Lutherans Informed about Lodges (LIL)


Congregation Constitutions and Bylaws

Regarding Lodges




What does your congregation’s constitution and/or bylaws state regarding Lodge membership? The LCMS has a set of guidelines for congregational constitutions and bylaws. In it, the model constitutional guideline for membership includes:

5.3 Members of this congregation shall conform their entire lives to the authority of God’s Word and to that end shall make diligent use of the means of grace, exercise faithful stewardship of God’s many gifts and talents, impart and accept fraternal admonition as the need of such admonition becomes apparent, and be readily available for service in the kingdom of Christ within and beyond the congregation. Membership in organizations whose principles and conduct conflict with the Word of God is prohibited. [Emphasis added.]

What do your congregation’s constitution and/or bylaws state regarding Lodge membership? Please submit this to LIL and include the following:

    • Congregation name and location
    • Denomination (LCMS, WELS, ELS, ELCA, etc.)
    • The appropriate text from your constitution and/or bylaws
    • The date that the constitution and bylaws were adopted or revised.

Please submit to: postmaster@lilnet.org.

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Redeemer Lutheran Church, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (LCMS)
Constitution, Art. 5, Membership, B

8. Communicant members may not belong to any secret, oath-bound organizations which are in conflict with the Word of God (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

Feb. 13, 2010

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Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Muncie, Indiana (LCMS)
Constitution, Art. 4, Communicant Membership

4.2.1e Are not members of a secret or other organization conflicting with the Word of God (II Corinthians 6:14-18; Romans 16:17- 18; Titus 3:10-11).

Feb. 8, 2013

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Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Rathdrum, Idaho (LCMS)
Bylaws, Art. 1, Membership

Those who are not members of organizations whose principles and conduct conflict with the Word of God and the conduct of a Christian. ([2] Corinthians 6:14-18) (Matt 28:19) and (John 5:23).

Ammended Sept. 15, 1996

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Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Commerce City, Colorado (LCMS)
Constitution, Art. 4, B, Communicant Membership

9. Who are not members, affiliates, or supporters of secret societies or other organizations conflicting with the Word of God.

Nov. 8, 2009

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St. John’s Lutheran Church, Burt, Iowa (LCMS)
Preamble, Art. 4, Membership

4.1.2 Communicant members are those baptized members who have been confirmed in the Lutheran faith, accept the confessional standard of Section 3.0 of this constitution, are familiar at least with the contents of Luther’s Small Catechism, and are not members of organizations whose principles and conduct conflict with the Word of God [Emphasis added].

July 18, 2011

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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Champaign, Illinois (ELCA)
Preamble, Chapter 8, Membership

No restrictions regarding Lodge membership are mentioned.

May, 2018

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Divine Word Evangelical Lutheran Church, Plover, Wisconsin (WELS)
Constitution, Art. 5, Section 2, Privileges and Responsibilities, D.

3) Refuse to hold membership in any organization whose teachings and practices conflict with the Word of God (e.g. lodges) (John 5:23; 8:31,32; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

January, 2018

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St. Paul’s, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin (LCMS)
Bylaws, Art. 1, Membership, Section 2. Privileges and Duties of Membership

11. Have no membership in any organization, as described by The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, which has an unchristian or antichristian ritual, such as a religious lodge. (Compare Eph. 5:11-12; II Cor. 6:14-18; and Matt. 5:34-37.)

Feb. 1, 2016