We believe that God is our Almighty Creator and Preserver, who reveals himself to us in the Bible.  Though man was created holy, he fell into sin, and we are now born in sin, and no longer able to do God’s will perfectly as summarized in the Ten Commandments.  But God loves us and sent his son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life for our credit.  On the cross Jesus bore the guilt of all the sins of every person in this world.  By his resurrection from the dead, Jesus assures us peace with God, total forgiveness of all our sins, and eternal life with him in heaven.  The Holy Spirit works and strengthens faith in Christ in our hearts through his Word and Sacraments (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper).  We live a life of service to God and to our neighbor out of thankfulness for our free gift of salvation.

As a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod we subscribe to the Lutheran Confessions contained in the Book of Concord originally published in 1580, because they are a faithful and accurate summary of biblical doctrine. Contained here are statements of doctrine that have been adopted by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, the Norwegian Synod of the American Evangelical Lutheran Church (known as the “little” Norwegian Synod), or the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (known as the “old” Norwegian Synod). The present-day ELS considers itself the heir of all these adopted statements and confessions, and continues to teach and confess them as true and biblical.

“Old” Norwegian Synod

Statements and confessions adopted in the era of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (1853-1917).

“Little” Norwegian Synod

Statements and confessions adopted before our synod took the name Evangelical Lutheran Synod (1918-1955).

Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Statements and confessions adopted since our name was changed to the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (1955-).