More than 1,300 people gathered at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison, Wis., on June 25, for the opening worship service of the 63rd Annual Lutheran Women’s Mission Society (LWMS) Convention. Michael Ewart, pastor at St. Peter-The CORE Campus, Appleton, Wis., used the convention theme, “Cast out your nets,” to encourage worshipers to “Cast out your nets in your personal mission field, supporting those who go out in our place.”
Nine hundred seventy registered convention attendees learned about expanding outreach efforts in Kronenwetter, Wis., and Folsom, Calif., as well as world mission work in Africa and ministry among Native American communities.
Jean Lynch, a member of St. Peter’s, Eldorado, Wis., was attending her first LWMS convention. She remarked that “Everybody says the conventions are wonderful, and I wanted to experience that.”
Convention speakers presented workshops on “Resurrection: Hope for a Church Starting Over,” “Shining Christ’s Light Across Borders,” “Cultivating a Mission Atmosphere in Your Congregation,” “In the Lions’ Den—The Joy of Ministering to College Students,” and “A Bridge to the Gospel—Christ-centered Healthcare in Rural Kenya.”
One highlight was the presentation of nearly $106,000 to support WELS home and world mission projects. WELS Home and World Missions administrators shared updates on current and future mission work. Attendees also had opportunities to visit with missionaries and browse and purchase mission-related books and crafts.
This year’s convention was at least the 20th convention that Shirley Derke, a member of Emanuel First, Lansing, Mich., has attended. She is the tour and transportation chair for next year’s convention. Derke shared, “What I love most about coming to conventions is hearing from people that are actually out in the field talking to the unchurched. It overwhelms me.”
And while LWMS is a women’s organization, many men register and attend the convention each year. John Hall, a member of St. Paul, Brownsville, Wis., was attending his fourth convention. He says there is something for everyone. “We see things that work for other congregations and that gives us some ideas for evangelism.”
The 64th Annual LWMS Convention will be held in Lansing, Mich., June 24-27, 2027, hosted by the Mid-Michigan and Lighthouse Circuits. The theme of the convention will be “Send Out Your Light and Your Truth.”
View photos of the event here: LWMS 2026 | Flickr
