The Lutheran Church is evangelical, but not Protestant. It is catholic, but not Roman. It is orthodox, but not Eastern. It isn't nondenominational, and neither is it merely a denomination - it is pre-denominational.

It has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the witness of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost some 2000 years ago.*

Evangelical but not Protestant

   An evangelical is one who preaches the Gospel. Thus Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are called the four evangelists. An evangelical is not one who preaches about faith, but rather one who preaches Christ crucified for the sins of the world, pointing to Jesus as our savior and mediator, and not to our own hearts or faith. True evangelicals preach Christ and thus create faith through the Word (Ro. 10). Thus, John the Baptist is a true evangelical, pointing sinners to Christ, Whereas Billy Graham is not a true evangelical because he preaches that the sinner saves himself by choosing to let Jesus become Lord of his life. Jesus is Lord because the Father says, not because we decided He is. After all, one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, irrespective of whether they want Him to be or choose Him.

   Therefore, the Lutheran Church is evangelical: preaching, teaching, and confessing the tradition and teaching of the holy apostles, prophets, and evangelists.

   Furthermore, Protestants are those who reject that the Sacraments are more than visible signs or outward expressions of an inward faith. The sacraments are these, but they are much more. They are the very Word of God that creates and strengthens faith in the Son of God. Thus, Baptism is not just plain water, but the water included in God's command and combined with God's Word. It is the Word of God that makes Baptism true Baptism, and not the mode of applying the water or the individual's desire or faith. Scripture teaches (Acts 2) that the promise of the Holy Spirit is attached to Baptism, and St. Peter (1 Peter) writes that Baptism saves us by the power of the resurrection of Jesus, cleansing our conscience before God.

   Contrary to the clear words of Jesus, Protestants also deny that the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper are actually the body and blood of Christ. Our Lord says of the bread, "This is my body," and of the cup, "This is my blood." Moreover, St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 10, writes, "The bread that we bless is it not a participation in the body of Christ? And the cup that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?" Protestestants retort, "Yes, but Jesus also said He is the vine (or door), but we don't say He is a vine (or door)."  But they mis the direction of Jesus.  If Jesus had picked up a vine (or pointed to a door) and said, "I am this vine," then the vine would have been Him, for the Word of God is not ineffective to do as it says. But He didn't pick up a vine and say, "I am this vine." He said, "I am the vine."

   But He did pick up the bread and the cup and say, "This is my body..this is my blood."

   Thus the Lutheran Church is not Protestant. We confess that the sacraments (including preaching, holy absolution, and ordination) do what they say they do: the give the will of God to sinners, forgiving sins and creating faith. There are other things concerning the Church that separate the Protestants from the Lutherans, but let these suffice for now.

Catholic but not Roman

   Lutherans are not Roman. Lutherans deny the infallible authority of the pope, the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, and many other doctrines of the Roman Church such as Purgatory, the Cult of the Saints, and that the Blessed Virgin is the co-redemptress with her Son, Jesus. Therefore, Lutherans are not Roman.

   But the most glaring difference is the Mass.  Rome teaches that the priest  sacrifices Christ, that is, offers Him up to the Father to expiate the sins of the people.  They call this the "bloodless sacrifice". For Rome, we (or rather, the priests) are the actors, God is the reciever.  Lutherans believe, teach, and confess according to the Scriptures that it is the Father who gives His Son to us in the Mass, thereby giving us the one thing needful: Jesus.  It is true that we pray to the Father that He see not our sins, but that He look on the Sacrifice of His Son, but that sacrifice was on Calvary once for all.  We do not repeat the sacrifice every time we celebrate the Mass.  We celebrate the sacrifice, give thanks for it to our Lord and God, by receiving the benefits of the sacrifice, eternal life and salvation in the living body and blood of Jesus.

     Therefore, Lutherans are catholic, holding to the one, holy and apostolic faith and doctrine that is confessed in the ancient symbols (creeds) of the Church (the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian), but we are not Roman Catholics. (By the by, the word "catholic" means universal or everywhere. It is not a synonym for the Roman Church.)

*This statement is an adaption from the same statement found at http://aggreen.net/orth_links/orthlink.html concerning the Orthodox Church.

Orthodox but not Eastern

   The Lutheran Church is orthodox but not Eastern. The word "orthodox" means right glory" or "right teaching".

   We differ from the Eastern Orthodox Church in that we confess the Filioque in the Nicene Creed because it is true. What Jesus does in time (give the Holy Spirit, cf. John 20:21), is part of who He is from eternity. The Spirit does proceed from the Son, even if not as He does from the Father. After all, the Church catholic also confesses that Jesus is begotten of the Father but conceived by the Spirit. These are not contradictory statements, but confess the unity of the Trinity even as it confesses the particularity of the Persons.

   We differ in other aspects as well, such as in the doctrine of Original Sin. The East teaches that we are born in a sinful and fallen world, but that we do not inherit sin or the guilt of sin from Adam. To the contrary, the psalmist writes, "In sin my mother conceived me and I was brought forth in iniquity." Also, St. Paul writes that in Adam "all sinned" (Ro. 5:12). Moreover, we are born without true fear, knowledge, or trust in God, which is sin and unbelief. Therefore, we are born sinful and unclean and not merely born in a sinful and unclean world.

   In addition, denying that we are born sinful and unclean obscures the majesty of Christ who came not to merely to rescue man from a sinful world, but to save us from our sins. Much more could be said on this, and is fleshed out more fully in the Book of Concord.

Pre-Denominational 

   The Lutheran Church is not just another denomination among many. The Lutheran Church is pre-denominational.  This might seem to be a confusing statement, considering that the Lutheran Church is so named because of Martin Luther of the 16th century, but it is based on history and theology.

   First let it be said that those who followed Luther did not follow the man, but the Gospel he preached. He did so in contradistinction to the pope of the 16th century and the preaching on indulgences (a teaching still taught by the Roman Church). So, to set Luther apart from Rome, it was the pope's church that called those who preached like Martin Luther "Lutheran". Dr. Luther's advice for those who were freed from papal rule was to call themselves "evangelical". The Lutheran Church is therefore so named by her antagonists, and not by her own choosing.

   Because the Lutheran Church confesses the ancient Creeds and adheres to the ancient canons (in so far as they do not contradict or deny the Scriptures), she predates the time of the denominations and is tied to and born of the ancient, apostolic Church. (Moreover, Denominations are a phenomenon of the Protestants only, and since the Lutheran Church is not part of the Protestants, she is not a Protestant Denomination.)

Conclusion

   Since the Lutheran Church confesses the ancient symbols and adheres to the doctrine of the apostles, using the Scriptures alone as the source and norm for all doctrine and teaching, and since she predates both the Roman Catholic Church (formed in the 17th century by the Council of Trent) and the Protestants, and because she adheres to the ancient worship and canons of the Seven Ecumenical Councils, (though not always called Lutheran) she has believed, taught, preserved, defended and died for the witness of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost some 2000 years ago.

   We understand that names change. The church of the apostles was first called "The Way," being named Christian a couple of decades into it. The name "Lutheran" may certainly fall away, and insofar as it may divide the Church, it should go away. But until such a time that the Church can begin to have open, ecumenical dialogue, especially among the many Protestant churches, we proudly and confessionally bear the name, Lutheran.