Lutheran churches emerged from the lectures, teachings, and writings of Martin Luther (1483–1546), who is sometimes called the father of Protestantism. This appellation is understandable in view of the fact that his work motivated many to protest against key teachings and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church.
Luther was a man who could not be ignored. He was a fierce defender of his beliefs and was not afraid to confront the powerful religious authorities of his day. He followed his convictions without flinching and became the most influential of the Reformers.
Luther’s spiritual journey was fascinating. This young German had studied to be a lawyer, but one day a bolt of lightning struck right next to him, and this terrified him so horribly that he cried out to Saint Anna, promising her that if she delivered him to safety, he would become a monk. The rest is history. True to his word, Luther became an Augustinian monk in 1505, and two years later he was ordained as a priest.
Luther took his spirituality seriously. He agonized daily over the perpetual presence of sin in his life and was acutely aware of the magnitude of his own personal failings. For a time he engaged in the impossible task of meriting salvation through ascetic practices. As time passed, he perceived the futility of his efforts. He found no personal satisfaction or deliverance from his condition by participating in Catholic rituals. Even though he went through all the right religious motions as prescribed by the Roman Catholic Church, he did not feel he had been made right with God.
Luther threw himself into theological studies. During his doctoral work, he began to uncover significant differences between teachings of the Bible and those of Roman Catholicism. Most importantly, he discovered that salvation is not something that can be attained by human effort but rather is God’s gift to be received by faith.
Completing his doctoral work at age 28, Luther took a teaching position at the University of Wittenberg. In 1517, he posted his famous 95 Theses on the door of Wittenberg Castle Church. His goal was to motivate the Roman Catholic Church to reform some of its theology and practices so that the church was more in keeping with the Word of God. His concerns included…
• The power of the pope. Luther saw virtually no scriptural authority for it.
• The abuse involved in the sale of indulgences. Luther had noticed that an increasing number of people were failing to show up at church for confession, and the reason became clear to him. Why go to confession when you can purchase indulgences to cover the sins you are going to commit? The profits the Roman Catholic Church made from the sale of indulgences financed the building of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. All this was repugnant to Luther.
• The teaching that souls are in purgatory. Either Christ’s atonement is sufficient or it is not. If it is fully sufficient, then those who trust in Christ go to heaven because they are justified. They need no further purging in purgatory.
Luther’s 95 Theses caused a firestorm. The Roman Catholic pope and religious authorities pressured Luther to repent and recant his views, but he refused, taking an ever-stronger stance against these and other theological errors. Luther argued against the idea that one must confess sins to a priest. He argued from the Bible that Christians confess directly to God and do not need an earthly priest. Luther’s position obviously threatened the very heart of Roman Catholic ritual.
Luther hoped to bring reformation to the Roman Catholic Church, but it refused to change its ways. Both the pope and Luther were unbending. The pope excommunicated Luther, and Luther refused to recognize the authority of the pope.
Luther himself did not coin the term Lutheran. Rather, Luther’s enemies used the term in derision. Before long, however, Luther’s followers used the term as a badge of honor.
Eventually, Luther and some of his associates encapsulated their doctrine in a codified form. In 1529, he wrote both his Large Catechism and his Small Catechism. Then, in 1537, in association with Philipp Melanchthon (1497–1560) and some other German reformers, he wrote the Smalcald Articles of Faith. Luther also wrote great hymns, such as “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”
Lutheran beliefs first widely penetrated Germany and Scandinavia but soon enough spread throughout the world. Luther translated the Bible from Latin into German, and because of the recent invention of Gutenberg’s printing press, he was able to make this translation widely available to the common people. Luther had struck a match, and a wildfire was spreading.
