[11] The 1868 convention witnessed a meaningful discussion on the topic of pulpit and altar fellowship, one of the Four Points in American Lutheranism.

[11] Following the 1868 convention, representatives of the Wisconsin and Missouri Synods held a meeting in Milwaukee during October 21–22, 1868.

[11] They discussed various points of doctrine, writing an agreement recognizing the Missouri and Wisconsin synods as orthodox Lutheran church bodies and that they have fellowship.

The agreement noted that in the event a doctrinal error arose in one of the two synods, they would not question each other's orthodoxy as long as they both used all Christian means at their disposal to resolve the problem.

They also invited the entire membership, both teachers and pastors, of all the synods to attend a general convention the next year.

[13] The fellowship union included full communion among members, the sharing of educational facilities, joint mission and benevolence work, and open pulpit between pastors of the different synods.

[14] The 1876 and 1877 conventions also took up this cause, and added to it the goal of providing centrally located ministerial and teacher education campuses.

[19] Along with other ethnically German denominations, the Wisconsin Synod successfully spoke out in opposition to the Wisconsin Bennett Law, a compulsory education law that also required certain subjects be taught in English and put public authorities in charge of enforcing compliance in both public and private schools.

Wisconsin's German-American Lutherans and Catholics saw the law as an attack on their parochial schools and parental rights.

From 1926 to 1929, a small group of persons and congregations were expelled or voluntarily left the WELS in an incident known as the "Protes'tant Controversy."

After years of continued talks, the ELS severed its fellowship relations with the LCMS in 1955 and withdrew from the Synodical Conference.

Dissatisfaction over this decision led about 70 pastors and a similar number of congregations to leave the WELS, ELS, and LCMS to form the Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC).

Their chief complaint was that the WELS misapplied the principles of Christian fellowship by not breaking immediately with the Synodical Conference and the LCMS after it had publicly recognized doctrinal disagreements.

[25] MLC offers several undergraduate and graduate degree programs, all of which train students for service in the Wisconsin Synod.

These men "act as a corporate board to plan and direct WELS worldwide ministry",[29] but their decisions may be overruled by a synod convention.

“Through church- or school-based volunteer trips to WELS mission fields at home and abroad, members have the opportunity to engage in Christian service.

Pre-trip training led by a Mission Journeys team leader equips volunteers to have significant impact during their trip.

Today, Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel is a campus ministry of the WELS that serves students of UW—Madison and other colleges in Madison, WI.

[77] “The mission of Christian Aid and Relief is to reflect Christ’s love and compassion to souls suffering from disasters and hardships.

Because of what Christ has freely done for us, we eagerly show we care by offering our time, talents, and treasures to those in need.”[78] CAR is made up mostly of volunteers who help in various ways.

CAR also partners with various organizations to help carry out their efforts including Central Africa Medical Mission, Kingdom Workers, WELS Nurses Association, and Christian Family Solutions.

The WELS Mission for the Visually Impaired is able to provide a wide variety of Christian resources for free to anyone who qualifies because of copyright law.

“Volunteers at the Mission for the Visually Impaired Workshop in South St Paul, Minn. and across the US produce Christian materials in audio formats, braille and large print.

[90] The WELS Multi-Language Productions (MLP) has made more than 2.9 million audio, video, and print materials.

The majority of MLP products are evangelism and Bible Study resources to be used by anyone who sees a need for ministering to others in Christ.”[91] The WELS Commission on Congregational Counseling “assists WELS congregations to assess and evaluate ministry, review biblical teachings and principles that impact ministry, develop plans to adjust and expand ministry in appropriate ways, and carry out their plans over a period of time.”[92] Northwestern Publishing House (NPH)[93] is the official publishing house for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it produces a wide variety of materials including curriculum, periodicals, books, and worship resources.

Its retail store, NPH Christian Books and Gifts, was also located in Milwaukee, but closed in September 2018.

[94] Since June 23, 1891, Northwestern Publishing House has served the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and its members with a variety of products and programs.

The mission of NPH is to publish and provide biblically sound material that communicates, fosters, and supports the Christian faith and life.

[99] Other than Wisconsin, the states with the highest rates of adherents are South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, and Nebraska.