Lutherans get their name from Martin Luther, the German priest, who in the sixteenth-century sought to return the Roman Catholic Church to its biblical roots. This was the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Through his study of the Scriptures, Luther helped Christians rediscover the truth of the Gospel – that God loves us, forgives our sins, and gives us eternal life in Jesus Christ. God does this by grace alone, through faith alone, on the basis of Scripture alone.
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) was founded in 1847 by a small group of German-American immigrants dedicated to preaching and teaching the Gospel. Many of these founders were settled in Missouri, hence the word “Missouri” in our denomination’s name. Furthermore, the term Synod which means “walking together,” unites LCMS congregations in an association of Christian fellowship. Though all LCMS congregations believe and teach the same biblical truths, each is self-governing and reflects the diversity of the people they serve.
Concordia Lutheran Church was founded in Nashville in 1930 as the lone voice of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod in Middle Tennessee. Concordia means agreement and harmony.
After meeting in various locations throughout Nashville and experiencing steady growth throughout the 1930’s, the members of Concordia began to feel the need for a church building of their own. An elderly member generously donated $1,000, which she had saved for her burial, to pay for a lot on which the church would be built. Various areas of Nashville were studied and a site was chosen at Park Circle and Central Avenue in what is now the Richland-West End neighborhood. With a loan of $8,000, Concordia began the construction of a chapel at that location in 1937. It would be the first church built in what was then the western edge of Nashville.
Built in fifteenth-century English Gothic style, the new church was erected at a cost of approximately $8,646, plus furnishings. The exterior bricks of the church were obtained from the floor of the old Louisville & Nashville Railroad roundhouse, which was being razed at the time. The bricks’ dark color, which gives them unique beauty, reveals many years of wear from countless steam engines.
The new church was dedicated on January 28, 1938 and the service was broadcast on radio by WSM Nashville over a specially installed telephone line.
In 1951, a relief statuary of Leonardo da Vinci’s Lord’s Supper was placed into the frontal body of the altar. This work of art measures three feet tall by five feet wide and is finished in Florentine colors. This was an anonymous gift of a grateful family.
The seating capacity of the sanctuary was about 200 and was constructed so that, when needed, the building could be enlarged. Blessed with continued growth, more space for Sunday School and worship services was required. The original church building was enlarged, and an additional wing, the bell tower, and bell were added in 1954.
By God’s grace, Concordia reached out in the mission field and founded and fostered several other Lutheran Churches: Trinity in Columbia; Grace in Murfreesboro; Ascension in Madison; Emmanuel in Hermitage; Our Savior in Nashville; and Redeemer in Bellevue, each time having to replace it’s own membership. God has richly and repeatedly blessed Concordia!
Concordia continues to be strongly rooted in the Word of God, preaching and teaching the truths of Scripture and applying them to everyday issues we face in this world.