When Luther died, some of his followers debated some of the finer points of theology. However, Lutheran orthodoxy was quickly consolidated in a single book entitled The Book of Concord (concord means “agreement” or “unity of mind”). This book contains the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, the Augsburg Confession, Luther’s Small Catechism, Luther’s Large Catechism, and the Smalcald Articles of Faith. Understandably, since many Lutheran churches utilize The Book of Concord, many are similar in their theology. Some Lutheran churches, however, have departed from this book and have grown more liberal in theology.
The first Lutherans to migrate to America in colonial days were from Germany and Sweden. They poured into the colonies, most initially settling in Pennsylvania but eventually also settling in New York, North Carolina, Maryland, and Ohio. Eventually Lutheranism penetrated the rest of the country.
The local church is the basic unit of Lutheran government. Churches own their own property and select their own pastors. On a broader level, synods are composed of pastors and lay representatives who are elected by the congregations. (The word synod literally means “walking together.” A synod is a group of church representatives who “walk together” in governing the church.) Synods have power only as local churches delegate it to them. Sometimes these synods are subsumed under a larger general body called a conference.
Distinctive Ideas in Lutheran Churches
• This church emerged from the Reformer Martin Luther, who challenged many Roman Catholic doctrines.
• Contrary to Roman Catholicism, which believes in both Scripture and tradition, Lutherans use Scripture alone.
• Contrary to Roman Catholicism, in which meritorious works play a role in the salvation process, Lutherans hold to salvation by grace alone through faith alone.
• Contrary to the Roman Catholic emphasis on priests, Lutherans believe every Christian is a priest and has direct access to God.
• Contrary to the Roman Catholic view of transubstantiation, Lutherans believe Christ is present in, with, and under the elements in the Lord’s Supper.
• Lutheran orthodoxy is summarized in The Book of Concord.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF LUTHERAN CHURCHES
Founded: 1987
Members: More than 16,000
Congregations: 70
Beginnings
The American Association of Lutheran Churches emerged when some theologically conservative Lutherans did not want to participate in the American Lutheran Church’s merger with the more theologically liberal Lutheran Church in America and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches. These conservatives wanted to uphold the doctrine of inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible, which they felt was being threatened by the merger. They began the American Association of Lutheran Churches in 1987 in Bloomington, Minnesota. They hold to the ecumenical creeds and Lutheran confessions found in The Book of Concord. The agenda of the denomination is broad.
• They establish new congregations throughout North America that will faithfully preach God’s Word and properly administer the sacraments.
• They assist congregations in their ministries to children, youth, and adults.
• They utilize the media to communicate the gospel to the masses.
• They set up pension, medical, and disability plans for church pastors and their families.
• They work in cooperation with other churches that are in doctrinal agreement with them.
The primary decision-making body of the denomination is the General Convention, to which each church sends delegates. Policy decisions made at the convention are referred to the local churches for final approval.
Beliefs
The Bible. The Bible is divinely inspired (God-breathed). Since it is inspired, God is the true author of every word of Scripture, and all of Scripture has a basic unity. The Bible is inerrant and contains no ultimate contradictions. It is an infallible authority in all matters of life and faith and is the only rule and norm by which teachers and teachings are to be judged.
God. God is the divine Creator of the universe. He is triune, eternally manifest in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son of God, the eternal Word of God, the divine Savior, and the Redeemer of humankind. In the Incarnation, He was true God and true man. He died on the cross for human sin, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and was exalted on high.
The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to grow in faith, inspires love among them, works to produce holiness in them, produces fruit in them, and gives spiritual gifts to them for the purpose of ministry. He seeks to glorify and exalt Christ, and He works through the means of grace (the Word of God and the sacraments) to call unbelievers into saving faith in Jesus.
Sin and salvation. Adam and Eve were created in a state of righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Following the fall, all humans are born into the world with a sin nature.
Lutherans place a heavy emphasis on law and gospel. The law is used by God to bring human beings into an awareness of their sin. The gospel teaches that through faith in Jesus alone human beings can receive forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation (though see the section on sacraments below). Believers can fall away from God and lose their salvation.
