Lutheran Church Background & History


	The Lutheran church - one of the major Christian churches - is the largest and oldest protestant church, with over 60 million Lutherans throughout the world, including around 250,000 in Australia and New Zealand. BASIS OF THE LUTHERAN FAITH
	"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16).
	This is the Good News (or Gospel) which gives the Lutheran Church its only reason for existence.
	Jesus Christ stands at the centre of all the teachings of the Lutheran Church. Its members are called to follow Jesus, to accept his teachings and his saving work, and to commit their lives to him in loving service.
	LINK TO MARTIN LUTHER
	Dr Martin Luther (1483 - 1546), a devout son of the church, struggled to find peace with God via the church's system of penances, payments, masses, fasts, pilgrimages, and other human efforts.
	Through intensive Bible study, Luther discovered the simple Gospel or Good News of God's love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
	Luther began to preach and teach this Good News, which brought the condemnation of the Pope on him.
	Many princes, scholars, clergy, and common people joined Luther in a new fellowship of people loyal to the Scriptures and confessing salvation by faith in Christ through the grace of God alone. Thus the Lutheran Church began.
	THE EARLY LUTHERANS
	The title Lutheran was originally a term of derision given by opponents (but it is now retained because it stands for a distinctive understanding and confession of the Gospel).
	Luther's followers preferred to be called Evangelicals, that is, followers of the Gospel.
	The protest of Luther and his followers at the Parliament of Spires in 1529 gave them the further name of Protestants - a title now applied to almost all non-Roman Catholic denominations.
	Lutherans do not regard Luther's writings as infallible. They treasure his work of restoring the Gospel to the world, and cherish his writings as they focus on Jesus Christ and the Gospel, which is the essence of true Christianity.
	THE EARLY LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AUSTRALIA
	The origin of the Lutheran Church in Australia goes back to 1838, when the King of Prussia tried to force a common religion on his subjects, and refused to allow Lutherans to confess their faith and understanding of the gospel. Many migrated to both Australia and the USA to maintain their freedom of worship and confession.
	In Australia these mainly rural settlers made their homes in: - the Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills (SA); - the Wimmera and Western District (Vic), - the Riverina (NSW). Later other Lutheran immigrants joined them.
	While maintaining a strong spiritual life centred in their churches and church schools, they remained largely rural, self-contained fellowships, with little attempt to reach out beyond their communities with the Gospel which they cherished.
	THE LUTHERAN CHURCH TODAY
	Since the Second World War, Lutherans have moved to the cities and established churches which seek to serve all people in the community.
	More and more Lutherans are found in the professions, and are making their influence felt.
	Post-war immigration of Lutherans of many nationalities has made people more aware of the international character of the Lutheran faith.
	THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN TASMANIA
	The first Lutheran pioneering work in Tasmania was conducted amongst a small group of Lutherans in the Collinsvale area (then called Bismarck) near Hobart from 1911 to 1915.
	Lutheran contact was re-established in 1949, when, from 1949 to 1952, various Lutheran ministers visited Tasmania and conducted semi-regular services in the Hobart - Campbell Town - Launceston regions, with occasional visits to the North-West and West coasts.
	In 1952 a resident Lutheran minister settled in Hobart, and covered the entire state in his ministry, travelling around 35,000 km per year in his work.
	During 1958, Lutheran church buildings were established in Hobart and Launceston.
	A second Lutheran minister was appointed to live in Launceston in 1959, to cover the North and North-West of the state.
	Further church buildings were dedicated in Burnie (1961) and Devonport (1962).
	1979 saw the appointment of a third resident Lutheran minister, living in Burnie, to serve the Burnie, Devonport and West coast regions of the state.