The History of the Lutheran Church
The Lutheran church is one of the oldest denominations of Christianity. From its humble beginnings in Germany, this faith has spread throughout the world and claims a fairly significant following in America.
Namesake and founder, Martin Luther
Martin Luther is the founder of Lutheranism. It is widely accepted that this German monk and professor began the Great Reformation by actively questioning several practices of the Catholic church. Luther felt these practices conflicted with the teaching of the Bible, and he attempted to change the way the Catholic church operated. He was ultimately unsuccessful and was excommunicated from the Church. After his excommunication, Luther continued to preach his beliefs; eventually, a sect of Christianity developed around these ideals.
Spread to America
When thousands of German settlers began immigrating to America, they brought along Lutheranism. Although today the faith does not claim the widespread following of some other religious affiliations, there are still significant pockets of Lutheranism in parts of the Midwest and Texas. Over the years, dozens of Lutheran organizations took root. In the 1900s, these smaller churches merged together to form two large organizations, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). Today, most Lutherans in America are affiliated with one of these two governing organizations.
Catholic ties
As Luther himself desired to reform the Catholic church and not to splinter it, the Lutheran church maintains a number of different Catholic teachings. In fact, of the Protestant denominations that exist today, Lutheranism is often described as more closely resembling Catholicism than any other denomination.
The Lutheran church represents an important movement in the history of Christianity and the world. From its origins as a sect split-off from the Catholic church, this influential religion grew to prominence in Germany before spreading to America and the rest of the world.