The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
Well known for its emphasis on Biblical doctrine and faithfulness to the historic
Lutheran Confessions and Evangelical teachings, the Synod also manifests an
innovative spirit in seeking new ways of proclaiming the Gospel. The LCMS carries
out its ministry with the invaluable help of a number of partners and other
organizations:
- Concordia Universities
- Concordia Seminaries
- Lutheran Laymen’s League
- Lutheran Women’s Missionary League
- The LCMS Foundation
- Lutheran Church Extension Fund
- Concordia Plan Services
- Concordia Historical Institute
- Concordia Publishing House
- Lutheran Hour Ministries
- KFUO Christian Radio
- Specialized Ministries
- Lutheran Services in America (LSA)
- Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services
- Lutheran World Relief (LWR)
- International Lutheran Council
- Recognized Service Organizations
- Partner Church Bodies
1333 S. Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, MO 63122-7226
Info Center: (888) 843-5267
Switchboard: (800) 248-1930
www.lcms.org
The Formation of the LCMS
The roots of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod run deep, tracing back to 1847 when Saxon and other German immigrants established a new church body in America, seeking the freedom to practice and follow confessional Lutheranism.
They were men of faith and conviction. Some were German immigrants who had come to the United States to preserve their Lutheran confession of the faith, free from government intervention. They were stirred for mission, especially to reach German immigrants, and, for some, the desire to bring the Gospel to Native Americans.
Initial members, which included 12 pastors representing 14 congregations from Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, New York and Ohio, signed the church body’s constitution on April 26, 1847, at First Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Chicago, Ill.
Originally named “The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States”, the name was shortened to The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in 1947 on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.
Learn more about the history of the LCMS and all the services they have to offer
on their website: www.lcms.org
- a blue shield, representing the Christian’s faith
- a prominent gold cross proclaiming that we preach Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead
- Latin words under the cross reading “Jesus Christ is Lord”
- three equilateral gold crosses symbolizing the Holy Trinity
- three gold stars on the shield standing for the three Christian creeds: the Apostolic, the Nicene and the Athanasian
- beneath the shield is Luther’s seal
- three gold stars on each side of the shield stand for the six Lutheran Confessions that were published in one book, titled “Concordia,” in 1580
- grape vines fill the bottom white spaces, symbolizing Christ’s words in John 15:5
- around the inner circle are the words on which Lutheranism is founded: Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide (by Scripture alone, by grace alone, by faith alone)
- the exterior circle contains the proper name of the church and the year it was founded–1847