Why the continued losses in the WELS?

Only God can grow the Church; we are to boldly use His means -- Word and Sacraments -- to reach people with the Gospel. Are we really trying to reach as many people as possible with the means of grace? We can't hide behind "tradition" and "methodology" arguments. Jesus has commanded us to "make disciples" as we are going . . . and not stop until he comes again. The fact is: the Word doesn't work in people's hearts if they don't hear it.

Why is it that the WELS continues to lose people from its membership?

Contender,
I suppose that if we were Church Growth people we would wring our hands about the sad statistics. But being Confessional Lutherans, we will look at the following:
1. In the last days, because of the increase of wickedness the love of most will grow cold, false prophets will come and deceive many, etc.
2. Middle-class white Americans (the majority of WELS) are not having many babies anymore. Much of our growth in past decades was "natural internal" growth.
3. We can repent of our lukewarmness in witnessing our faith and defending it.
4. We are losing many of our youth to churches with bigger programs, nondenoms, etc.
5. Many people only want to hear "what their itching ears" crave.
6. For some, WELS is too liberal. Those are the people who post on blogs.
7. For others, WELS is too conservative. They go to LCMS or ELCA.
8. WELS is perceived to have a cultural superiority complex, which turns off some.
9. Too many pastors spend too much time writing top ten lists (a self indictment).
10. Rejoice that the Kingdom of God is not limited to us WELSers, but that the gospel is being proclaimed to all nations. The Holy Spirit still works effectively through the Means of Grace, the Gospel in Word and Sacrament (Preceded of course by the proper preparatory preaching of specific law). Then the end will come.

Or were you asking for another type of answer?

Dan Wagenknecht

Dan Wagenknecht wrote:9. Too many pastors spend too much time writing top ten lists (a self indictment).

DW, you posted a great list.

A few years ago, WELS published the results of a study of young adult "back door" losses conducted under contract by a research company. The research company asked WELS pastors why young people left the church, then the researchers tracked down young people who had left and asked them why. The shocker: the list of reasons provided by pastors did not match the list given by young people.

Conclusion? We don't have a clue about what's going on.

I think basicly it just simply boils done to one big happy hour feel good church's that people let them selves get swallowed up in .these feel good church's With lip service to how wonderful the bible is.
Those that leave confessional lutheran churches , for other brands of protestanism ,, it is most often to these feel good Church's .
And These Church's QUICKLY AS THEY CAN convert you away from any truth of the sacraments .
They think their stance on the sacraments is REASONABLE (which it is!) .. So if some one has to give up what they believe it darn well be Christian Lutherans .


The anabaptists pretend that children, not as yet having reason, ought not to receive baptism. I answer: That reason in no way contributes to faith. Nay, in that children are destitute of reason, they are all the more fit and proper recipients of baptism. For reason is the greatest enemy that faith has: it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but - more frequently than not - struggles against the Divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God. If God can communicate the Holy Ghost to grown persons, he can, a fortiori, communicate it to young children. Faith comes of the Word of God, when this is heard; little children hear that Word when they receive baptism, and therewith they receive also faith.
Martin Luther (1483-1546), Table Talk CCCLIII [1569]