Lutherans
Based on the writings of Martin Luther, who broke (1517-21) with
the Roman Catholic Church and led the Protestant Reformation; the
first Lutheran congregation in North America was founded in 1638
in Wilmington, Delaware; the first North American regional synod
was founded in 1748 by Heinrich Melchior Muhlenberg.
8 million
Faith is based on the Bible and the Augsburg Confession (written
in 1530); salvation comes through faith alone; services include
the Lord's Supper (communion); Lutherans are mostly conservative
in religious and social ethics; infants are baptized, the church
is organized in synods; the two largest synods in the United States
are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod
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