WELS affirms that Genesis 1:1-2 teaches the doctrine of creation ex nihilo — God created all things from nothing by divine word and power. This doctrine is foundational to Christian faith and is affirmed in the Apostles' Creed ('I believe in God the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth'). WELS strict confessional subscription includes affirmation that God is the sole Creator and that all creation is contingent and dependent on God.

WELS catechesis emphasizes that God created the heavens and the earth in six days and rested on the seventh (Genesis 1-2). The Holy Spirit is understood as active in creation (Genesis 1:2). WELS theology integrates the creation account with the confession that God sustains all things and governs all history for the ultimate benefit of the church.