A unique phenomenon in American churches is the inclusion of the American flag in the chancel. We have had patrons ask us about its historical underpinnings, so we set about to answer the question: What is the history of displaying the US flag in Missouri Synod churches?

After researching the topic, we felt a Historical Footnotes article would be appropriate to share this research with our membership. Since some time has gone by since this article on the US flag in Missouri Synod churches appeared, we feel it should be shared with a wider audience.  Click the image of either the article or the bibliography to view the full document. The bibliography provides more citations than what is in the article to assist you in further research.

The Reference and Research department of CHI has much more in its FAQ file on this and related issues, such as the LWML and flags, Service flags, Studies on Flags in Lutheran Churches, Lutheran Witness articles, and Primary sources. If you wish to know more, contact us!