What is a Synod?
The word “synod” means “walking together.” The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is a group of congregations that have agreed to walk together by sharing the same confession of scripture and the same theological confession of the interpretation of scripture as outlined in the Lutheran Confessions (referred to as the Book of Concord). Such writings include the Augsburg Confession (presented at the Diet of Augsburg in 1530), Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms, among other documents). The synod walks together to serve both national and international ministry work and ministry organizations to preach Christ crucified and risen.
Where did the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod originate, and how did it get its name?
As you will find on our Faith Lutheran website: “The name "Lutheran" comes from the great church reformer, Martin Luther (1483-1546), who proclaimed the message of grace alone and spoke the truth of God's word during a tumultuous time in history. Lutherans are called as such not because of the man Martin Luther, but because of the Biblical teachings which he upheld.”[1]
A group of Lutherans in Saxon Germany and others faced various challenges and struggles due to pressure from the state church and desired to freely practice their faith. Thus they decided to immigrate to the United States of America in the 1830s. The original name of the Synod, comprising congregations from various places, was called “The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other states. The name was eventually shortened to The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) 100 years later. [2]
Currently, as the LCMS website states: “Today, the LCMS has nearly 2 million baptized members in more than 6,000 congregations and some 9,000 pastors. Two seminaries and nine colleges and universities operate under the auspices of the LCMS, and its congregations operate the largest Protestant parochial school system in America. ... Today, the LCMS is in full doctrinal fellowship with more than 35 other confessional Lutheran church bodies worldwide.”[3]
Mission Statement of the LCMS:
Let us keep our focus on the truth of scripture and the proclamation of Christ crucified and risen. May our congregation reflect in word and deed the mission statement of the LCMS: “In grateful response to God’s grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacraments, the mission of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is vigorously to make known the love of Christ by word and deed within our churches, communities and the world.”[4] May this be to the praise and glory of our Lord for the sake of His kingdom!
LCMS Website: https://www.lcms.org/
[1] http://www.faithlutheranmonmouth.org/what-we-believe.html
[2] https://www.lcms.org/about/lcms-history
[3] https://www.lcms.org/about
[4] Ibid.
The word “synod” means “walking together.” The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is a group of congregations that have agreed to walk together by sharing the same confession of scripture and the same theological confession of the interpretation of scripture as outlined in the Lutheran Confessions (referred to as the Book of Concord). Such writings include the Augsburg Confession (presented at the Diet of Augsburg in 1530), Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms, among other documents). The synod walks together to serve both national and international ministry work and ministry organizations to preach Christ crucified and risen.
Where did the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod originate, and how did it get its name?
As you will find on our Faith Lutheran website: “The name "Lutheran" comes from the great church reformer, Martin Luther (1483-1546), who proclaimed the message of grace alone and spoke the truth of God's word during a tumultuous time in history. Lutherans are called as such not because of the man Martin Luther, but because of the Biblical teachings which he upheld.”[1]
A group of Lutherans in Saxon Germany and others faced various challenges and struggles due to pressure from the state church and desired to freely practice their faith. Thus they decided to immigrate to the United States of America in the 1830s. The original name of the Synod, comprising congregations from various places, was called “The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other states. The name was eventually shortened to The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) 100 years later. [2]
Currently, as the LCMS website states: “Today, the LCMS has nearly 2 million baptized members in more than 6,000 congregations and some 9,000 pastors. Two seminaries and nine colleges and universities operate under the auspices of the LCMS, and its congregations operate the largest Protestant parochial school system in America. ... Today, the LCMS is in full doctrinal fellowship with more than 35 other confessional Lutheran church bodies worldwide.”[3]
Mission Statement of the LCMS:
Let us keep our focus on the truth of scripture and the proclamation of Christ crucified and risen. May our congregation reflect in word and deed the mission statement of the LCMS: “In grateful response to God’s grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacraments, the mission of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is vigorously to make known the love of Christ by word and deed within our churches, communities and the world.”[4] May this be to the praise and glory of our Lord for the sake of His kingdom!
LCMS Website: https://www.lcms.org/
[1] http://www.faithlutheranmonmouth.org/what-we-believe.html
[2] https://www.lcms.org/about/lcms-history
[3] https://www.lcms.org/about
[4] Ibid.
