About Us

At Nativity Lutheran Church, we extend a warm welcome to all who are seeking a place of worship, service, and fellowship in Brandon, Mississippi. As a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), we are a Christ-centered community rooted in the teachings of the Bible and the love of Jesus Christ. Whether you are a lifelong Christian or new to the faith, we invite you to join us as we gather in worship, grow in faith, and serve others.

We believe in the gracious love of God revealed to us in Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection bring us forgiveness, salvation, and hope. At the heart of our worship and community life is the Word and Sacrament—through the reading of Scripture, preaching, and the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, we are nourished and strengthened for our journey of faith.
As Lutherans in the ELCA, we affirm that salvation is by grace through faith. We believe that God’s grace is freely given to all, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are called to live out our faith in service to others. We hold that all are welcome at God’s table, regardless of background, and encourage openness, inclusivity, and reconciliation.

Nativity Lutheran Church is more than just a place of worship—it’s a spiritual family where all are invited to grow in faith and serve the world together. We offer opportunities for fellowship, Bible study, and service, both within the church and in our local community. From youth activities to adult study groups, we strive to create spaces where everyone—regardless of age or background—can deepen their relationship with God and with each other.

Yes, Lutherans are Christians. In fact, Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Christianity, rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible, and it belongs to the broader Christian tradition alongside Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, and other Protestant denominations.

Lutheranism began with the Reformation in the 16th century, led by Martin Luther, a German monk and theologian. Luther’s teachings emphasized the belief that salvation is a gift from God, received through faith alone (not through human effort or good deeds), and that the Bible is the ultimate authority for Christian faith and practice. These core beliefs align with the foundational teachings of Christianity, particularly the belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the centrality of His life, death, and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life.

As Lutherans, we hold that Jesus Christ is the Savior of all people and that faith in Him is the key to salvation. Like all Christians, Lutherans believe in the Holy Trinity—God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and we worship God through prayer, scripture, and the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.

Lutherans are part of the Protestant branch of Christianity, meaning that, like other Protestant denominations, we affirm the Bible as the authoritative word of God and focus on salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. While we share these core beliefs with many other Christian traditions, Lutherans also have distinctive theological perspectives, such as the understanding of the Sacraments (especially the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist) and the role of grace in salvation.

Are Lutherans Christians? Absolutely. Lutherans are Christians who are deeply committed to living out the teachings of Jesus Christ, growing in faith, and sharing God’s love with the world.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a Christian denomination that is part of the larger Lutheran tradition, a branch of the Protestant Church that traces its roots back to the teachings of Martin Luther, a 16th-century theologian who sparked the Protestant Reformation. The ELCA was formed in 1988 through the merger of three Lutheran church bodies and has since become one of the largest Lutheran denominations in the United States.

As members of the ELCA, we are committed to being a welcoming, inclusive community of faith centered in the love of Jesus Christ. The ELCA emphasizes grace, faith, and scripture as the foundation of our belief and practice. We understand that salvation is a gift from God, given freely through faith in Jesus Christ and made known through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The ELCA values the Word and Sacrament as central to our life of worship. Through Holy Communion and Baptism, we are drawn into God’s grace, nourished spiritually, and called to live out our faith in service to others. We believe that God’s love is for all people and that we are called to live with compassion, justice, and peace in our communities and around the world.

As an ELCA congregation, we also stand for social justice, diversity, and reconciliation, embracing the idea that the church should be a place of sanctuary and support for people of all walks of life. We are committed to understanding the complexities of the world and responding with God’s love and mercy, working toward unity and healing.

In short, the ELCA is a church that is grounded in the Bible and the gospel message of God’s grace for all people, and we invite you to join us in our mission to share that love with the world.

Martin Luther was a 16th-century German theologian, priest, and professor who is widely considered the founder of the Lutheran tradition within Christianity. Luther’s ideas and writings sparked the Protestant Reformation, a movement that reshaped the landscape of Christianity and led to the creation of various Protestant denominations, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

In 1517, Luther famously posted his 95 Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. These 95 statements challenged certain practices of the Catholic Church, particularly the sale of indulgences (payments made to the church to forgive sins). Luther’s concerns were rooted in a desire for the church to return to the teachings of Scripture and the belief that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through human works or financial transactions.

Luther’s bold actions were not meant to break away from the Church, but rather to reform it. He called for a church that emphasized the grace of God and the authority of Scripture over human tradition. One of his core beliefs, often summarized by the phrase “justification by faith alone”, is that salvation is a free gift from God, received through faith in Jesus Christ, not by any human effort or merit.

Luther’s teachings and his focus on God’s grace, the authority of the Bible, and the priesthood of all believers led to significant changes in how people understand and practice their Christian faith. He also translated the Bible into the vernacular (German), so that ordinary people could read and understand it themselves, making Scripture more accessible to all.

As a member of the Lutheran tradition, Nativity Lutheran Church traces its roots directly back to Martin Luther’s reforming work. His teachings about grace, the centrality of Scripture, and the importance of faith are foundational to who we are as a church. Luther’s legacy shapes how we worship, how we read the Bible, and how we understand God’s relationship with us.

In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), we continue to hold Luther’s vision of a gracious, inclusive, and faith-centered church that welcomes all people to experience God’s love. Luther’s commitment to the gospel message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ remains central to everything we do in our worship, service, and ministry.