Historic. sacramental. Biblical.

Calvary Lutheran Church is a historic, biblical congregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in Charleston, South Carolina.

In today’s world, many Christian denominations are walking away from the authority of the Bible and the historic Christian faith. They reshape Scripture to fit modern ideas and the ideologies of the day. We do not. We hold to God’s Word as it is written, and we confess the same faith the Church has confessed for two thousand years: that Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins and rose again.

We are not trying to be in step with the culture. We are trying to be faithful to Christ. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

Our Mission

Calvary Lutheran Church is committed to building a strong culture of discipleship through three things: intentional relationships, intentional spiritual growth, and intentional serving.

• Intentional relationships. Grounded in the Bible and the Great Commission, we build genuine, Christ-centered relationships and strive to do Jesus’ work in Jesus’ way.
• Intentional spiritual growth. We trust the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to guide people toward spiritual maturity.
• Intentional serving. We desire to be a blessing to our community and to the world.

What We Believe

Calvary Lutheran Church is a member of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and holds to the Synod’s Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Principles.

Our Confessional Standard

This congregation accepts without reservation:

1. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the written Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and practice.
2. All the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God: the three Ecumenical Creeds (the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed), the Unaltered Augsburg Confession, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles, Luther’s Large Catechism, Luther’s Small Catechism, and the Formula of Concord.

The Nicene Creed

Our faith is summarized in the Nicene Creed:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Us men means all people. Christian: the ancient text reads “catholic,” meaning the whole Church as it confesses the wholeness of Christian doctrine.

Truth

There is only one truth, revealed by God, and Jesus Christ is its ultimate revelation. This truth is objective, unchanging, and rooted in God’s character, His Word, and the person of Jesus Christ. We do not accept that truth is subjective or relative.

The Bible

The Bible is the divinely inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. It is the supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice, giving instruction for salvation and holy living. We do not accept the view that the Bible is merely a human record or open to personal or cultural reinterpretation.

God

There is one God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is distinct from His creation, all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere present, loving, merciful, wise, and unchanging. We do not accept that God changes or is the same as the universe.

Humanity and Sin

God created humanity in His image, male and female, as the pinnacle of creation. Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, bringing death and separation from God. All people are born into sin and need redemption. We do not accept that sin does not exist or that people are good apart from repentance and salvation.

Satan

Satan is a real being, a fallen angel who opposes God and seeks to lead people astray. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, his power is broken. We do not accept that Satan is merely a metaphor or symbol.

Salvation

Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Justification is God’s own act of declaring the sinner righteous for Christ’s sake. It is received through faith, which the Holy Spirit Himself creates in us. Faith is not a decision we reach on our own that unlocks God’s grace; it is the Spirit’s work, awakening trust where none existed before. We do not accept that Christ’s death was unnecessary or that salvation brings no transformation.

New Life in Christ

Sanctification is the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work in the believer. He nourishes us through the means of grace: the preaching and hearing of God’s Word and the receiving of the Sacraments. Good works are the fruit of faith, not its cause. We do not accept that believers can live without transformation or godliness.

Baptism

Baptism is the ordinary means through which God works saving faith, forgiveness, and new birth. It is not a step taken in response to a decision already made, but the very place where the Spirit creates faith, including in infants. Baptism is necessary because Christ commands it and attaches His promise to it, though God is not bound by it and may save one who comes to faith but dies before being baptized. We do not accept that Baptism is just an outward sign.

The Lord’s Supper

Christ is truly present in the Lord’s Supper: in, with, and under the bread and wine. The bread and wine are not changed into something else, nor are they mere symbols. Communicants receive Christ’s true body and blood, given for the forgiveness of sins. The Lord’s Supper is a means of grace that unites believers and strengthens faith. We do not accept that it is merely symbolic or a memorial.

The Church

The Church is the body of Christ, made up of all believers, and a visible expression of God’s Kingdom. It is a spiritual family united in faith and love, in which each member has a role in serving and building up the body. We do not accept that the Church exists only for individual benefit.

Discipleship

Every Christian is called to follow Jesus, growing in faith and obedience, and to make disciples. Disciple-making is not limited to pastors and evangelists. By virtue of their baptism, all believers have direct access to God and share in the Church’s mission. We do not accept that discipleship is optional or belongs only to a few.

Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality

God creates each person male or female, reflecting His image. He created marriage to join one man and one woman in a “one-flesh” union (Genesis 2:18–25), and marriage is the foundational unit of a stable society (1 Corinthians 7:2). Calvary Lutheran Church does not endorse same-sex marriages or unions, and will not allow its pastor to perform, participate in, or sanction them.

The Sanctity of Human Life

All human life is sacred and created in the image of God. We are called to defend, protect, and value every human life, including the unborn, the aged, and the physically or mentally challenged, from conception to natural death.

Christian Charity and Service

Charity and service are essential to the Christian faith. We are called to love selflessly, to care for others, especially the poor and vulnerable, and to give generously. We do not accept selfishness or a lack of compassion for those in need.

The Last Things

Jesus Christ will return to fulfill His promises. All the dead will be raised, the saved to eternal life and the lost to eternal punishment. We do not encourage speculation or predictions about the end times based on human teachings.

Final Authority

This statement of faith does not cover everything we believe. The Bible, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, speaks with final authority on truth, morality, and conduct, and is the final source of all we believe. For matters of faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline at Calvary Lutheran, our pastor and board of elders are the final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.

Come and Worship With Us

Whether you are searching for a church that still stands on God’s Word, or you are simply curious about the Christian faith, you are welcome at Calvary. Join us on Sunday morning to hear the Word of God faithfully preached and to receive Christ’s gifts.

Calvary Lutheran Church 1400 Manor Blvd., Charleston, SC 29407

Office: 843-766-3113