The church. Wherever God’s Word is faithfully preached and the sacraments rightly administered, the one holy, Christian, apostolic church exists. Jesus is the head of the church. The mission of the church is to make disciples of every nation, bearing witness to Jesus through the preaching of God’s Word and the proper administration of the sacraments. The church also seeks to nurture and spiritually renew members of the congregation.
Each local church is autonomous, making its own decisions, managing its own property, and calling its own pastors. God uses both men and women in ministry, but the church ordains men alone for the pastorate.
The sacraments. Through baptism, God forgives original sin, He bridges the chasm between God and man, and new life begins. The Holy Spirit generates new life through baptism. The mode of baptism can be sprinkling, pouring, or immersion. Baptism is in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
In the Lord’s Supper, participants receive the true body and blood of Jesus, and the repentant believer receives the forgiveness of sins. The Lord’s Supper is a means by which a believer becomes assured of his salvation.
The end times. Christ will one day return, and all humanity will be resurrected and judged. Believers will enjoy a blissful relationship with Jesus forever in heaven. Unbelievers are eternally damned and will suffer eternal separation from God in hell.
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Roman Catholic view
The bread and wine actually change into the body and blood of Jesus at the prayer of the priest. Jesus is literally present. The sacrament imparts grace to the recipient.
Lutheran view
Christ is present in, with, and under the bread and wine. Christ’s presence is real, but the elements do not change. God communicates grace through them.
Reformed view
Christ is spiritually present at the Lord’s Supper, and it is a means of grace.
Memorial view
The elements do not change, and they do not communicate grace to the participant. The bread and wine are symbols and reminders of Jesus in His death and resurrection, our anticipation of the second coming, and our oneness as the body of Christ.
ASSOCIATION OF FREE LUTHERAN CONGREGATIONS
Founded: 1962
Members: More than 40,000
Congregations: 275
Beginnings
The Association of Free Lutheran Congregations was organized in 1962 by 42 conservative congregations who opposed the merger of the Lutheran Free Church with the American Lutheran Church. These congregations felt that the American Lutheran Church was more liberal in its theology, held to a deficient view of the Bible, and compromised on the issue of congregational government. Instead of participating in the merger, these congregations established a new association that took a strong stand on conservative theology, the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, and the autonomy of the local church. The association holds to the creeds and confessions in The Book of Concord.
Presently the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations is the fourth-largest Lutheran body in the United States, with congregations in 27 states—most in the upper Midwest. The association holds an annual conference in which delegates report on various ministries and make recommendations.
Beliefs
The Bible. The Bible is the Word of God and is the only authentic, infallible, and inerrant record of God’s revelation to us. It has been preserved by the Holy Spirit for our salvation and instruction. It is the only norm for Christian doctrine and life.
God. The one true God is eternally manifest in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son of God. In the Incarnation, He was true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He died for human sin, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. He is the Lord of humankind.
The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides the church and individual Christians. His ministries include the regeneration and sanctification of believers.
Sin and salvation. Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, all human beings are now fallen in sin. Salvation is found only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. “Once saved, always saved” is rejected, for apostasy is always possible.
The church. The church consists of all those who in their hearts truly believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Each church is fully autonomous, calling its own pastor, conducting its own program of worship, and maintaining its own property. The Association of Free Lutheran Churches is a free association. It imposes no bonds of compulsion. Conferences do not enact any laws or rules that the churches must follow, but rather make recommendations regarding actions and practices that the churches are free to accept or reject. Church polity is congregational. The denomination does not ordain women to ministry.
The sacraments. The two sacraments are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Each is a means of grace but must be met with a response of faith in the heart in order to be efficacious. The mode of baptism is generally sprinkling. The Lord’s Supper is celebrated monthly and is only for those who confess Jesus as Lord and Savior.
The end times. Following the future judgment, Christians will spend eternity in heaven, while unbelievers will spend eternity in hell.
