The Key West citizen., 1954-10-30
Lutheran Church Is Founded On Principles
Taught By Martin Luther; Servant Of God

.t
That's the Church that be-
lieyes in Luther!"
No statement could be farther
nom the truth than that. The Luz
thetAni Church does not believe in
Luther but with Luther.
Luther IS still living today in
those Christian people who proud
" bear his name, the Lutherans.
J. ..,,s 4 Living Truth
The man Luther, of course, is
not alive, but that which made
Luther the man he was, his great
principles, are still alive in the
Lutheran Church today.
Lutherans today believe in the
same Lord Jesus Christ, have the
same Spirit, preach the same Word
Of ,Gbd. and have the same purpose
q Life as Martin Luther did and
had.
Lufher - still alive today in his
words and purposes.
Il. Crest Principles
The three great principles for
which Luther stood and upon which
the Reformation was founded, the
three great principles for which
The. Lutheran Church still stands
today are: The Bible alone as the
final authority in all matters Of
Christian faith and life; grace a.
loAe, through the unmerited love
Of God revealed in Christ Jesus
man 10 saved; faith alone, saliva
tien is accepted in no other way
than by faith, not by works. not by
faith and works, but by faith alone.
These were the glorious truths
that Gods servant, Martin Luther,
through the power Of God, redis-
covered for the Christian Church
atcthe time Of the Reformation.
God used Luther as an instrument
through whom He could once again
cffer 70 His people these blessings.
\ ,. Many Followed
This work Of the Reformation
certainly could not have gone far
II Luther had had no followers.
God gave Luther many followers.
Some were distinguished rulers
and scholars, some were profess
sional men and artisans, and
many, thank God, were common
people.
Through these people Gods Word
spread like a wind-driven fire
through most Of Northern Europe.
Luther and his followers were the
human instruments which God used
10 initiate q movement whose
mighty force Is at work in the
world even today.
70 Million To-day
Throughout the world today there
aye more than seventy million
Lutherans, people who follow Luth-
er Il following after Christ.
In America these followers of
Christ Jesus who worship the
Savior In the same way that Luth-
Or iworshipped Him and believed
Ia Him number seven million.
Grace Lutheran Church in Key
West, Tlorida, is q group of Chris
tiars who believe in the same
Savior as Luther did, and who
trust in Him alone for salvation,
even as Luther did, and who be-
Hove In teaching and spreading the
vpuderful Word Of God as God has
given. It to us in our. Bibles, with
out adding anything to it or TAX
iAg. anything from it,
... LEGAL Church
Grace Lutheran Church in Key
West had It's beginning in 1912.
On April S Of that year, four
Lutheran pastors and one active
Lutheran layman from the Florida
mainland arrived in Key West and
visited at the home Of Mr.. and
Mrs. Larry Eschen on White
street.
The Eschens had just recently
arrived from the Bronx, New
York, where Mrs. Eschen had been
an active member Of the Lutheran
Church.
Her pastor there had informed
her that there was no Lutheran
Church In Key West, but he would
make contacts with the nearest
Lnthsrsn pastor and ask him to
look into the possibility of serving
the Lutheran people in Key West.
:*~ First Service Here
And so On that day, April S, 1912,
at S pm, the first Lutheran serv-
ice was conducted in the home OF
the Eschens by several pastors
from Miami. Seventeen members
wsre present at this first service.
From that time on Lutheran
services were conducted quite reg
ulafly at various places by various
pastors. Services were held in the
Knights Of Pythias Hall, in the
Golden Eagle Hall on Petronia
Street, and then in the Poinciana
Community Center.
From: the time the first service
was held In 1912 until the time the
first resident pastor arrived a
aumber Of 10 pastors and students
irpm the Seminaries served the
luthefsns and conducted the serv-
M.
Nv Prsessiy PvrehassA
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