Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod ( english Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, abbreviated WELS ) is a Lutheran church in the United States of America, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Organised in a Synodalverband church was founded in 1850 by German immigrants in Wisconsin. 2010 were approximately 385,000 church members in more than 1,200 municipalities for WELS. Church communities are found in all 50 U.S. states and in 24 other countries. Within the United States, the WELS is the third largest Lutheran church by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ( ELCA ) and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS ). She also belongs to the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, it is one of the founding members. In German-speaking countries it has relations to the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church ( ELFK ).