What kind of a church is this?
Above all, we are a Christian church. We confess the faith of the ancient church through the ecumenical creeds—the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds. We worship the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We trust in the witness of the Holy Scriptures—both Old and New Testaments—as the inspired Word of God and the authoritative guide for our faith and life.
We are an ecumenical Protestant church, joyfully welcoming people from many denominational backgrounds. Our history and life together are shaped by the Lutheran tradition, and we express a distinctly American Mainline Protestant witness to the Gospel. At the heart of our faith is trust in God’s promises: we believe we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, revealed in the Word alone.
We are a liturgical church, which means our worship follows an intentional and ancient pattern that connects us to the global and historic church. Each Sunday, we gather around Word and Sacrament in a rhythm of gathering, hearing the Word, sharing the meal, and being sent into the world. Rooted in the church year, our services move through seasons like Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. Liturgy doesn’t mean rigid tradition—it means the work of the people. It invites participation, gives shape to our worship, and helps us proclaim the Gospel with depth, beauty, and joy. Whether you are new to liturgical worship or grew up with it, you’ll find space here to encounter God in a meaningful and embodied way. Our primary hymnal and service book is Evangelical Lutheran Worship, which reflects ACB’s roots in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
We are a welcoming church, open to all who seek God, community, and a place to belong. No matter your background, who you are, where you are from, or what you bring with you—you are welcome here. We believe Christ calls us to radical hospitality and to love one another as God has first loved us. In a diverse and international city, we strive to be a home for people from many walks of life, united not by sameness, but by grace. Whether you’re full of faith, full of questions, or somewhere in between, there is a place for you in our community.
One question we often get: In our weekly confession through the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, we affirm our belief in the “holy catholic church,” underscoring our unity with the universal Church of Christ. The term “catholic” here means “universal,” signifying that as a Protestant church, we are part of the global body of believers, transcending denominational lines. This confession connects us with all who share in the Christian faith, emphasizing a common adherence to the Gospel rather than uniformity in governance or teachings that are not central to our shared faith. Over the past generations, many non-Roman Catholic communities, particularly in the English-speaking world, have reclaimed this deeply rich identity to highlight our inclusion in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Christ, celebrating our ancient, yet ever-renewing faith, united by our witness to the Gospel. In short, being “catholic” does not make us “Roman Catholic.”
We are a church of many nations and many confessions, all gathered around the same table.
Statement of Open Communion
We practice open communion, meaning all baptized Christians, regardless of confession or status, are welcome to receive communion with us.
