What We Believe

General Information

With the universal Christian Church, The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod teaches and responds to the love of the Triune God: the Father, creator of all that exists; Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan; and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God's Word and Sacraments. The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God.

Being "Lutheran," our congregations accept and teach Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century. The teaching of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in three short phrases: Grace alone, Scripture alone, Faith alone.

Grace alone: God loves the people of the world, even though they are sinful, rebel against Him and do not deserve His love. He sent Jesus, His Son, to love the unlovable and save the ungodly.
Scripture alone: The Bible is God's inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine.
Faith alone: By His suffering and death as the substitute for all people of all time, Jesus purchased and won forgiveness and eternal life for them. Those who hear this Good News and believe it have the eternal life that it offers. God creates faith in Christ and gives people forgiveness through Him.

The word "Synod" in The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod comes from the Greek words that mean "walking together." It has rich meaning in our church body,because the congregations voluntarily choose to belong to the Synod. Diverse in their service, these congregations hold to a shared confession of Jesus Christ as taught in Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

The congregations of the Synod are "confessional." They hold to the Lutheran Confessions as the correct interpretation and presentation of Biblical doctrine. Contained in The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, these statements of belief were put into writing by church leaders during the 16th century. (The simplest of these is Luther's Small Catechism. The Augsburg Confession gives more detail on what Lutherans believe.

For more general information about The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod:

An Introduction to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod--This document contains a historical background and general overview of LCMS beliefs.

Specific Issues

Synodically Adopted Statements

A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod [Adopted 1932]

	Of the Holy Scriptures
	Of God
	Of Creation
	Of Man and Sin
	Of Redemption
	Of Faith in Christ
	Of Conversion
	Of Justification
	Of Good Works
	Of The Means of Grace
	Of the Church
	Of the Public Ministry
	Of Church and State
	Of the Election of Grace
	Of Sunday
	Of the Millenium
	Of the Antichrist
	Of Open Questions
	Of the Symbols of the Lutheran Church

A Reaffirmation of the Synod's position on Close(d) Communion [1996]

Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR)

In order to provide leadership in dealing with the Synod's needs and opportunities in the areas of theology and church relations, the Synod established the Commission on Theology and Church Relations in 1962. Since that time, the Commission has provided study documents and statements on a number of significant theological issues and has been the Synod's primary agency for carrying out its ecumenical responsibilities toward other Christians.

CTCR Homepage

Frequently Asked Questions

The Church Information Center maintains a list of answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that it receives. Many of these questions have to do with doctrinal issues. Check to see if your specific question is listed. If not you can e-mail the Church Information Center for an answer to your question.

Worship Practices

To find out more about specific worship practices of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, visit the LCMS Commission on Worship web site.