There have always been questions that people have had about the divine call and the process we use to call people into the public ministry. With the high number of vacancies and with many congregations affected by the shortage, it’s not surprising that there have been more questions than normal about exactly what the divine call is and how the doctrine of the call is applied among us.

For that reason, the 2021 synod convention passed a resolution encouraging the Conference of Presidents to develop resources and perhaps a series of instructive articles in Forward in Christ that will provide our people with a better understanding of the divine call and how it works.

The COP is now making available a Bible study that deals with the public ministry, the call, and our WELS call process. While designed for a Bible class setting, it will also be available to anyone for personal self-study.