What synod are you?

[LCMS Lutheran]

To which Lutheran synod do you belong and why?

 

[SPALATIN]

To which Lutheran synod do you belong and why?

Yours of course. Is there any other?

 

[LCMS Lutheran]

Good answer!!!
And no, there most certainly is not!!

 

[PurpleBunny]

LCC

 

[Jim47]

Yours of course. Is there any other?

Oh! Low Blow!

And what is wrong with the WELS?? Heh????

We have Living Water!

 

[LCMS Lutheran]

Oh! Low Blow!

And what is wrong with the WELS?? Heh????

We have Living Water!

well, ya know...

Two words... "unit concept"
<-- for you and me, that would be a no-no

 

[AngelusSax]

ELCA. Less importance on the tally sheet, more importance on Grace (which leads to everything we do that is good). That, and I was born and raised as such.

 

[PuppyforChrist]

ELCA

Cause it just happens to be what my church is a member of.

 

[KagomeShuko]

ELCA, born and raised - but also fits with my beliefs. . .

Of course, the whole grace thing. . .which is all Lutherans, I know. . .

Stein Auf!
Bridget

 

[JMRE5150]

ELCA - SouthEastern Pennsylvania Synod

 

[ByzantineDixie]

To which Lutheran synod do you belong and why?

LCMS

Why? You may be sorry you asked!

• Because I believe the Book of Concord to be a true exposition of Scripture
• Because I believe orthodox, confessional Lutheranism to be the catholic faith in the West--not an innovation but a return to orthodoxy.
• Because I live in the US and I don't see any other viable options at this point.
• Because I live in the South where options are even more restricted. (Unfortunately, the LCMS in my neck of the woods is hard to distinguish from the other denominations here in the buckle of the Bible Belt. It breaks my heart. )
• Because Rome has some obvious problems with which I cannot reconcile.
• Because while Eastern Orthodoxy seems to have fewer problems I am a product of the West. It's harder for me to get my arms around Eastern thought. They win the liturgy contest though and they got Mary and the saints right.
• Because my husband is LCMS Lutheran...technically it is within his purview to decide where the family worships--up to the point where I think my faith could be damaged. If I felt my faith in jeopardy where he took us...well, we'd discuss the matter and I feel pretty confident he'd give me the freedom to go elsewhere.
• As an aside...ethnically it fits. Meine mutter kommt aus das Vaterland. I get the whole German thing.

(Oh, by the way...I didn't always believe these things. This is a result of over two years of study after someone in my congregation challenged me to understand what it meant to be Lutheran.)

All this being said...I am not encouraged by what I see happening to Lutheran orthodoxy in the US. Oh sure, I have found some bright spots and some sparkling gems, but they tend to be the exception rather than the rule.

Peace

Rose

 

[guitarplayer_101]

LCMS, I was born and raised LCMS.

 

[Phoebe]

ELCA.
Got a problem with it? Too bad!



I was raised in the ALC, I think. It then became part of the ELCA. I visited other churches once I moved out of my parent's and found that I still had the Lutheran thoughts. So... I joined another ELCA congregation.

 

[VeryTiredGirl]

Lutheran Church-Canada, daughter synod of the LCMS. Why? Many reasons, not the least being I agree with more of their teachings than ELCiC, and don't have a WELS congregation nearby to check things out.

I was actually born into an extended family that attended ELCiC churches, but I was sent to Kindergarten at a Lutheran kindergarten, and when I was ready to be confirmed, my parents just sent me there. By then, the LCMS/ELCA split had happened, and the congregation I was confirmed in was LCMS. The switch to LCC happened the following year.

 

[Rechtgläubig]

WELS

 

[Rod B]

To which Lutheran synod do you belong and why?

WELS

Why??? Many reasons, but simply put, I've yet to be convinced of a sound reason to switch to a different synod / denomination.

 

[BigNorsk]

I like the low-church service, I know that a liturgical service becomes mindless chanting to me after awhile, I am not accussing others of mindlessly chanting their liturgy, it is a sin that I commit if I constantly attend liturgical services.

The low-church service leaves more time for the sermon.

A person needs to be an adult believer in order to be a voting member of the congregation, so while nonbelievers attend, they do not participate in decisions. Hence the Brethren in Lutheran Brethren.

Adult Sunday School in addition to group Bible studies at other times. We actually have more adults attend Sunday school than children.

Evangelism and missions is stressed, as well as personal salvation.

Church government is congregational style, with the majority of the power resting with the local congregations.

Last that I can think of right now, I was asked to join by the elders of the congregation.

Marv

 

[RedneckAnglican]

As an aside...ethnically it fits. Meine mutter kommt aus das Vaterland. I get the whole German thing.

Meine Mutter vas Deutsch...

I'm ELCA...Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod...or "The Surfer Synod"...

I come from an Episcopal Background, but me and the Episcopal Church had several disagreements on several things...so I left and came back to the Church that I grew up in...yes there are problems with the ELCA (and EVERYBODY else)...but this seems to fit pretty well...my wife and I have been doing some "Adult Conformation" type meetings with the pastor and I now realize that I was Lutheran all along...I just went to the wrong Church...

 

[SPALATIN]

I said in my post above that I was LCMS but didn't say why. I grew up for the most part in the LCMS and though I went to American Evangelicalism for 15 years I found my way back and this time I ain't never gonna leave Lutheranism, however, I may not stay LCMS forever. I may go more Wisconsin or ELS to stay more Orthodox. I have found that the LCMS has compromised itself quite a bit over the past 30 years and I am not too fond of some of the changes.

I feel that the ELCA has more than compromised itself. Mind you this is my opinion of the ELCA as a whole. I realize that there are people here that are ELCAthat are confessional and that I can't put in that bracket with the synod so I won't. I think that the ELCA synod is over-run with too many liberal bureaucrats running the show and that they have gotten away from their confessional roots. Thank the Lord for such Grassroots organizations such as "WordAlone" that are working to bring those confessionals in the ELCA some hope.

 

[AngelusSax]

I think that the ELCA synod is over-run with too many liberal bureaucrats running the show and that they have gotten away from their confessional roots.

Just for perspective's sake... there was undoubtedly a time when Lutheranism itself was viewed as "too liberal" to be a true Christian faith.

There was a time when many, many things that go on in the Lutheran Church (of any synod) were "too liberal" to people (while obvioulsy not too liberal for those on the inside). Having a Bible in German instead of only in Latin was too liberal at one point. Having worship services in English was probably too liberal at one point to some when Lutherans first started it (to avoid backlash against Germans after a particularly nasty world war...)

Just perspective here... just because some people say it's too liberal doesn't mean it is. Doesn't mean it isn't, either. There's no default here. Just... it's good to be open to discussion and also good to be very, very slow with calls of "heretic" should the impulse arrive. Oh... and even slower with calls of "apostasy", just in case.

(Hey, LCMS takes "women shall not teach literally... ELCA decides to take "priesthood of all believers" literally....)