Beliefs
We believe...
… that all people are imperfect and are saved (made right with God) by God’s grace and God’s grace alone, through Christ. There is no special prayer you need to pray, no special state of mind you need to achieve and no good deed you need to perform. We believe that through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God became one of us and took upon himself the sin and suffering of all the world.
God did this to demonstrate God’s love for us. We believe that we receive the gift of grace by faith alone on account of Christ. We live in the tension of still being sinful but trusting that we are forgiven and that God is at work in us. The gift of grace expresses God’s unconditional love, and in response to that love we are set free to live gratefully and lovingly.
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An important date in the Lutheran tradition is Oct. 31, 1517, when a German monk named Martin Luther started a movement known as the Reformation. He insisted the Bible showed that salvation could not be earned or bought, which was contrary to church teachings at the time. Luther believed salvation was a gift and a sign of God’s never-ending love. The most influential documents for our church were written by him and other Lutheran reformers. These are compiled in the Book of Concord. Key writings there include the Augsburg Confession and Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. We don’t believe that you are born or are baptized Lutheran, but if you participate in the Lutheran tradition, you identify as a Lutheran Christian.
What we Have in Common with Other Christians
We believe it’s important to have relationships and understanding with other Christian faiths, and with other religious traditions and worldviews too. With other Christians we read the Bible, gather in congregations for worship services and affirm core Christian beliefs.
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The ELCA has established “full communion” agreements with six Protestant denominations: the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Reformed Church in America, the United Church of Christ, the Moravian Church in America (Northern and Southern Provinces), The Episcopal Church and the United Methodist Church. These agreements mean that we share enough essential understanding to participate in common mission. We exchange clergy and encourage opportunities to work together toward justice and peace. We acknowledge that differences remain, but we can talk about these, learn from each other, challenge each other and just agree to disagree.
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In our multireligious world, the ELCA is committed to working with people of other religions and worldviews toward mutual understanding and for the common good.
Important Things About the ELCA's History
The ELCA was formed in 1987 when three Lutheran churches merged to form one denomination. The American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, and the Lutheran Church in America came together to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
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Lutheran women were first ordained as pastors in the United States in 1970, in churches that eventually formed the ELCA. The first woman of color was ordained in 1979. In 2009, after a long period of studying the Scriptures and discerning our theological understanding of human sexuality, the barrier for ordination of LGBTQIA+ individuals was removed even as the church affirmed a variety of convictions. People of all sexual orientations and gender identities can serve as pastors and deacons in the ELCA.
The ELCA has repudiated Martin Luther’s anti-Judaic writings and is committed to Jewish relations and combating anti-Semitism.