Our Savior's Lutheran Church (ELS — Belview) — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Michael Lilienthal

Founded Established Belview ELS congregation; yoked with Rock Dell ELS

Denomination ELS

Service Times See ELS livestream directory

Men's Ministry No

Kids Ministry No

Website www.belviewlutherans.org

Pastor Credentials ELS pastor; installed at Belview parish March 10, 2024; previously served Albert Lea MN (2018-)

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

Confessional Lutheran Christology — Norwegian Synod heritage.

Strong

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

Verbal plenary inspiration per ELS confession.

Strong

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

Verify men's ministry.

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Justification by grace through faith.

Strong

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

Male-only pastoral office.

Male-only pastoral ministry per ELS confessional position; ELS more rigorous than WELS on church-fellowship principles.

Strong

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Pastor + congregational council; yoked dual-parish with Rock Dell ELS.

Strong

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Lectionary-based expository preaching; pastor is BibleHebrew/Greek-trained, ELS Historical Society playwright (Bjug Harstad / Norwegian Synod 1917).

Strong

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Small rural parish — verify local outreach posture.

Caution

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

Verify cultural posture — unvisited.

Caution

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

ELS more rigorous than WELS on church-fellowship principles; deeply rooted in Norwegian Synod 1917 reorganization heritage.

Strong

Assessment

Belview ELS — small rural MN ELS parish (yoked with Rock Dell) under scholar-pastor Lilienthal who is also an ELS Historical Society playwright.

#els#lutheran#confessional#belview#minnesota#norwegian-synod-heritage#rural#yoked-parish

MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Researched church website

Sources & Evidence

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Live source belviewlutherans.org
[2] Live source belviewlutherans.org/our-pastor
[3] Live source els.org/april-2024-newsletter/

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.