The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer was founded in 1903 as the second Lutheran church in Atlanta, but as the first English-speaking congregation. The first church building was erected in 1905 near the Georgia State Capitol. In l937, the congregation moved to its second church home at Fourth and Peachtree Streets, on the site of the present education wing.

The third, and present church was completed in 1952 and has been incorporated into the expanded education and administrative facility and Atrium, which were dedicated in April 1996. Redeemer celebrated its centennial Anniversary in 2003. Redeemer began its ministry with 39 charter members. Today, more than 2,600 worship regularly at the largest Cathedral-style Lutheran church in the Southeast.

Martin Luther (b. November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Germany, d. February 18, 1546 in Eisleben) is known as the Father of Protestantism. He had been a lawyer before becoming an Augustinian monk in 1505, and was ordained a priest in 1507. While continuing his studies in pursuit of a Doctor of Theology degree, he discovered significant differences between what he read in the Bible and the theology and practices of the church. On October 31, 1517, he posted a challenge on the church door at Wittenberg University to debate 95 theological issues. Luther's hope was that the church would reform its practice and preaching to be more consistent with the Word of God as contained in the Bible.

What started as an academic debate escalated to a religious war, fueled by fiery temperaments and violent language on both sides. As a result, there was not a reformation of the church but a separation. "Lutheran" was a name applied to Luther and his followers as an insult but adopted as a badge of honor by them instead.

Lutherans still celebrate the Reformation on October 31 and still hold to the basic principles of theology and practice espoused by Luther, such as Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura:

• We are saved by the grace of God alone -- not by anything we do;
• Our salvation is through faith alone -- we only need to believe that our sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, who died to redeem us;
• The Bible is the only norm of doctrine and life -- the only true standard by which teachings and doctrines are to be judged.
• Scriptures and worship need to be done in the language of the people.

Many Lutherans still consider themselves as a reforming movement within the Church catholic, rather than a separatist movement, and Lutherans have engaged in ecumenical dialogue with other church bodies for decades.

Luther's Small Catechism is still used to introduce people to the Lutheran faith, as is the Augsburg Confession. These and other Lutheran confessional documents included in the Book of Concord may be ordered from Augsburg Fortress, the Publishing House of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.