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Throughout church history, several important creeds—formal, authoritative statements of belief based on Holy Scripture—have been formulated as statements of orthodoxy. The word creed derives from the Latin word credo, which means “I believe.”
Apostles’ Creed
Third to fourth century
Affirms three distinct persons in the Trinity; the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ; and the coming judgment.
Nicene Creed
AD 325
Affirms belief that Jesus eternally preexisted and is of the same divine substance as the Father.
Athanasian Creed
date unknown
Affirms three distinct persons in the Trinity, noting that they are equal in glory and majesty.
Chalcedonian Creed
AD 451
Affirms that Jesus in the Incarnation was perfect God and perfect man—one person with two distinct natures.
Westminster Confession
AD 1646
A strongly Calvinistic confession that emphasizes the sovereignty of God.
CHURCH OF THE LUTHERAN BRETHREN OF AMERICA
Founded: 1900
Members: More than 14,000
Congregations: 115
Beginnings
The Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America was founded in 1900 by five independent Lutheran congregations that met in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their primary goal was to unite for the purpose of facilitating home and world missions and Christian education. For the first 50 years of the organization, more than 50 percent of denominational funds were dedicated to missions around the world. Presently, about 40 percent of denominational funds are so directed.
The denomination serves local churches only in an advisory and cooperative capacity. It seeks to help churches in their local, national, and international missionary outreaches. All this is done with a view to being obedient to the Great Commission. The denomination adheres to the creeds and confessions in The Book of Concord.
Beliefs
The Bible. The Bible is verbally and entirely inspired and is free from error in whole and in part. It is the supreme and finally authoritative guide for Christian faith and conduct. It is a means of grace.
God. The one true God is the Creator and Preserver of the universe. In the one essence of the divine Godhead are three distinct persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ. Jesus is the eternal Son of God. In the Incarnation, He was true man and true God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. By His perfect obedience to God’s law and His substitutionary death on the cross, He purchased human redemption. He rose from the dead for our justification and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven. He now lives to make intercession for us as our High Priest.
The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a divine person who is eternally one with the Father and Jesus. He convicts people of sin, righteousness, and judgment. His ministries include regenerating, sanctifying, and preserving believers. He comforts, equips, directs, and empowers the church to fulfill the Great Commission.
Sin and salvation. Adam and Eve fell into sin and lost their fellowship with God. Through their disobedience, the entire human race became totally depraved. It is therefore under God’s just condemnation. In their fallen nature, people are unable to trust, fear, or love God.
Through the law, God brings sinners into an awareness of their lost condition and their need to repent. Through the gospel, God brings sinners into an awareness that only by faith in Jesus Christ can one be saved, be justified, receive eternal life, and enter the ongoing process of sanctification. Utilizing the gospel, the Holy Spirit awakens sinners to their sin, convicts them of personal guilt, calls them to repent and believe in Jesus, and enables them to accept God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Those who so believe are instantly forgiven and justified, being credited with the very righteousness of Christ.
Christians are secure in their salvation. However, if they cease to live in a relationship of faith with Jesus, they will perish.
The church. The universal church is comprised of all people who truly believe in Jesus as Savior. The local church is a local assembly of believers in which leaders teach the Word of God and properly administer the sacraments. Personal profession of faith is the primary criterion for church membership.
Church government is congregational. The church is overseen by a board of elders elected by the congregation. Each church is autonomous. The denomination only advises churches. The office of the pastor is filled by men only.
The sacraments. The sacraments are means of grace. Baptism offers the washing of regeneration and newness of life to all who believe. Baptism is also for infants because they too are fallen in sin and need to become members of Christ’s believing church. As adults, they will need to confess their faith in Jesus. By so doing, they are led from the faith received in infant baptism into a conscious faith in Christ as Lord and Savior.
The Lord’s Supper is only for those who profess personal faith in Jesus as Savior. In the sacrament, Christ gives to participants His body and blood in, with, and under the elements of bread and wine. The sacrament serves to declare the forgiveness of sins to believers and strengthens their faith.
