The Evangelical Lutheran Confessional Forum, a biennial meeting of leaders from WELS and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, met in October 2008 at Bethany Lutheran Seminary, Mankato, Minn., to share information and discuss joint concerns.

The Forum began in 1967 after the Synodical Conference, a fellowship organization between WELS, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), dissolved due to doctrinal differences with the LCMS.

“Leaders of WELS and the ELS felt they needed something to replace the Synodical Conference—as a gathering where our synods could interact and communicate with each other,” says Prof. Thomas Nass, chairman of the WELS Commission on Inter-Church Relations and current chairman of the Forum.

According to Nass, 12 leaders from each synod attend the Forum, where they update one another on happenings in the synods and then participate in small group discussions between leaders with similar interests. This year they discussed overseas churches where both synods have a connection and an interest—places like Scandinavia, Latvia, and India.

“The Forum does a good job of keeping the lines of communication open between the synods and discussing matters of common interest,” says Nass. “Also if there are concerns, they can be presented and discussed.”

He continues, “There always has been a wonderful spirit of Christian fellowship and love. It’s a joy to see the leaders of our sister synods interact in such a positive and Christian way.”