So far, we are the only NALC congregation in Manhattan, or in any of the five boroughs for that matter. The North American Lutheran Church (NALC) is akin to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and to the Catholic Church in that we strive to pass on the Great Tradition of the Church in doctrine, morality, and liturgy. But we have departed from those traditional churches in one way: We ordain women. We believe that ordaining faithful women into the holy ministry of Word and Sacrament is a Biblically honorable proposal to the whole Church on earth. Certainly we feel ourselves to be blessed at our church through the ministry of Pastor Carol Fryer and Pastor Lara Bhasin. In the early 1970s, some devout Lutheran women felt themselves called by the Holy Spirit to the ordained ministry. Some parts of the Lutheran Church felt that the Biblical witness was not strong enough to say they were wrong. The NALC stands in that modern tradition of reading the Bible as permitting the option of ordaining faithful women.

The last several decades have not been an easy time for the mainline Protestant churches and for many Lutheran congregations, marked by declining attendance, novel doctrines and a strong tendency to embrace the culture of the day instead of offering a Christian witness and alternative to it.

Changing with the times may be helpful when it comes to using technology, but not when it comes to the faith that has guided Christian believers for millennia.

Here at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New York City, by the grace of God, we have endeavored to follow a different path, one of quiet faithfulness centered on our belief in the Bible as the Word of God. We also have been careful to treasure the Augsburg Confession, Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms, and other founding documents of our Lutheran church, and the traditional liturgical and musical ways of worship that have honored God and nourished Christians for centuries.

We like to think that Immanuel Lutheran Church will feel right to traditional Lutherans from across the land. But we also hope that our congregation will begin to feel right to both Baptists and Catholics or to anyone who honors the Bible and the old traditions of the Church.

As we move further into this 21st century and through whatever turbulence may come, we pray God to help us persevere and ever strive to improve, that Immanuel may remain a beacon of faith as long as there is a New York City. If you are looking for a church of your own, we invite you to join us!