Our Congregation
About Immanuel
A congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, gathered around Word and Sacrament in Sierra Vista, Arizona.
Our Confession
Authentic Biblical Christianity
Immanuel confesses the Christian faith revealed in Holy Scripture and summarized in the historic Christian creeds. We stand with the Apostles, the Fathers, and the Reformers in confessing Jesus Christ crucified and risen for the forgiveness of sins.
As a congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, we subscribe to the Book of Concord as a true exposition of the Word of God.
Our Mission
To Know Christ and Make Him Known
"Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent."- John 17:3
What We Value
Core Values
Reverent Worship
Divine service that honors God and delivers His gifts.
Faithful Preaching
Rightly dividing Law and Gospel from Holy Scripture.
Sacramental Life
Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper administered according to Christ's institution.
Confessional Identity
Grounded in the Book of Concord and the historic Christian creeds.
Word and Sacrament
Where Christ Serves Us
In the Divine Service, Christ Himself serves us through His Word read and preached, through the water of Holy Baptism, and through His body and blood given and shed for us in the Lord's Supper. This is where the Christian life is nourished.
In the Words of Luther
"That I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness."- Martin Luther, Small Catechism
Our Pastor
Rev. Gary M. Brown
Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church
Pastor Brown was raised in Orange County, California. Having been born in Syracuse, NY in 1965, his family moved to Southern California in 1970. He graduated from Saddleback Community College with an AA degree in 1987, and Concordia University, Irvine in 1990 with a BA in Theology and History. Finally, he graduated from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis in 1994 with an M-Div.
His first call was to Resurrection Lutheran Church in Franklin, NC, where he met his wife Kim Nicholas and her son Joseph. Pastor Brown and Kim were married on June 9, 2001. Pastor Brown received and accepted the call to Immanuel Lutheran Church in Sierra Vista, AZ in May of 2013.
Currently Pastor Brown and Kim have a beautiful daughter-in-law and six wonderful grandchildren, living in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. He looks with joy to future years of serving these wonderful Christian saints at Immanuel Lutheran Church.
Solas of the Reformation
Scripture Alone · Grace Alone · Faith Alone
These three confessions summarize the heart of the Christian faith: God has spoken in His Word (Scripture Alone), He has saved us by His undeserved favor (Grace Alone), and we receive His salvation by trusting His promises in Christ (Faith Alone).
Doctrine
What We Believe, Teach, and Confess
Historic Creeds
The Three Ecumenical Creeds
Confessed by the whole Christian Church through the centuries.
Governance
Constitution & Bylaws
Immanuel is governed by its Constitution and Bylaws, adopted by the Voters' Assembly.
Proposed amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws are currently before the congregation for a vote at the upcoming Voters' Assembly. You can review each proposed change, the current wording, and its effect below.