Luther Preparatory School. Watertown. Wisconsin.
Celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2015, Luther Preparatory School is the oldest Lutheran high school in America. Funded and governed by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), their mission statement declares its commitment to preparing and encouraging young men and women for full time ministry in the WELS.
In the early 20th century the American Lutheran church was consolidating and reorganizing its schools across the nation. After the WELS split from the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in 1961, the WELS began reforming its own educational institutions.
Luther Preparatory School was originally founded as the prep department of Northwestern College in Watertown, Wisconsin in 1865. In 1974, it was granted its own identity as the Northwestern Preparatory School. Nineteen years later, Northwestern College and Dr. Martin Luther College consolidated into one college in New Ulm, Minnesota. That same year the preparatory schools for these two colleges merged into one school on the Watertown campus. On August 19th 1995 this new school opened its doors for the first time as Luther Preparatory School.
Luther Prep has a close relationship with the WELS as its governance is intertwined with that of the synod. The school is directly controlled by the synod through an elected Governing Board that establishes school policies in agreement with the policies of the synod. The president of the school and the chairman of the Governing Board also serve on the synod’s Board for Ministerial Education (BME). The BME makes and coordinates policy for all of the schools in the WELS educational system. Subsequently, the ideas and beliefs of the WELS are reflected in the curriculum and goals of Luther Preparatory School.
The beliefs of the WELS include a conservative, confessional, and orthodox view of Lutheranism. Members of the WELS strive to conserve Biblical truths and do not advocate changing Scriptural teachings because of cultural pressures. They believe that those who exercise these changes have a less than total commitment to the Word of God. The WELS also recognizes the Lutheran Confessions as correct interpretations of the Scriptures and believes that other Lutheran churches have departed from this truth.
Luther Preparatory School has been educating youth in the Lutheran tradition for 150 years. Self-described as conservative, confessional, orthodox Lutherans, their teachings and practices reflect what is commonly seen as American Lutheran actions. In accordance to Lutheran tradition, Luther Preparatory puts forth an emphasis on engagement in service. Project Timothy is an example of one such mission program that began in 1993 that takes students around the world to serve in the Lutheran tradition. It serves as a way for students to be exposed to cross-cultural mission work while allowing them to gain experience in the work of a mission. The program strives to provide students with ministry experience whether it’s in a home or out in the world. The Lutheran tradition emphasizes the importance of music in the church. Keeping with this tradition, Luther Preparatory School has an extensive music program. Of the 442 students enrolled, 409 of them are involved in at least one of three choirs, 337 are taking piano or organ lessons, 76 play in the band, and 26 play the handbells. While it acknowledges the immense importance of music and service in the Lutheran tradition, Luther Preparatory’s main goal is to educate young people and prepare them for life spent in the ministry. Lutheranism has a large stress on spreading and carrying out the Word of God. Luther Preparatory does what it can to be sure its students are equipped with the ability to spread the Word, serve their community, and carry out God’s will.
Abbey Everson, Hannah Hein, and Sarah Bresnahan
Bibliography
http://www.watertownhistory.org/Articles/NorthwesternCollege.htm
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