User:Acvillos

The Lutheran church is the largest confessional church in the world having some 70 million members. Its greatest numerical strength is in the Scandinavian countries, Germany and the USA. But there is no country in the western world and no continent where the Lutheran Church is not represented. In the Philippines, the Lutheran Church is still a young church and has 18,000+ members. There is no worldwide, centralized structure in the Lutheran Church. Each country has it’s own self-governing church organization.

The uniting bond for Lutherans of all nations is the Book of Concord. In this book, the confessional statements of the church describe the Lutheran understanding of the Gospel. The Book of Concord is not seen as a second bible, but rather as a doctrinal presentation of the teachings of the Holy Scripture. In some European countries (for example, in Norway and Sweden) the Lutheran doctrine are state churches, that is, the official churches enjoying government sanction, oversight and tax support. But in younger countries such as Philippines, Japan and the USA, they are free churches. This means there is no government control and the churches are maintained by the free will and offerings and voluntary service of members. Lutherans in the Philippines

The Lutheran church in the Philippines dates back to 1946 when Lutheran Church Missouri Synod missionaries arrived from the United States to begin work in Manila. From there, the work spread to Northern Luzon in 1947 and Mindanao in 1948 with the opening of preaching and teaching stations followed later with the organization of congregations, established for the training of Filipino pastors, and in 1961, the seminary was moved from Quezon City to it’s present location in Baguio City.

Under the blessings of God the Lutheran Church in the Philippines has grown from it’s humble beginnings.In 1971, it became a partner church with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and a member of the Worldwide Lutheran Community. Along with other Lutheran churches, Lutherans in the Philippines share Christ’s love through acts of Christian love and proclaiming the Good News.

To obtain a copy of the History of the Lutheran Mission in the Philippines, a book written by Dr. Robert Day McAmis – “History of Half a Century of God’s Grace in the Lutheran Mission in the Philippines” – you can send your orders at the Lutheran Theological Seminary. Email: luthsem@yahoo.com or write to: Mrs. Filomena Laking The Librarian