The Legacy of WordAlone
Scripture Text: John 17:17
Many Lutherans are familiar with the Reformation slogan “The Word Alone” – which comes from the Latin Sola Verba or more commonly, Sola Scriptura. This slogan recognizes that the Church is founded in God’s Word and draws its authority from the Holy Scriptures and the proclamation of the living gospel of Jesus Christ. Some Lutherans, especially those who are a part of the NALC and LCMC, may also associate the name “WordAlone” with an organization and group of people that over the years has been committed to biblical and theological integrity in the larger Church.
In the last decade of the 20th Century, the “WordAlone Network” came together and organized to preserve and maintain the Lutheran Confessional understanding of the one office of Word and Sacrament ministry. This ministry is not simply a position, rank, or occupation among God’s people, but a function and calling to serve as means through which God delivers the saving gospel to the world (Augsburg Confession, Article V).
Serving this same mission, as the organization moved into the 21st Century, the renamed “WordAlone Ministries” began to develop specific ministries in service to the larger Church by providing such things as seminary training, worship resources, and educational materials. This is where ministries like the Institute of Lutheran Theology (ILT), ReClaim Resources, Connections Magazine, and Sola Publishing originally got their start. Over the years, more organizations and ministries have come together under the WordAlone banner, while others have gone on to become independent organizations. Lutheran Core, Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, and the North American Lutheran Church all have roots in the WordAlone movement. To this day, WordAlone Ministries remains the official 501(c)3 “parent organization” of Sola Publishing, alongside many others with whom we share a partnership in faith. A list of these can be found on our website at: www.wordalone.com.
With the coming of 2026, WordAlone Ministries continues its legacy through a renewed online presence, which includes not only an archive of its previous work, but a new active blogsite for articles on biblical and theological topics. WordAlone has reinstituted its Theological Advisory Board, made up of people from our shared constituency who function as a theological resource for the larger Church. Our hope is to keep the church’s ministry centered in God’s Word alone, so that together we can serve our Lord Jesus Christ and the community of God’s people in faith.
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Author
Rev. Dr. Steve King is managing editor and CEO of Sola Publishing. He is a preacher, teacher, and evangelist, certified as a member of the ordained clergy in LCMC and NALC.
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