
17,699 |
||||
| 1921 | 636 |
108,970 |
Finance
| Total Benevolences | Total Financials | Total Giving | Local Expenses | Method | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | $12,960,885 |
$63,216,424 |
$50,255,539 |
||||
| 1977 | $11,639,834 |
$56,132,093 |
$44,492,259 |
||||
| 1976 | $11,300,102 |
$51,318,093 |
$40,017,991 |
||||
| 1975 | $11,212,937 |
$47,102,268 |
$35,889,331 |
||||
| 1974 | $10,002,869 |
$42,686,361 |
$32,683,492 |
||||
| 1973 | $8,650,699 |
$38,100,793 |
$29,450,094 |
||||
| 1972 | $8,232,320 |
$34,881,905 |
$26,649,585 |
||||
| 1971 | $7,481,644 |
$31,847,336 |
$24,365,692 |
||||
| 1970 | $6,810,612 |
$29,393,157 |
$22,582,545 |
||||
| 1969 | $6,417,042 |
$27,203,655 |
$20,786,613 |
||||
| 1963 | $17,675,972 |
||||||
| 1962 | $16,408,532 |
||||||
| 1961 | $16,042,224 |
||||||
| 1960 | $14,586,801 |
||||||
| 1959 | $0 |
$14,586,801 |
$0 |
||||
| 1958 | $0 |
$13,947,688 |
$0 |
||||
| 1957 | $13,947,688 |
||||||
| 1956 | $12,797,489 |
||||||
| 1955 | $2,376,926 |
$10,945,616 |
$8,568,690 |
||||
| 1954 | $2,376,926 |
$10,945,616 |
$8,568,690 |
||||
| 1953 | $2,348,748 |
$10,184,292 |
$7,835,544 |
||||
| 1951 | $1,475,795 |
$7,487,925 |
$6,012,130 |
||||
| 1950 | $1,475,795 |
||||||
| 1923 | $1,567,745 |
||||||
| 1922 | $1,526,629 |