WELS affirms that Isaiah 7:14 prophesies the virgin birth of Christ, a doctrine that is central to Christian faith and to WELS teaching. The Hebrew almah is understood in the Christian tradition as 'virgin,' and Matthew 1:23 explicitly applies this prophecy to Jesus's birth. WELS catechesis teaches the virgin birth as a fundamental article of the Apostles' Creed ('born of the virgin Mary'). The supernatural conception is understood as part of God's redemptive action and a sign of the true incarnation.

WELS strict confessional subscription includes affirmation of the virgin birth as taught in the Small and Large Catechisms and the entire Book of Concord. The doctrine is non-negotiable in WELS faith and practice.