Guided by Faith 2023 WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership

This January, more than 1,300 WELS members gathered in Chicago for the 2023 WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership. For three days they immersed themselves workshops, discussions, and breakout groups to explore new ways of leading in their congregations and communities.

A number of members of the WLHS community were involved in various aspects of the conference.

• Dr. Joan Prince ('71) and Rev. Dr. Ken Fisher, president of WLHS, kicked off the conference with a keynote presentation – “A Courageous Conversation on Modeling Gospel-Centered Unity.”

• Rev. Dr. Huebner (’99), WLHS campus pastor, led a breakout session on "Who Am I?" - The Crisis Among Teens Today.”

• Rev. Huebner also brought 16 WLHS students to the conference to participate in a panel discussion on "An Honest Conversation with WELS Teens."

• Sarah (Horn) Proeber ('07), a communications manager for the WELS, helped plan and coordinate the event.

“A Courageous Conversation on Modeling Gospel-Centered Unity”

Together, Dr. Prince and Dr. Fisher tackled a topic that many agree needs to be addressed more openly and directly in the WELS. They acknowledged the lack of ethnic diversity across the synod and reminded attendees that we have the tools to create real unity.

“Ken and I rooted our talk in the gospel. Everything we said tied back to the Bible and God’s word,” explained Prince. “Race is really a man-made barrier. God didn’t create it. Instead, he gave us the Great Commission, encouraging us to bring all people in.”

The pair reminded attendees that faith is a powerful unifier. It’s sin that divides us.

“I was amazed and invigorated by the warm reception we received. It was an overflowing room and the attendees were open and eager to talk about race and God’s direction. The welcome was more than I anticipated and it gave strength to my faith and hope to my work,” said Prince.