The end times. Jesus will come again personally, bodily, and visibly, and He will establish His millennial kingdom. He will judge the living and the dead. Heaven is reserved for all who believe in Jesus as Savior. Hell is the destiny of all who do not believe in Jesus.
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the Three Solas in Lutheranism
sola Scriptura
Meaning: “Scripture alone.” Scripture is the only basis of authority.
Meaning: “grace alone.” Salvation is by grace alone.
sola fide
Meaning: “faith alone.” Salvation is through faith alone.
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA
Founded: 1987
Members: 4,710,000
Congregations: 10,000
Beginnings
During colonial days, Lutherans migrated to the United States and retained their original languages and cultures. America became the new home for German Lutheran churches, Dutch Lutheran churches, Scandinavian Lutheran churches, Danish Lutheran churches, and the like. Eventually, the people in these churches began to speak English and became assimilated into American culture. As this happened, these churches had little reason to remain separate and distinct from each other. In time, many of them merged.
• In 1962, some German, Danish, Slovak, Swedish, and Icelandic Lutheran congregations merged to form the Lutheran Church in America.
• In 1963, other German, Danish, and Norwegian Lutheran congregations merged to form the American Lutheran Church.
• In 1976, the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod suffered a split. The conservatives remained the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, and the moderates formed the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches.
All this leads up to the founding of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In 1987, three of the above denominations—the Lutheran Church in America, the American Lutheran Church, and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches—merged to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America in Columbus, Ohio. This brought together more than five million Lutherans (members and non-communicant attenders) into a single body to form the largest Lutheran denomination. The denomination holds to the creeds and confessions in The Book of Concord.
Beliefs
The Bible. The Bible is the primary authoritative witness to the church’s faith. The New Testament in particular is the authority for Christian faith and practice. The Bible is not intended to be a definitive record of history or science but is rather a record of the drama of God’s saving care for the creation throughout history.
God. The one true God is the Creator of the universe. He is eternally manifest in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son of God and the divine Messiah. In the Incarnation, He was truly God and truly man, having been conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He perfectly obeyed the Father’s will and died as a perfect sacrifice on the cross, thereby redeeming humanity from sin. He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and continues as the living Lord.
The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s presence with His people. He is active in the church, guiding its faith, giving spiritual gifts, and empowering church members to engage in various ministries.
Sin and salvation. Sin involves humankind’s inability to live up to God’s expectations as expressed in His law (including the Ten Commandments). To become saved, human beings must place personal faith in Jesus Christ.
The church. The church is made up of those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior and have been baptized in the church. As a community of faith, the church began on the day of Pentecost, and Lutherans see themselves as part of that community.
The church exists for the hearing and doing of God’s Word. It fulfills its God-ordained mission when it preaches the living word of Christ, administers the sacraments, and engages in good deeds in the world. Women can be involved in various ministries in the church and can be ordained.
Each local church has representatives at one of 65 synods. More broadly, churches are represented at a biennial denominational assembly.
The sacraments. Baptism can be administered to either adults or infants in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In baptism, participants are united with Christ in His death and resurrection, and they receive the promise of forgiveness and eternal life. By it, people become members of Christ’s body on earth, the church.
In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus is in, with, and under the elements of bread and wine. Those who partake thus receive in the elements the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and they receive the gifts of forgiveness and salvation.
The end times. Jesus will one day come again and judge the just and the unjust. Believers will live eternally in the new heavens and new earth. Unbelievers will experience eternal separation from God.
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Founded: 1918
Members: 20,000
Congregations: 130
Beginnings
In 1917, various Norwegian churches merged into a new church body called the Norwegian Lutheran Church. About a year later, 13 conservative pastors and their congregations—a minority in the overall group—expressed concern that some of those who participated in the merger held to the “false teaching” that a person could cooperate in his conversion. These conservatives believed that conversion is due to God’s grace alone and that the merger compromised this pivotal doctrine.
