Communicating Fellowship: An Evaluation

Abstract

Church fellowship is a doctrine that is significant to the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutherans Synod (WELS). It is significant because all doctrine is important; however, church fellowship can also be difficult to communicate. Understanding church fellowship requires knowing what fellowship is, what fellowship isn’t, and a knowledge of doctrine as a whole. More importantly, church fellowship is understood through faith, which can make communication difficult. This thesis seeks to evaluate how church fellowship is communicated in the WELS. This thesis will provide a biblical evaluation of fellowship, explore the history of church fellowship, and finally, offer an evaluation of official statements on church fellowship in the WELS.