  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Our Beliefs
St
Paul Lutheran Church and School believes in one God as realized through the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We exist to fulfill our mission to proclaim God’s
love by building families, relationships, and community.
Brief History
Born in March, 1876 of a desire to
worship as they had in their native Germany, and to educate their children in
the faith, a group of 125 men and their families voted to begin St. Paul
Lutheran Church. They immediately began a Christian school for grades 1 through
8. Because of the amazing amount of dedication to their mission and sacrifice
of time and resources, the church building was completed by December of that
year.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Lutherans are one branch of
Protestant faith founded by Martin Luther in Germany in the Sixteenth Century.
Luther was a Catholic monk who taught that salvation is not determined by our
good works or how worthy we are, but rather is a gift from God. Faith – the
trust in God’s love for us – is how we respond to God. ‘Salvation by faith
alone’ is a trademark of Lutherans worldwide.
We believe in two sacraments; baptism
and communion (the Lord’s Supper), these being the two instituted by Jesus.
Although there are several
denominations of Lutherans, the ‘Evangelical’ variety is by far the most
numerous. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America has counterparts in
Germany, Canada, Mexico, Africa, Australia, and more – nearly every country and
continent in the world.
More detailed information and answers
can be found at
Our Governing Bodies
The ELCA, the
national governing body, is located in Chicago and is comprised of regional districts.
St. Paul is part of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod which operates from
Indianapolis.
The Congregational Council is made up of elected leaders from our congregation. The
church council determines business and spiritual direction for St. Paul under
the guidance of the senior Pastor and in agreement with policies set by the
ELCA Synod.
The Ministry Teams are appointed by the Congregational Council. They carry out many of the
ministry functions.