In 1918, with a view to remaining faithful to God’s Word on this issue, these conservatives met at Lime Creek Lutheran Church near Lake Mills, Iowa, and reorganized as the Norwegian Synod of the American Evangelical Lutheran Church. In 1957, the name was changed to the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
The denomination represents conservative and confessional Lutheranism. Members avow total allegiance to the inspired and inerrant Word of God. They hold to the creeds and confessions in The Book of Concord. They now have congregations in some 20 states in America.
Beliefs
The Bible. The Bible is inspired and inerrant in the words of the original manuscripts. It is without error in all that it teaches, including matters of geography, science, history, and the miraculous. It is the only infallible rule and norm for Christian doctrine and practice.
God. There is one true God, and in the unity of the divine essence, there are three eternal persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Only those who believe in the Trinity can be saved.
Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son of God. In the Incarnation, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He was thus true God and true man in one person. Because Jesus was fully God, He was able to save us by His divine power. Because He was fully man, He was able to die as our substitute under God’s holy law.
The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works through the gospel to bring about a person’s conversion to faith in Christ. He spiritually renews people in the sacrament of baptism.
Sin and salvation. Adam and Eve were morally righteous and were in perfect harmony with God, but they fell into sin. They and their descendants thereby lost their righteousness and became sinful and corrupt by nature. Because of original sin, no one is able in his or her own strength to earn favor with God or avoid eternal condemnation.
By Jesus’s perfect life and perfect sacrifice on the cross, He provided redemption for the world. A person becomes justified—declared righteous—when he is brought to faith in Jesus as Savior.
A person’s conversion to faith in Jesus is accomplished entirely by the Holy Spirit working through the gospel. This is necessary because fallen sinners are unable to cooperate in conversion.
Those who convert and are preserved in the true faith have, from eternity, been elected according to God’s unmerited love to an adoption in His family. Christians can therefore be sure of their salvation because God’s election to salvation stands firm.
The church. The one holy Christian church is composed of all who truly believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Local churches are to be found wherever the Word of God is faithfully preached and the sacraments are properly administered. Jesus is the head of the church. Government is congregational. Only qualified men are eligible for the pastoral office. Women should not exercise authority over men in the congregation’s decision-making process (for example, by having a vote in an assembly that makes final decisions for a church).
Local churches are part of a synod, but the synod functions only in an advisory capacity. Its resolutions may be accepted or rejected by local congregations.
The sacraments. Baptism involves a washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. The sacrament is for all people, including infants and children.
In the Lord’s Supper, communicants receive the true body and blood of Jesus (in, with, and under the elements). When combined with faith in the Word of God, the sacrament brings the remission of sins and strengthens one’s faith. It is intended for Christians alone. Christians should engage in a spiritual self-examination and repent of known sin before partaking of the elements.
The end times. Christ will one day come again and resurrect the bodies of all the dead. There will be a judgment. Believers will spend eternity in a new heavens and a new earth. Unbelievers will spend eternity in the lake of fire. All forms of millennialism are rejected.
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www.evangelicallutheransynod.org
LUTHERAN CHURCH–MISSOURI SYNOD
Founded: 1847
Members: 2,390,000
Congregations: 6000
Beginnings
In 1838, some German Lutheran immigrants migrated to America, seeking to escape the rationalism that had invaded Lutheran churches in their homeland. They settled in Perry County, Missouri, just south of Saint Louis. C.F.W. Walther became their primary leader.
Together they founded the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other states, starting with just 14 congregations and 22 ministers. They were committed to confessional Lutheranism, the inerrancy of the Bible, conservative theology, and a strong world missions program. They held their first convention in 1847.
