Who we are: Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod

The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) is a church body of nearly 2.7 million members in over 6,000 congregations in the United States, with missionaries in over 30 countries of the world. It bears the name "Missouri" from the original name in 1847 -- "The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States." The word Synod is from the Greek word which means "walk together along the same path." This indicates that our member congregations have agreed to walk together in the same confession and practice of the Christian faith. The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod is in fellowship with confessional Lutherans throughout the world. While the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod is a particular church body in the United States, what is distinctively Lutheran is not the peculiar teachings of a 'denomination' but simply the Christian faith as it has been believed, taught, and confessed since the time of the apostles and throughout the history of the church. Four words can be used to describe the Lutheran Church: Evangelical, Christian (catholic), Confessional, and Sacramental.

Who we are: Evangelical

At the heart of all Lutheran teaching is the "evangel," the good news that God has reconciled the world to Himself by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross as our Substitute under the Law, and as the perfect Sacrifice for our sin. On the third day, this same Jesus rose again from the dead to show Himself to be victorious over sin and death. Forty days later He ascended to the right hand of God where He now reigns to apply His saving death and resurrection to all people through His Word and Sacraments. He gives the forgiveness of sin, life and salvation as a free gift received through faith in Him.

"Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." Luke 24:46-47

Who we are: Christian

The Lutheran Church is Christian, that is catholic. Strictly speaking, the Lutheran Church is not a denomination among denominations. Christianity does not come in a variety of forms. Lutherans profess no peculiar or new teachings, but teach and practice what has been universally taught and practiced as the Christian faith since the time of the New Testament. We recognize, without apology, our historic continuity with the Church throughout all time. We teach the doctrine of the prophets and apostles as it has been handed down to us in Holy Scripture without any additions or deletions. We maintain the historicity continuity of Christian worship in the Liturgy.

"Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith an love which are in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 1:13

Who we are: Confessional

The Lutheran Church is confessional. We publicly declare what we believe, teach, and confess from Holy Scripture in the Book of Concord (3 MB PDF file) (1580). This is a collection of Lutheran confessional writings. Our pastors and teachers are bound to vow to teach what our churches publicly confess, and not their own private opinions or interpretations. We deal with other Christian groups in the same open, public way. That is, we accept the public statements of the churches to be the personal beliefs of their members.

"If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved." Romans 10:9-10

Who we are: Sacramental

The Lutheran Church is sacramental. We believe that since we are creatures, God deals with us only through real, external, concrete things. We believe the entire Bible to be the written Lord of God, penned by the prophets and the apostles as they were guided by the Holy Spirit. Because the words of Holy Scripture are God's own words in human language, we hold them to be absolutely true and reliable, without factual error. The Bible is the only source of and final judge of all teaching and practice in our churches. We believe that through the spoken and written Word, Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, and Holy Communion, Jesus Christ comes to us today to forgive our sin, to create and nourish faith, and to deliver and apply all the blessings and benefits of His saving death and resurrection.

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." Matthew 28:19-20