All power in the Church belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ, its head. All actions
of this congregation are to be carried out under his rule and authority.
The Church exists both as an inclusive fellowship and as local congregations gathered
for worship and Christian service. Congregations find their fulfillment in the
universal community of the Church, and the universal Church exists in and through
congregations. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, therefore, derives its
character and powers both from the sanction and representation of its congregations and
from its fellowship of the faithful. In length, it acknowledges itself to be in the
historic continuity of the communion of saints; in breadth, it expresses the fellowship of
believers and congregations in our day.