The denomination name was eventually shortened to the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, but its influence now extends far beyond the borders of Missouri. Indeed, it is now the second-largest Lutheran denomination and has churches in some 74 countries around the world. As well, the denomination operates the largest elementary and secondary school system in Protestantism in the United States, and it operates Concordia Publishing House.
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a voluntary association of churches. They are united by their shared confession of Jesus Christ as taught in the Bible and the Lutheran confessions. The synod is divided into 35 districts. Annual synod meetings take place in three-year cycles, with a different aspect of denominational business addressed during each successive yearly meeting. The cycle then repeats itself.
The Bible. The Bible is the Word of God and is verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is inerrant, containing no errors or contradictions, and is infallible in all its parts and words. It is the sole source for Christian doctrine in the church and is the rule and norm against which all teachers and teachings must be measured.
God. The one true God is the Creator of all that exists. Within the unity of the one Godhead are three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each of the three persons is of the same divine essence, equal in power, equal in eternity, and equal in majesty. A denial of the Trinity places one outside the pale of historic Christianity.
Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son of God. When the proper time came in God’s plan, He became a man, born of a virgin through a divine operation of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was thus true God and true man in one undivided and indivisible person. As the God-man, He died on the cross as a fully sufficient ransom for the sins of humanity, thereby enabling human beings to be reconciled to God. Three days after His death, He rose from the dead, thereby attaining victory over death and Satan.
The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is eternally one with the Father and Jesus. He creates faith in peoples’ hearts through the Word of God and the sacraments. His goal is to edify the church and glorify Christ. He gives spiritual gifts to believers to equip them for ministry.
Sin and salvation. Sin entered the world through Adam. Since then, all Adam’s natural offspring lost their original righteousness and holiness and are born in sin, inclined to evil perpetually, and thereby subject to the wrath of God. Humans are unable, through their own self-efforts, to remedy this situation.
Salvation is a work of God and not of human effort. Faith in the gospel is a work of God’s grace and power alone. It does not involve man’s cooperation with God, as if man had some role to play. A person’s nonconversion, however, is due to his or her own stubbornness and resistance to the work of the Holy Spirit.
Those who respond to the gospel in faith, as enabled by the Holy Spirit, are justified—meaning that God acquits them of their sins and accounts them as righteous. Following justification, good works naturally emerge in the Christian’s life. Good works never precede faith, but they are the result of faith.
Those who have responded to the gospel in faith are among the elect of God. This election of grace embraces a limited number of people, whom God has chosen from the beginning to be saved. Note, however, that there is no accompanying election to damnation (double predestination). Christians should be assured of their election, for they are called “chosen ones” in Scripture.
The church. There is one holy Christian church on earth, of which Christ is the head. It is made up of all those who have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Because only those who have exercised faith in Christ are a part of this body, and because no human being has the capacity to perceive true faith in the hearts of other human beings, the Christian church on earth is invisible until the future day of judgment, when all will be made clear.
Local churches affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod have the primary officer of pastor, whose business is to faithfully preach the gospel and properly administer the sacraments. Worship style is liturgical. God’s call on the church is to go into the entire world, preaching the gospel and administering the sacraments.
Women are permitted to hold some offices in the church, such as teachers, deaconesses, and social workers. But they are not permitted to hold the office of the pastorate.
The sacraments. The sacraments are considered means of grace that communicate to human beings the forgiveness of sins and other blessings. Baptism, when combined with God’s Word, works the forgiveness of sins and salvation in a person. It involves a washing of regeneration and a renewing by the Holy Spirit. Infants can also be baptized.
The Lord’s Supper is only for those who share the church’s confession of faith. This is called “closed communion.” As a means of grace, the Lord’s Supper communicates salvation and the forgiveness of sins.
The end times. Jesus will one day come again. All human beings will be resurrected and experience a judgment. Believers will enjoy everlasting joy and eternal life in heaven. Unbelievers will suffer everlasting punishment in hell.
