Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (1850 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: LutheranReligious Tradition: Evangelical Protestant
Description: The Wisconsin Synod began with the organization of German Lutheran immigrants in Wisconsin in the 1850s. It spread as similar synods from other states associated with it. It is among the most conservative of Lutheran bodies.
Official Site: https://www.wels.net/
Connections: Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
| Group (Active) | Group (Defunct) | Other |
Maps: Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (2020)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod States (2020)1 [View all States]
| Rank | State | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | 393 | 209,788 | 35.60 |
| 2 | South Dakota | 44 | 9,630 | 10.86 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 138 | 53,294 | 9.34 |
| 4 | Michigan | 128 | 35,852 | 3.56 |
| 5 | Nebraska | 35 | 6,427 | 3.28 |
Top 5 Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Counties (2020)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County, WI | 18 | 14,946 | 176.04 |
| 2 | Deuel County, SD | 2 | 753 | 175.32 |
| 3 | Brown County, MN | 4 | 4,125 | 159.19 |
| 4 | Green Lake County, WI | 9 | 2,919 | 153.49 |
| 5 | Blaine County, NE | 1 | 59 | 136.89 |
Top 5 Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Watertown-Fort Atkinson, WI Micro Area | 18 | 14,946 | 176.04 |
| 2 | New Ulm, MN Micro Area | 4 | 4,125 | 159.19 |
| 3 | Manitowoc, WI Micro Area | 18 | 10,046 | 123.48 |
| 4 | Beaver Dam, WI Micro Area | 19 | 10,212 | 114.23 |
| 5 | Fond du Lac, WI Metro Area | 11 | 8,620 | 82.76 |
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Members (1925 - 2010)2
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Ministers & Churches (1925 - 2010)2
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Trends (1925 - 2010)2
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | 139,226 | 589 | 662 |
| 1929 | 153,506 | 593 | 898 |
| 1935 | 231,928 | 632 | 731 |
| 1939 | 256,007 | 807 | |
| 1942 | 315,560 | 745 | |
| 1943 | 324,492 | 914 | |
| 1946 | 288,355 | 828 | |
| 1950 | 307,216 | 685 | 829 |
| 1951 | 311,477 | 753 | 830 |
| 1952 | 316,839 | 700 | 837 |
| 1953 | 322,947 | 790 | 886 |
| 1954 | 328,969 | 741 | 850 |
| 1956 | 339,106 | 778 | 858 |
| 1957 | 342,993 | 762 | 841 |
| 1960 | 235,073 | 727 | 829 |
| 1961 | 348,184 | 800 | 840 |
| 1962 | 349,981 | 800 | 846 |
| 1963 | 354,840 | 800 | 822 |
| 1964 | 358,466 | 789 | 869 |
| 1969 | 376,319 | 923 | 916 |
| 1970 | 381,321 | 938 | 967 |
| 1971 | 383,263 | 967 | 987 |
| 1972 | 385,077 | 995 | 991 |
| 1973 | 387,286 | 1,026 | 1,013 |
| 1974 | 388,865 | 1,041 | 1,031 |
| 1975 | 395,440 | 1,080 | 1,057 |
| 1976 | 399,114 | 1,155 | 1,082 |
| 1977 | 401,489 | 1,203 | 1,099 |
| 1978 | 402,972 | 1,241 | 1,116 |
| 1979 | 404,564 | 1,276 | 1,128 |
| 1980 | 407,043 | 1,290 | 1,139 |
| 1981 | 410,288 | 1,308 | 1,149 |
| 1982 | 412,529 | 1,349 | 1,151 |
| 1983 | 414,199 | 1,356 | 1,193 |
| 1984 | 415,630 | 1,437 | 1,196 |
| 1985 | 415,389 | 1,462 | 1,179 |
| 1986 | 416,493 | 1,497 | 1,180 |
| 1987 | 418,791 | 1,525 | 1,187 |
| 1989 | 419,312 | 1,573 | 1,198 |
| 1990 | 420,039 | 1,607 | 1,211 |
| 1993 | 416,886 | 1,641 | 1,220 |
| 1994 | 414,874 | 1,636 | 1,251 |
| 1995 | 412,478 | 1,628 | 1,252 |
| 1996 | 412,942 | 1,604 | 1,235 |
| 1997 | 411,295 | 1,648 | 1,240 |
| 1999 | 722,754 | 1,760 | 1,239 |
| 2000 | 721,665 | 1,781 | 1,241 |
| 2001 | 401,615 | 1,783 | 1,228 |
| 2002 | 403,345 | 1,806 | 1,250 |
| 2003 | 400,622 | 1,795 | 1,259 |
| 2004 | 400,858 | 1,813 | 1,261 |
| 2005 | 398,282 | 1,844 | 1,263 |
| 2006 | 395,947 | 1,857 | 1,276 |
| 2007 | 394,241 | 1,880 | 1,276 |
| 2008 | 390,213 | 1,832 | 1,286 |
| 2009 | 389,545 | 1,854 | 1,279 |
| 2010 | 385,321 | 1,875 | 1,287 |
Sources
1 The 2020 data were collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) and include data for 372 religious bodies or groups. Of these, the ASARB was able to gather data on congregations and adherents for 217 and on congregations only for 155. [More information on the data sources]
2 All data on clergy, members, and churches are taken from the National Council of Churches’ Historic Archive CD and recent print editions of the Council’s Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. The CD archives all 68 editions of the Yearbook (formerly called Yearbook of the Churches and Yearbook of American Churches) from 1916 to 2000. Read more information on the Historic Archive CD and the Yearbook.
Membership figures are "inclusive." According to the Yearbook, this includes "those who are full communicant or confirmed members plus other members baptized, non-confirmed or non-communicant." Each denomination has its own criteria for membership.
When a denomination listed on the Historic Archive CD was difficult to identify, particularly in early editions of the Yearbook, the ARDA staff consulted numerous sources, including Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions and the Handbook of Denominations in the United States. In some cases, ARDA staff consulted the denomination’s website or contacted its offices by phone. When a denomination could not be positively identified, its data were omitted.
