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Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)

St. John's Lutheran Church

627 S Washington Street, New Ulm, MN 56073
WELS — Confessional Lutheran
Quick Facts
Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Rob Guenther; Jeffrey Bovee; Staff Minister James Dretske
Founded Established New Ulm WELS congregation
Denomination WELS
Service Times Saturday 6:30 PM; Sunday 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM
Men's Ministry No
Kids Ministry Yes
Website www.stjohnsnewulm.com
Pastor Credentials Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary
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 on church site.
Caution
Soteriology
Faith alone? How is salvation presented?
Justification by grace through faith — sola fide.
Strong
Gender / Biblical Design
Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?
Male-only pastoral office per WELS confessional position.
Male-only pastoral ministry per WELS confessional position on 1 Tim 2 / 1 Cor 14.
Strong
Leadership Structure
Male elders/pastors? Accountability?
Multi-pastor staff + Staff Minister + congregational council.
Strong
Preaching Style
Expository or topical/therapeutic?
Lectionary-based expository preaching.
Strong
Mission Clarity
Great Commission central?
Verify local outreach posture on church site.
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 Minnesota District accountability — New Ulm Circuit.
Strong
Assessment
Large multi-pastor WELS congregation in New Ulm MN, near Martin Luther College; central WELS-heritage city.
#wels#lutheran#confessional#new-ulm#minnesota#mn-district
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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 stjohnsnewulm.com

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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