About Us

University Lutheran Church (UniLu) is a campus ministry congregation serving the students, faculty, staff, and neighbors of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

We are a member congregation of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and are financially supported by the LCMS Central Illinois District and the gifts of attendees and other supporters. We are a liturgical congregation making use of Lutheran Service Book.

What We Believe

The canonical books of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God and the only infallible rule of faith and practice.

The three Ecumenical Creeds, namely, the Apostles’, the Nicene, and the Athanasian Creeds, are faithful testimonies to the truth of the Holy Scriptures.

The Unaltered Augsburg Confession is a true exposition of the Holy Scripture and a correct exhibition of the doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Small and Large Catechisms of Martin Luther, the Smalcald Articles, the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope, and the Formula of Concord — as contained in the Book of Concord (1580) — are also in agreement with this one Scriptural faith.

We believe, teach, and confess:

  • There is only one true God: the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) as confessed in the three Ecumenical Creeds of historic Christianity. God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things.
  • The Bible (the Holy Scriptures) is the inspired and inerrant Word of God and the final judge of all doctrine and practice in the Church as well as in the lives of Christians. God’s Word is Truth.
  • All people are born in bondage to sin, death, and the devil and are unable to save themselves or make themselves right with God by their own powers.
  • Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is our Lord and Savior from sin, death, and hell. He is both true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and true man, born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a perfect and holy life for us. He shed His blood for us on the cross to atone for our sins. He rose from the dead on the third day, thus declaring His victory over Satan and the grave for us.
  • The Holy Spirit calls us to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ by the Word of God. The Holy Spirit delivers Christ’s forgiveness, life, and salvation to us — fully and freely as God’s undeserved gift of love — through the preaching of the Word, Baptism, Absolution, and the Lord’s Supper.
  • Baptism is the Word of God joined to water at Christ’s institution and command, by which a sinner is born again into the kingdom of God, receives the forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit, is clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and is made an heir of heaven.
  • The Lord’s Supper is the Word of God combined with bread and wine, according to the command and institution of Jesus Christ. It is the true Body and Blood of the same resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, distributed in the assembly of Christians for us to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of sins.
  • Christ works in us through His Word and Spirit, so that we trust in God and live in sacrificial love toward others in the vocations to which He has called us.
  • All human life has inherent sanctity and dignity, from conception until death.
  • Marriage is a life-long union of one man and one woman, according to the natural order built into creation.
  • Human sexuality within marriage is an expression of love between a man and a woman, as well as the Divinely-instituted means for the procreation of children.
  • Christ will come again on the Last Day to judge the living and the dead and to give eternal life to all who believe in Him.

Our Pastor

We are served by Pastor Michael Schuermann. He has been our Pastor since the beginning of 2020. He also currently serves on the LCMS Board for National Mission. He previously served Lutheran congregations in Sherman, IL and Dallas, TX. He is married to Katie and they rejoice in serving the dear saints at University Lutheran.

Pastor loves music (especially the music of J. S. Bach and Johannes Brahms), reading, the outdoors, and birds. Pastor strongly dislikes squirrels.

Our History

Coming soon!