Lutherans are Christians whose faith is grounded in the teachings of Jesus. The Lutheran Church is the oldest (and, worldwide, the largest) of the churches of the Reformation. Lutherans in America come in several denominations, all of which trace their theology back to Martin Luther. Visit the ELCA's website for more information about the ELCA. Other Lutheran bodies include the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), and several smaller bodies. Most Lutherans in the United States are members of these major church bodies, although many smaller groups exist. Many smaller Lutheran bodies began as communities of Lutheran Christians from various countries in Europe. Over time, many mergers and new organizations created the Lutheran bodies of today. The ELCA was created (in 1988) from the ALC (the American Lutheran Church), the AELC (American Evangelical Lutheran Church) and the LCA (Lutheran Church in America)--the LCA and ALC were created by mergers of smaller groups of Lutherans in earlier times.