Message from Pastor Akers

Thank you for visiting the website of Immanuel Lutheran Church and School in Bristol, CT.

We are a confessional, liturgical, Lutheran congregation located in central Connecticut, about 30 minutes west of Hartford. We are also proud members of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Our Church is dedicated to the proclamation of Law and Gospel and the right administration of the Sacraments, which are the means by which Christ gives us forgiveness of sins, abundant life in Him, and the gift of eternal salvation. Our School is dedicated to passing on our Lutheran faith while also preparing our students for godly vocations through classical education and academic excellence.

We are Confessional. In a world where truth is seen as relative, we joyfully confess the Bible as the inspired, inerrant Word of God and the Christian Book of Concord as the correct interpretation of Holy Scripture. We believe that doctrine does not change. We believe, teach, and confess the same truths about the Triune God and our Savior Jesus Christ as the Church has always believed, taught, and confessed.

We are Liturgical. All our services follow the historic liturgy of the western catholic (universal) Church. This liturgy grounds us in “the pattern of sound words” of Holy Scripture (2 Timothy 1:13) so that the Word of Christ dwells in us richly (Colossians 3:16). All our services follow the same “Common Service” liturgy which has been used by our ancestors for centuries.

We are Lutheran. Being Lutheran means that we accept and preach the Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century. In the end, being Lutheran is not about Martin Luther, it is about the biblical confession that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Please explore the other pages of our website, which will give you a greater picture of who we are. Still, a website can only show so much. I invite you to join us in person for Divine Service on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. or on Wednesday at 10:45 a.m.

I look forward to meeting you soon!

In Christ,
Pastor Benjamin Akers
“We preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23)