What is Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod?
{{redlinks|date=September 2018}} {{Infobox Christian denomination |name = The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod |image = |caption = |abbreviation = LCMS |main_classification = [[Lutheran]] |orientation = [[Confessional Lutheran]] |structure = National synod, 35 [[Middle judicatory|middle level]] districts, and local congregations |leader_title = President |leader_name = [[Matthew C. Harrison]] |headquarters = [[Kirkwood, Missouri]] |founder = [[C. F. W. Walther]] |founded_date = April 26, 1847 |founded_place = [[Chicago, Illinois]] |separated_from = [[Bruderrat der Evangelischen Kirche|German Landeskirchen]] |absorbed = [[Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Illinois|Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Illinois and Other States]] (1880)<br>[[Evangelical Lutheran Concordia Synod of Pennsylvania and Other States]] (1886)<br>[[English District (LCMS)|English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri and Other States]] (1911)<br>[[Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America#African-American mission work|Synodical Conference Negro Mission]] (1961)<br>[[National Evangelical Lutheran Church]] (1964)<br>[[Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches]] (1971) |separations = [[Orthodox Lutheran Conference]] (1951)<br>[[Lutheran Churches of the Reformation]] (1964)<br>[[Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches]] (1976),<br>[[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil]] (1980)<br>[[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina]] (1986)<br>[[Lutheran Church–Canada]] (1988) |associations = Member of the [[International Lutheran Council]]<br>In altar and pulpit fellowship with the [[American Association of Lutheran Churches]]<br>Former member of [[Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America|Synodical Conference]] and [[Lutheran Council in the United States of America|Lutheran Council—USA]]. |area = [[United States]], especially in the [[Upper Midwest]]. |congregations = 6,101 |members = 2,017,834 baptized<br /> 1,584,251 confirmed<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-statistics-for-2016-membership-down-contributi