What is a Lutheran, anyway?
Good question! We’re glad you asked. Although the The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has 2.4 million members in the U.S., you just don’t see a lot of Lutherans in Knoxville. Up north, there’s a Lutheran church and school on every corner, but here, that’s not the case. Let’s explore what “Lutheran” means.
Lutherans are Christians. Above all, the Christian Lutheran faith desires to be faithfully centered in Jesus Christ and strives to let the Gospel of His life, teachings, death, and resurrection from the dead be the center of all we profess and do. The name “Lutheran” indicates a confession within the one holy, Christian church, rather than a denomination. However, the name Lutheran is also used in the title of many denominations across the globe (e.g. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod).
First Lutheran Church is a member of the The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, a Synod formed by Saxon Germans who immigrated to the United States in the mid 1800s and founded our Synod in AD 1847. First Lutheran Church was organized in 1869, and First Lutheran School was founded a year later, in 1870. Read more about our school’s history.
Lutherans love education. The historic Lutheran principle is that there can be no real education without religion. We excel at academics, but see Christ Jesus as the crown jewel in our education. Read more about our educational philosophy.
We invite you to learn more. If you have a church home, we encourage you to worship there as a family. If you are looking for a church home, just want to visit First Lutheran Church, or want to learn more about what Lutherans believe, contact one of the pastors at First Lutheran Church for more information and resources.