Dear Visitor,

Blessed Martin Luther listed the following seven marks of the Church to identify what constituted the people known as the one, holy, catholic (Christian), and apostolic Church:

1) "The holy Christian people are recognized by their possession of the holy word of God.

2) God's people or the Christian holy people are recognized by the holy sacrament of baptism, wherever it is taught, believed, and administered correctly according to Christ's ordinance.

3) God's people, or Christian holy people, are recognized by the holy sacrament of the altar, wherever it is rightly administered, believed, and received, according to Christ's institution.

4) God's people or holy Christians are recognized by the office of the keys exercised publicly…Now where you see sins forgiven or reproved in some persons, be it publicly or privately, you may know that God's people are there.

5) The Church is recognized externally by the fact that it consecrates or calls ministers, or has offices that it is to administer. There must be bishops, pastors, or preachers, who publicly and privately give, administer, and use the aforementioned four things.

6) The holy Christian people are externally recognized by prayer, public praise, and thanksgiving to God.

7) The holy Christian people are externally recognized by the holy possession of the sacred cross. They must endure every misfortune and persecution, all kinds of trials and evil from the devil, the world, and the flesh by inward sadness, timidity, fear, outward poverty, contempt, illness, and weakness, in order to become like their head, Christ" (Luther's Works, American Edition, Volume 41, "On the Councils and the Church").

Needless to say, Luther was more interested in true discipleship than in church marketing. If you are looking for an authentic Christian congregation that exhibits these marks of the true Church, we invite you to visit St. Matthew's.

You may not be attracted to or understand everything we do at first blush, you may not agree with everything you hear or read, but I know that you will hear the true voice of the Lord Jesus saying: "Come, follow me!"

Thanks for stopping by!

Pastor Sam Zumwalt, STS
societyholytrinity.org
szumwalt@bellsouth.net