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WISCONSIN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD
Founded: 1850
Members: 395,000
Congregations: 1275
Beginnings
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod was organized in 1850 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Many of the new German Lutheran immigrants to America were in need of pastors. Three pastors who were sent to America by a German mission society organized the First German Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The organization took place under the direction of John Muehlhaeuser at Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Milwaukee.
More than 40 years later, in 1892, the synod federated with two other synods—the Michigan Synod and the Minnesota Synod. They joined forces to facilitate a higher level of effectiveness in educational and missionary outreach. Some 25 years after that, in 1917, they formally merged to give the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod its present form.
The synod is conservative in theology and is committed to the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible. It subscribes to the creeds and confessions in The Book of Concord.
Beliefs
The Bible. The Bible is verbally inspired in the words of the original manuscripts. It is true and without error in all it says. It is an infallible authority and guide for everything Christians believe and do. The Lord has providentially preserved the Hebrew and Greek texts through many hand-copied manuscripts.
God. The one true God is holy and eternal, possessing infinite power and wisdom. He is triune: In the unity of the one God are three persons who are equal in power, glory, and attributes—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Whoever does not worship the triune God worships a false god.
Jesus Christ. Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit from all eternity. In the Incarnation, He took on a human nature, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. His perfect righteousness in life is accepted by the Father as our righteousness, and His death for sin as our death for sin. Three days after His death, Jesus rose from the dead and later ascended into heaven, where He is now exalted on high.
The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. One of His main ministries is working faith in the hearts of people through the Word of God. He enables people to have faith to recognize Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Sin and salvation. When Adam and Eve sinned, they lost their divine image and suffered judgment under God. Since then all people have been conceived in a sinful condition and are inclined continually toward evil. They are unable in their own self-efforts to reconcile themselves to God.
The Holy Spirit enables people to have faith to recognize that Jesus is Savior and Lord. He works this faith by means of the gospel. Ultimately, a person’s conversion is entirely the work of God’s grace. However, a person who remains unconverted finds only himself to blame inasmuch as he has resisted the grace given through the Holy Spirit.
Those who exercise faith in Christ, as enabled by the Holy Spirit, are justified, acquitted of all guilt, and declared righteous. This gift of justification can be received only by faith, and works play no role.
Scripture teaches that before God created the world, He sovereignly elected or chose certain individuals whom He would in time convert through the gospel of Jesus Christ and preserve in faith to eternal life. This is in keeping with salvation being entirely the work of God and not of human effort.
Believers can fall away from faith. The idea of “once saved, always saved” is rejected. Those who remain in faith until the end of life are eternally saved.
The church. The one holy Christian church is the body of Christ. Its members are those who have placed personal faith in Jesus. Because only the Lord knows who are truly His, finite humans cannot distinguish true believers from hypocrites. Only God knows the true membership of His church.
Church members affirm that wherever the gospel is faithfully preached and the sacraments are properly administered, the holy Christian church is present. In this sense, the sacraments are the mark of the church.
A woman may not serve as the pastor of a local church. However, women are welcomed to participate in other offices and activities that do not involve authority over men.
The sacraments. The sacraments are means of grace, and when connected with the Word of God, they give the forgiveness of sins. Through baptism, in combination with the Word of God, the Holy Spirit applies the gospel to sinners, cleansing them from all sin and giving them new life. Baptism is not just for adults but also for infants because they are born sinful and need to be brought to faith through baptism. In the Lord’s Supper, participants experience the forgiveness of sins, and their faith is strengthened.
The end times. Jesus will one day come again visibly and physically. At the resurrection, the souls of all the dead will be reunited with their bodies. The resurrected will appear before the throne of judgment. Unbelievers will be condemned to an eternity in hell. Believers will be glorified and spend eternity in heaven with Jesus Christ.
There is no rapture of the church, no future millennial kingdom, and no antichrist who will emerge on the world scene. Rather, all characteristics of the antichrist are fulfilled in the papacy in the Roman Catholic Church.
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