Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Elizabeth Eaton, talks about who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

What We Believe

Bethlehem is a congregation that is a part of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), a larger denomination of churches spread throughout the United States. Regardless of age, race, or status in life, members of the ELCA welcome you to join this community of faith. If you’re unfamiliar with our church, some of what you learn may surprise you. The ELCA is an engaged, active body of people who put faith in God into action—in millions of ways, all over the world.

Confesses the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

In our preaching and teaching the ELCA trusts the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.

ELCA teaching or theology serves the proclamation and ministry of this faith. It does not have an answer for all questions, not even all religious questions. Teaching or theology prepares members to be witnesses in speech and in action of God’s rich mercy in Jesus Christ.

Scriptures, Creeds and Confessions

The ELCA’s official Confession of Faith identifies the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments (commonly called the Bible); the Apostles’, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds; and the Lutheran confessional writings in the Book of Concord as the basis for our teaching. ELCA congregations make the same affirmation in their governing documents, and ELCA pastors and deacons promise to carry out their ministry in accordance with these teaching sources.

This Confession of Faith is more than just words in an official document. Every Sunday in worship ELCA congregations hear God’s word from the Scriptures, pray as Jesus taught and come to the Lord’s Table expecting to receive the mercies that the Triune God promises. Throughout the week ELCA members continue to live by faith, serving others freely and generously in all that they do because they trust God’s promise in the Gospel. In small groups and at sick beds, in private devotions and in daily work, this faith saturates all of life.

Teaching for a life of faith

This connection to all of life is the clearest demonstration of the authority that the canonical Scriptures, the ecumenical Creeds and the Lutheran Confessions have in the ELCA. The Holy Spirit uses these witnesses to create, strengthen and sustain faith in Jesus Christ and the life we have in him.

That life-giving work continues every day, as Martin Luther explained in the Small Catechism: the Holy Spirit “calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and preserves it in union with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”

Additional Information
If you're interested in learning more about the ELCA, we recommend checking out these links:
Scriptures, Creeds, and Confessions
Luther & Lutheranism
Ecumenical & Inter-Religious Relations
Southwest California Synod: our regional Lutheran body of ELCA churches