Denominational Profile

History

	Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (1850)	continuedWisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
		split into Protes'tant Conference, The (1928)

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.

Membership Data

Year	Clergy	Churches	Members
1925	589	662	139,226
1929	593	898	153,506
1935	632	731	231,928
1939	-	807	256,007
1942	-	745	315,560
1943	-	914	324,492
1946	-	828	288,355
1950	685	829	307,216
1951	753	830	311,477
1952	700	837	316,839
1953	790	886	322,947
1954	741	850	328,969
1956	778	858	339,106
1957	762	841	342,993
1960	727	829	235,073
1961	800	840	348,184
1962	800	846	349,981
1963	800	822	354,840
1964	789	869	358,466
1969	923	916	376,319
1970	938	967	381,321
1971	967	987	383,263
1972	995	991	385,077
1973	1,026	1,013	387,286
1974	1,041	1,031	388,865
1975	1,080	1,057	395,440
1976	1,155	1,082	399,114
1977	1,203	1,099	401,489
1978	1,241	1,116	402,972
1979	1,276	1,128	404,564
1980	1,290	1,139	407,043
1981	1,308	1,149	410,288
1982	1,349	1,151	412,529
1983	1,356	1,193	414,199
1984	1,437	1,196	415,630
1985	1,462	1,179	415,389
1986	1,497	1,180	416,493
1987	1,525	1,187	418,791
1989	1,573	1,198	419,312
1990	1,607	1,211	420,039
1993	1,641	1,220	416,886
1994	1,636	1,251	414,874
1995	1,628	1,252	412,478
1996	1,604	1,235	412,942
1997	1,648	1,240	411,295
1999	1,760	1,239	722,754
2000	1,781	1,241	721,665
2001	1,783	1,228	401,615
2002	1,806	1,250	403,345
2003	1,795	1,259	400,622
2004	1,813	1,261	400,858
2005	1,844	1,263	398,282
2006	1,857	1,276	395,947
2007	1,880	1,276	394,241
2008	1,832	1,286	390,213
2009	1,854	1,279	389,545

Data were taken from the National Council of Churches' Historic Archive CD and recent editions of the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. Denomination descriptions provided by Dr. J. Gordon Melton, Director, Institute for the Study of American Religion (ISAR). [More information on data sources]