Material for a History of the WELS Campus Ministry

Abstract

Martin O. Westerhaus’s essay, Material for a History of the WELS Campus Ministry (1979), provides a detailed survey of the development of Lutheran campus ministry, with emphasis on the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). Westerhaus begins by tracing early efforts among other Lutheran bodies, noting that campus ministry emerged in the early 1900s in response to the rapid growth of state universities. The Missouri Synod organized its Student Welfare Committee in the 1920s, eventually establishing full-time campus pastors and student organizations. WELS initiated campus work in 1920 with Calvary Chapel in Madison, Wisconsin, but for decades lacked a coordinated program, relying on individual pastors near universities to minister informally to students. Significant organizational progress occurred in the late 1950s when the Lutheran Spiritual Welfare Commission expanded its scope to include student services. By the 1960s, WELS launched full-time ministries in Madison and Milwaukee, established campus houses, and organized Lutheran Collegians as a student group. The 1970s saw campus ministry placed under the Special Ministries Board, shifting focus from rapid expansion to improving quality and coordination. Westerhaus concludes by affirming the importance of campus ministry for retaining and strengthening young Christians amid secular academic environments, urging continued investment in personnel, resources, and strategic planning. Abstract prepared by Microsoft Copilot (GPT‑4).