The opening service for Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary was conducted on September 24, 1946. Five students were enrolled during the first year. Norman A. Madson, Sr., the first dean of the seminary wrote, “Our own seminary is no longer merely a child of our fond desires, but has become a living reality.” The seminary shared…
During this centennial year, the ELS holds dear the fellowship which we have with the member church bodies throughout the world in the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC). The thirty-two church bodies consist of about 500,000 souls. The Rev. Gaylin Schmeling, of the ELS, currently serves as the president of the CELC, being elected at its latest…
The Synodical Conference came to a close after the ELS and the WELS separated from the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod over the doctrine of church fellowship. In 1993 efforts by the ELS and the WELS to form a new international organization of fellowship came to fruition in what today is known as the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran…
Since its reorganization in 1918, the ELS has participated in foreign mission work in fifteen nations. Today, in addition to the ongoing work in Peru, the ELS conducts mission work in Chile, India and South Korea. In 2008, through the acquisition of Thoughts of Faith, Inc., a church-related organization founded in 1979, the synod helps…
As the ELS observes the 100th anniversary of reorganization, we also remember this year marks the 50th anniversary of the start of mission work in Peru. In 1968, following years of cooperating jointly through the Synodical Conference, the ELS decided to establish its own foreign mission in Lima, Peru. The first missionary arrived on January…
A sermon preached at the 1918 reorganizing convention of the ELS reminded the faithful few that their purpose was to extend God’s kingdom and they “should not weary in this work.” Since its reorganization in 1918, the ELS has participated in foreign mission work in fifteen nations. Working through the synods of the Synodical Conference, early missionaries served…
In the 1980s the focus for home missions shifted from offering aid to established churches to that of supporting exploratory missions. Former President Orvick observed, “Where would we be today if it were not for the dedicated efforts of our members and our mission boards who, with limited resources, boldly took steps to organize mission…
Mission work always has received much attention in our Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Already at the 1918 convention, a Home Mission Board was established. Much of the early mission work in those days was found in supporting small groups who had been displaced or left without church buildings as a result of the merger of 1917.…
In observance of the synod’s centennial year, the Lutheran Youth Association (LYA) is holding its annual convention in Parkland, Washington. The site was selected because, in 1918, this location was the home of the first president of our reorganized synod. By God’s grace, the ELS has endured these one hundred years “Even When Steeples Are…
During this anniversary year, the Lutheran Sentinel continues to be the voice of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Until 1982, the Lutheran Sentinel was published in a bi-weekly format. An early editor wrote, “We have tried to live up to both the name and the motto (It Is Written!) of the paper… We have endeavored to…