Our Larger Church Body (WELS)
Calvary Lutheran Church, Canyon Country, California, is a member of the larger WELS Church Body that:
· Stands boldly on the truth of God’s Word
· Focuses on sharing the gospel with all people
· Is a confessional church that teaches all the doctrines of the Bible
· Values Christ-centered worship
· Recognizes the important of Christian education on all levels
· Cherishes the fellowship that unites us in a common faith
· Is relevant, where every sermon preached and every class taught touches the everyday faith and life of God’s people
· Is joyful and optimistic, living in the joy and confidence that only the gospel can give
· Is friendly and welcoming to all
· Upholds the blessings of marriage as God has defined it
· Values and defends the human life that God has created from conception
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Our acronym stands for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). We admit, it’s a mouthful. But each word is significant.Wisconsin is where three pastors serving German immigrants joined together in a common fellowship more than 150 years ago. Today, it is still where more than half of our membership calls home—but now we have congregations spread all across North America and missions spanning the globe.
Evangelical is a Greek word. Literally translated it means “gospel oriented.” It is an apt description, for the gospel of Jesus Christ is at the core of all we believe and proclaim.
Lutheran refers to those who adhere to the teachings of Martin Luther, the leader of the Reformation in Germany. God used Luther to point out the errors of the church some 500 years ago—that salvation was something that must be earned. It was Luther who once again made clear that salvation is received through faith in Jesus as a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8,9).
Synod literally translated means “walking together.” As a fellowship of Christians, we walk together as individuals and congregations sharing a common bond of faith in Jesus articulated in the Lutheran Confessions.
We invite you to walk with us.
MISSION WORK OF THE WELS
We support work in world mission fields like Cameroon, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, Albania, Bulgaria, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia. We also support mission work in the United States, Canada, and the West Indies.
United States
- 1,270 congregations
- 369,221 baptized members
- 19 preaching stations
- 2,377 teachers
- 1,394 pastors
- 1,342 students training for the public ministry
- 95 staff ministers
- 24 seminary student vicars
- 19 non-traditional pastoral students
- 109 seminary students
Worldwide
- 454 congregations
- 79,780 baptized members
- 252 preaching stations
- 9 teachers
- 218 national pastors
- 23 student pastors
- 170 national evangelists
- 19 national vicars
- 325 Bible institute students
- 122 seminary students
