The Evangelical Lutheran Synod is an American Lutheran church body of 130 congregations in full fellowship with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). The ELS is also a member of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC), a conference of church bodies throughout the world in fellowship with one another. Following Jesus’ command to bring the Gospel “to all nations,” the ELS operates missions in seven countries around the world: Peru, Chile, India, Korea, Ukraine, Czechia, and Latvia. We are also active in beginning new congregations in the United States.