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Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School

4800 S Southeastern Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57103
WELS — Confessional Lutheran
Quick Facts
Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Michael Johnson; Johnathan Werre
Founded Established Sioux Falls WELS congregation/school
Denomination WELS
Service Times Sundays 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM (livestreamed); Family Bible Hour 9:15 AM; Summer: Sat 5:30 PM, Sun 9:00 AM
Men's Ministry No
Kids Ministry Yes
Website www.gswels.org
Pastor Credentials Pastor Werre 35 years in ministry; Pastor Johnson 15 years
10-Point Theological Scorecard
Christology
Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)
Confessional Lutheran Christology.
Strong
Scripture
Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?
Verbal plenary inspiration per WELS confession.
Strong
Men's Discipleship
Intentional formation for men?
Verify men's ministry.
Caution
Soteriology
Faith alone? How is salvation presented?
Justification by grace through faith.
Strong
Gender / Biblical Design
Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?
Male-only pastoral office.
Male-only pastoral ministry per WELS confessional position on 1 Tim 2 / 1 Cor 14.
Strong
Leadership Structure
Male elders/pastors? Accountability?
Two veteran pastors + school faculty + congregational council.
Strong
Preaching Style
Expository or topical/therapeutic?
Lectionary-based expository preaching.
Strong
Mission Clarity
Great Commission central?
Verify local outreach posture.
Caution
Cultural Alignment
DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?
Verify cultural posture — unvisited.
Caution
Accountability Structure
Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?
WELS Dakota-Montana District; member Sioux Falls Lutheran School association.
Strong
Assessment
Sioux Falls SD WELS — east side counterpart to Bethel; veteran multi-pastor team.
#wels#lutheran#confessional#sioux-falls#south-dakota#dakota-montana-district#school
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MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Researched church website
Sources & Evidence

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

  1. [1] Live source gswels.org
  2. [2] Live source gswels.org/church-about

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-16 — Annual review recommended
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