God in History: Business Cycles, Immigration and the WELS

Abstract

Quinten A. Buechner’s 1984 senior history paper examines the interplay between secular historical trends—specifically business cycles and immigration—and the expansion of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). Using statistical data and correlation analysis, Buechner explores how economic prosperity and immigration patterns influenced the founding of WELS congregations from 1821 to 1980. He finds a significant positive correlation between business cycles and congregational growth, suggesting that economic conditions may reflect God’s provision of resources for mission work. Immigration data, particularly German and Scandinavian influxes, show strong correlation with congregational founding up to 1940, supporting the view that WELS historically focused on serving its ethnic base. The paper concludes that while God provides opportunity and resources, human expectations and faith responses shape mission outcomes. Buechner recommends further research into emigration, ethnic shifts, and synodical decision-making to better understand WELS growth dynamics. —Abstract generated by Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4)