
LWMS is its members. WELS and ELS congregations and individuals join together in supporting LWMS through annual membership dues. Members are the foundation of this organization. When a congregtion joins LWMS, it selects a reporter to serve as a liaison between the congregation and the international LWMS Central Office. The reporter also represents the congregation at the circuit level.
LWMS provides many tools for the reporter to help publicize the organization within the congregation. See below for the tools available for LWMS members.
Our current membership stands over 800 congregations across the United States and Canada.
Membership is by
congregation with payment of the annual
$85 membership dues to LWMS.
In addition, individual women who are members of non-member churches may have an
individual membership by paying the
$40 individual membership dues annually.
LWMS is divided into three levels: local, circuit, and international.
LOCAL Member congregations and individual members constitute the local level. Each congregation is asked to select a "reporter." The reporter is the link between the local congregation and the circuit.
CIRCUIT Congregations in a close geographical area may form a circuit. Circuit membership is encouraged. Circuit officers are selected and mission projects are chosen at spring or fall rallies. Free-will offerings are taken at the rallies to cover operating expenses of the circuits.
INTERNATIONAL LWMS is administered by a nine-member board of directors elected by mail-in ballot. Each member congregation may cast a ballot.
Membership dues are vital to the LWMS organization as they are the basis of our operating budget. The support of our congregational members who pay their annual dues make it possible to ensure that 100% of the mission money collected by our members goes to support our mission projects.