Lutheranism

Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestant Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther (1483-1546) — a German friar, ecclesiastical reformer and theologian.

Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched the Protestant Reformation in the German-speaking territories of the Holy Roman Empire. Beginning with the Ninety-Five Theses, first published in 1517, Luther's writings were disseminated internationally, spreading the early ideas of the Reformation beyond the influence and control of the Roman Curia and the Holy Roman Emperor. The split between the Lutherans and the Catholics was made public and clear with the 1521 Edict of Worms: The edicts of the Diet condemned Luther and officially banned citizens of the Holy Roman Empire from defending or propagating his ideas, subjecting advocates of Lutheranism to forfeiture of all property, half of the seized property to be forfeit to the imperial government and the remaining half forfeit to the party who brought the accusation. The divide centered primarily on two points: the proper source of authority in the church, often called the formal principle of the Reformation, and the doctrine of justification, often called the material principle.

Missouri

Missouri (see pronunciations) is a state located in the Midwestern United States. It is the 21st most extensive, and the 18th most populous of the fifty states. The state comprises 114 counties and the independent city of St. Louis.

As defined by the 2010 US census, the four largest urban areas in order of population are St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and Columbia. The mean center of the United States population at the 2010 census was in the town of Plato in Texas County. The state's capital is Jefferson City. The land that is now Missouri was acquired from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase and became known as the Missouri Territory. Part of this territory was admitted into the union as the 24th state on August 10, 1821.

Missouri's geography is highly varied. The northern part of the state lies in dissected till plains and the southern portion lies in the Ozark Mountains (a dissected plateau), with the Missouri River dividing the regions. The state lies at the intersection of the three greatest rivers of the United States, with the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers near St. Louis, and the confluence of the Ohio River with the Mississippi north of the Bootheel. The starting points for the Pony Express, Santa Fe Trail, and Oregon Trail were all located in Missouri as well.

Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod

The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), often referred to simply as the Missouri Synod, is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.1 million members, it is both the eighth-largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S., the largest being Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The LCMS was organized in 1847 at a meeting in Chicago, Illinois as the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, a name which reflected the geographic locations of the founding congregations. The LCMS is headquartered in Kirkwood, Missouri.

The LCMS has congregations in all 50 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, but over half of its members are located in the Midwest. It is a member of the International Lutheran Council, and is in altar and pulpit fellowship with most of that group's members. The LCMS is divided into 35 districts—33 of which are geographic and two (the English and the SELC) are non-geographic. The current president is the Rev. Matthew C. Harrison, who took office on September 1, 2010.

Eastern District

"Eastern District" or "East District" can refer to:

Government

Religion

Military

See also

The Lutheran

The Lutheran is the primary publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The editorial offices are at 8765 West Higgins Road in Chicago, Illinois with the denominational offices. While circulation fulfillment is done by Augsburg Fortress Publishers, the ELCA publishing house in Minneapolis, Minnesota, all editorial, advertising, marketing and online functions are done in the Chicago offices.

The 52-page magazine carries news of the ELCA, its institutions, 65 synods, 10,470 congregations and 4.8 million members; news of global Lutheran churches; news of other U.S. denominations and faith groups; and inspirational stories and columns. Published 12 times a year, The Lutheran has a circulation of 280,000 and sells for $15.95 per individual subscription. The Lutheran is the largest Lutheran publication in the world and the largest denominational periodical in North America. It is distributed in more than 50 countries. It is a member of the Associated Church Press.

The Lutheran has a membership Web Publication that features exclusive content as well as the content of the print magazine, a staff blog, breaking news blog, discussion forums, free weekly e-newsletters and the ability to comment on each article.