The Lutheran Church-- Missouri Synod (LCMS)

The Lutheran Church-- Missouri Synod (LCMS)

1333 S. Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, MO 63122-7295
United States

Attesting Officer
Vicki J. Biggs
Director, Integrated Communications


Media Contact
Director, Integrated Communications, Ms. Vicki Biggs

38.5605895, -90.4080025


The Lutheran Church - - Missouri Synod (LCMS), which was founded in 1847, has nearly 6,200 congregations in the United States and has active work or mission relationships in nearly 100 countries. It has 2.3 million members and is the second-largest Lutheran denomination in North America.
The LCMS is a mission-oriented, Bible-based, confessional Christian denomination. It accepts the teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the Protestant Reformation of the Christian church in the 16th century. The Synod's beliefs can be summed up in three phrases: Grace alone, Scripture alone, Faith alone.
The church has nearly 9,000 rostered pastors and some 11,600 additional rostered (called) church workers. Women are active in church work, although they do not occupy clergy positions. Serving in positions such as teachers, deaconesses, and social workers, women account for more than half of all commissioned rostered workers.
The members' responsibility for congregational leadership is a distinctive characteristic of the LCMS. Power is vested in voters' assemblies, generally comprised of adults of voting age. Synod decision making is given to the delegates at triennial national and district conventions, where the franchise is equally divided between lay and pastoral representatives.
LCMS educational institutions serve all ages from pre-school to college. LCMS congregations operate one of the largest Protestant early childhood, elementary and secondary school system in the nation and more than 28,000 students are enrolled in the LCMS' 10 colleges and universities and two seminaries.
The LCMS is known for mass-media outreach through "The Lutheran Hour," broadcast around the world by Lutheran Hour Ministries; syndicated and streaming programming on KFUO radio; "This Is The Life" dramas on television; and the products of Concordia Publishing House, the third-largest Protestant, church-owned publisher, whose Arch Books children's series alone has sold more than 60 million copies.
The LCMS works with some 270 Recognized Service Organizations (RSOs) which foster the church's mission and ministry. These organizations include social service agencies, educational institutions, retreat centers, summer camps and mission societies. The LCMS also is a founding partner of Lutheran Services of America, a social service organization that serves one in every 50 Americans.


Full Communicants Average Attendance Other Members Total Inclusive Members Total Churches Membership Calculation Method
1957
2,150,230
4,979
1956
2,076,550
4,898
1955
2,004,110
4,805
1954
1,932,000
4,701
1953
1,850,100
4,592
1951
1,728,989
4,478
1950
1,674,901
4,430
1946
1,469,213
4,064
1944
948,371
408,284
1,422,513
4,073
1941
930,791
389,719
1,320,510
4,326
1939
912,729
364,368
1,277,097
4,205
1936
854,109
376,596
1,230,705
4,224
1929
696,967
696,967
3,942
1925
628,695
628,695
3,849
1923
610,498
610,498
3,820
1922
673,321
673,321
4,179
1921
673,321
673,321
3,283
1919
621,886
621,886
4,246
Serving Churches Retired Other Service to the Church Total Clergy
1957
3,976
5,178
1956
3,938
5,037
1955
3,871
5,020
1954
3,766
4,916
1953
3,725
4,817
1951
3,614
4,661
1950
3,602
4,621
1936
3,605
1929
3,271
1925
3,062
1923
2,918
1922
3,019
1921
2,471
1919
2,874
Total Schools Staff Pupils Total Individuals
1957
4,820
77,785
682,110
759,895
1956
4,724
73,014
651,274
724,288
1955
4,639
61,180
616,976
678,156
1954
4,523
63,206
576,503
639,709
1953
4,624
58,425
529,720
588,145
1951
4,239
49,806
444,893
494,699
1950
4,156
47,271
413,871
461,142
1923
1,811
134,880
1922
1,819
132,334
1921
1,587
108,133
1919
92,316
Total Benevolences Total Financials Total Giving Local Expenses Method
1954
$15,197,356
$80,211,031
$65,013,675
1953
$23,883,173
$81,873,137
$57,989,964
1951
$11,910,393
$66,431,204
$54,520,811
1950
$10,401,257
$60,531,591
$50,130,334
1923
$10,346,002
1922
$9,919,459
1921
$9,429,818
1919
$4,704,757