I was never a Hillcrest Comet. I did not grow up attending a Lutheran Brethren church. In fact it was just six short years ago that I learned of the Lutheran Brethren’s existence. With that said, I am probably not the guy to ask if you’re looking for an in-depth lecture on the history of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren. But I can tell you what first attracted me and brought me into the Lutheran Brethren family.

Throughout its history, for better or for worse, the Church of the Lutheran Brethren (CLB) has always sought to shape its identity around the Word of God. Scripture tells us, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” So international mission became a fundamental part of the identity of the CLB. Scripture tells us, “Faith comes from hearing the word...” So studying the Word, and preaching its Christ-centered message became the centerpiece of CLB congregations across North America. Scripture tells us, “train a child in the way he should go...” So a high school, a Bible school, and a seminary became important parts of the CLB’s identity. It was that respect for the Word of God, that belief that the Word of God has authority that outweighs any other authority, that first attracted me to the CLB and led me to attend the Lutheran Brethren Seminary in Fergus Falls, MN.

Like every family that’s ever existed, the CLB is not perfect. It has its problems. It is filled with strong leaders, dynamic personalities, and multiple opinions as to how things should be done. The differences within the CLB are many, but those differences disappear in our shared faith that the Bible is the inspired inerrant Word of God, and it is that truth that makes the future of the CLB so important to the future of the Church in North America. The Apostle Paul said, “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3). I believe that day has come, and I believe that God has positioned the CLB to serve as a beacon of light in a culture that loves darkness.

We may have our differences, but in the Word of God we find our identity. As churches and denominations across North America compromise the gospel in their search for new and exciting ways to attract members, let us cling to our identity in Christ, and the proclamation of the life-changing, salvation-bringing, inerrant Word of God.

By Troy Tysdal

Troy Tysdal is Church Resource Coordinator for the Church of the Lutheran Brethren and serves as associate pastor at Stavanger Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls, MN.