Board for Home Missions
414-256-3284; bhmadmin@sab.wels.net
In order to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness, one administrator of operations is now serving both the offices of WELS Home and World Missions. Mr. Melvin Schuler, previously serving as associate administrator for Home Missions, began serving as the director of missions operations in July. This new position is under the auspices of the Joint Mission Council, a coordinating group authorized by both mission boards and ratified by the Synodical Council. Schuler will partner with the pastoral administrators of the two boards—Pastor Harold Hagedorn of Home Missions and Pastor Dan Koelpin of World Missions.

Home Missions has filled its fourth mission counselor position—a position that has been vacant for almost four years due to funding issues. Pastor Peter Kruschel, administrator for WELS Board for Ministerial Education, accepted the call to be the mission counselor in the Pacific Northwest and southwestern regions of the country. This call for a fourth mission counselor, part of Home Missions’ efforts to expand the mission counselor program, was supported by resolutions from last year’s synod convention.

Commission on Parish Schools
414-256-3222; cps@sab.wels.net
About 450 people—including principals, Lutheran elementary school teachers, early childhood ministry teachers and directors, public school teachers, pastors, and school board representatives—attended the 2008 WELS National School Leadership Conference in June. This is the first year the conference was targeted toward all educators, instead of primarily toward principals. “It builds off the idea that every teacher is a leader,” says Jim Brandt, administrator for Parish Schools. “We need to nurture the leaders and grow more leaders in our schools—whether that means future principals or teachers that partner more in their school’s leadership.” Materials—including several videotaped presentations and handouts from the conference—are available online at archive.wels.net/jump/leaderconf.