Obituary: Rev. Dr. John C. Wille, president of the LCMS South Wisconsin District

Wille

The Rev. Dr. John Charles Wille, former president of the LCMS South Wisconsin District (SWD), died on June 10 in Milwaukee. He was 71.

Wille was born in Watertown, Wis., on Nov. 10, 1952, to Julius and Joan (Wuestenberg) Wille. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern College, Watertown, Wis., in 1975, and a Master of Divinity from Wisconsin Lutheran College, Mequon, Wis., in 1979. He colloquized into the LCMS in 1984. He received an Honorary Doctorate in Divinity from Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW), Mequon, Wis., in 2009.

In 2006, Wille was elected president of the SWD. He was re-elected five more times, most recently in 2022. He continued to serve as district president until early June, when SWD First Vice-President Rev. Eric Skovgaard announced Wille was entering hospice care.

In addition to serving as district president, Wille served on the LCMS Council of Presidents; the Boards of Regents for Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor; and many other district and Synod boards and committees. Prior to his election as district president, Wille was the founding pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Tomah, Wis., serving from 1991 to 2006. He also served churches in Illinois and Ohio and supported mission work in the Dominican Republic.

Wille enjoyed being in nature, where he made cherished memories with family and shared canoeing trips in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters with close friends. He is survived by his wife, Lynette; daughters Jessica (Chris) Parker, Sarah (Sal) Mancuso and Laura (Andrew) Councill; grandchildren Claire, Will, Evan, Gabe, Stella, Leo and Cree; sisters Judy (Bruce) Lunderborg and Jean Henderson; and many nieces and nephews.

The Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, president of the LCMS, recently reflected on Wille’s life and service.

“John was a unique individual, even a character among COP [Council of Presidents] characters. He cared most deeply about the Gospel of free forgiveness in the blood of Christ. It was his life’s mission that the Gospel be widely shared and preached with crystal clarity in the church. He never tired in sharing his expertise in ecclesiastical matters with his brother pastors and district presidents. We are honored to have worked beside him. Christ is risen! Alleluia.”

The Rev. Dr. R. Lee Hagan, chairman of the COP, said, “John Wille was a wise and respected member of the Council of Presidents. His guidance was regularly sought by new presidents in working through difficult matters. He was a faithful warrior whose presence and leadership will be missed.”

Shortly after the announcement of Wille’s death, many others in the church also shared remembrances of him on social media. The Rev. Dr. Todd Peperkorn, assistant professor and director of vicarage and internships at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, wrote, “Many knew and thought of John as a gruff, tough, ‘rock-ribbed’ conservative who was about whatever the battle of the day was. And to be fair, he was that. … But he was a pastor. He had incredible compassion for the pastors of his district and would defend them to the end. He defended me when few did, and for that, I am thankful.”

The Rev. Gregery Hovland, pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Portage, Wis., wrote that Wille “was known for his faithfulness to the Lutheran Confessions and the pursuit of order within our church. Most importantly, he was known by his Savior, Jesus Christ. I will miss our conversations. He was a great friend, pastor and district president.”

A funeral is set for June 18 at 11 a.m. in the Chapel of Christ Triumphant at CUW, 12800 N. Lake Shore Dr., Mequon, Wis. A private graveside service will follow at the Lutheran Cemetery in Watertown, Wis.

Memorials may be made to the SWD’s Student Aid Fund to support those studying for the pastoral ministry. Visit swd.lcms.org/memorial or mail to the SWD at 8100 W. Capitol Dr., Milwaukee, WI 53222.

Posted June 17, 2024/Updated June 18, 2024