Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary

Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary is located in Mequon, Wisconsin and trains pastors for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).

The campus consists of twenty two buildings, including a library with over 58,000 volumes, including a collection of rare pre-18th century theological books.

History

Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary has been located in several different places throughout its history.

Origins in Watertown

The origins of the school date to 1863, when the main sources of clergy in the Wisconsin Synod were the mission societies in Germany. As the Wisconsin Synod moved to a more conservative and confessional theological stance, the theological character of clergy from the German mission societies came into question. Furthermore, it became more and more difficult to provide pastors in adequate numbers. To alleviate these problems the Wisconsin Synod formed the Theological School of the Wisconsin Synod in Watertown, Wisconsin. The first students met in the professor's home. In 1864 the Wisconsin Synod in convention resolved to provide a permanent building for the seminary. Five acres of Watertown land were purchased for $600.00. Ground was broken on July 22, 1864, on what is now the campus of Luther Preparatory School in Watertown, WI. The building was dedicated on September 14, 1865. The third floor of the building was used for the seminary classes, and the first two levels were used for the synod's college, Northwestern.

Merger with Concordia Seminary

Due mainly to small enrollments and an increasing desire to enter into fellowship with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, the school merged with Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod's Concordia Seminary in 1870. As part of the merger, it was agreed that Missouri should actively participate in Northwestern College by providing a professor for the scool, and assisting the school with financial support. Wisconsin was to send students to St. Louis, provide a professor and contribute financial support for Concordia. Each synod was to retain management of its own institution. Six Wisconsin Synod students began study in St. Louis in March, 1870.

Wisconsin Reopens the Seminary

In 1878, the WELS reopened a seminary of their own in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Wisconsin reopened the seminary to help prevent the assimilation of their entire synod into Missouri. Wisconsin Synod leaders stressed that doctrinal fellowship was possible with Missouri without organizational unity. Since the seminary was no longer able to share a building with Northwestern College, the seminary used other facilities in Watertown.

The Move to Wauwatosa

Soon the increasing number of seminarians outgrew the Watertown facility. Therefore a new seminary campus was opened in 1893 in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin with 31 students. The facility was a two story building with a full basement and a large attic. The first floor held two classrooms, a chapel, and a faculty lounge, as well as several study rooms, and a restroom in each of the two wings. The second floor mirrored the layout of the first floor. There was however a large hall in the center of the second floor, a space which the library would later occupy. The basement featured a kitchen and dining area, a washroom, and a recreation room. Years later, the attic was finished and outfitted for additional student quarters.

A Permanent Campus in Mequon

In 1929 Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary was moved to a new permanent campus in Mequon, Wisconsin. The architecture of the buildings on the campus are loosely based on the Wartburg Castle in Germany, including the use of stone walls and slate for the roof.

Campus

The impressive seminary tower that acts as a gateway to a central courtyard, divides the main building into two areas: the residence hall and dining hall life to the west and administration-classroom building, chapel, and library to the east. The residence hall, consisting of eight units, can accommodate about 80 students. The dining hall seats approximately 150. Between 1997 and 2002 the residence hall was expanded to provide more room for each student. The classrooms were simultaneously remodeled to provide current technology. An auditorium-gymnasium, built in 1986, seats 1200.

The campus features these main buildings and areas:

• Administration-Classroom
• Chapel
• Library
• Residence and Dining Hall
• Gymnasium

Sources

• Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary 1863-1963, by Immanuel P. Frey.

External links

• Official Website