After serving as chairman of the Commission on Evangelism for 16 years, Pastor James Huebner from Grace, Milwaukee, admits, “I have a love for and an interest in helping churches and pastors proclaim Jesus in the best possible way.”

That interest will serve him well as the synod’s new first vice president. Elected to this position at the convention this past summer, Huebner, who previously served as WELS’ second vice president, is excited to be involved in what he feels is an important goal for the synod—strengthening churches and called workers.

“Everybody is wringing their hands about finances. Well, how do you get to the position where you’re financially stable?” he asks. “You raise Jesus in the hearts of people more. You get people into their Bibles more. You get people studying Scripture more. You get people worshiping and hearing the proclamation of Jesus more.”

As first vice president, Huebner will be working closely with WELS president, Pastor Mark Schroeder, and the new second vice president, Pastor Joel Voss from Resurrection, Centerville, Ohio, also elected at the convention. Voss and Huebner will be members of the two synodical leadership groups, the Conference of Presidents and the Synodical Council. They also will serve in advisory and consultative roles on several boards and committees.

At the synod convention, delegates voted to make the once full-time first vice president position part time, for a savings of $80,000. Now both vice presidents’ duties are in addition to their full-time calls as parish pastors—with no additional compensation. “I probably won’t get at some things here at my congregation,” says Voss. “But here’s an opportunity [for my congregation members] not only to share my time with the synod as a way of working together with [their] brothers and sisters in the faith but also then to have the chance to step up and take some of the things that I was doing and accomplish them [themselves].”

Voss, who just finished serving as chairman of the Ad Hoc Commission, says he’s excited to be involved in implementing the commission’s recommendations that were approved at the synod convention, including the redeployment of Parish Services and the reworking of the circuit pastor system. But he admits that there will be a learning curve. “I need to watch and listen and find out where I can help,” he says.