History

The Beginning

The Lutheran Church, the church of the Reformation, was the first Protestant Church, and is world wide, the largest Protestant denomination. The church was born in 1517, when Martin Luther publicly called for a correction of errors in the medieval church. The Lutheran Church is based on Luther's assertion that the basic source of Christian teaching is Scripture alone and that salvation is attained solely by the grace of God.

Lutherans in the United States

The first Lutherans came to the U.S. in 1638, settling in what is now Delaware. Lutheranism in Virginia dates from 1717, when 20 German-speaking families from Europe settled on the Rapidan River. By 1733, they had established a church, built a chapel, and called a pastor. The oldest Lutheran congregations in the Charlottesville area are the Hebron Lutheran, Staunton, established in the colonial period and Trinity-Crimora near Waynesboro, established in 1772.

Immanuel Lutheran Church

Immanuel Lutheran Church was founded in Charlottesville in 1869, and became affiliated with the Missouri Synod in 1897. It has been housed in its present facility on Jefferson Park Avenue since 1956.