Bible Translators
44-483: Theologians The Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference ( CELC ) is an international fellowship of 34 Confessional Lutheran church bodies. The CELC was founded in 1993 in Oberwesel, Germany with an initial thirteen church bodies. Plenary sessions are held every three years. To date there have been ten plenary meetings (1993, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2021), with regional meetings held in
88-514: A confessional Lutheran counter-reaction called Neo-Lutheranism . Upon Frederick William's death in 1840, persecution of the Old Lutherans eased substantially. However, Old Lutherans continued to find themselves marginalized, especially the clergy who did not have many of the same rights and support accorded to clergy of the Union church. Old Lutherans formed several synods (e.g. in 1841
132-1012: A " quatenus " ( Latin for "insofar as") subscription to the Book of Concord, which contains the Apostles' Creed , Nicene Creed , Athanasian Creed , Luther's Small Catechism , Luther's Large Catechism , the Augsburg Confession , the Apology of the Augsburg Confession , the Smalcald Articles , the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope , and the Formula of Concord . Quia subscription (the Book of Concord
176-577: A common agenda was formed. After more than 20 years of effort, a common liturgical agenda was finally published in 1821. The agenda was not well received by many Lutherans, as it was seen to compromise in the wording of the Words of Institution , to the point where the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist was not proclaimed. The Protestant congregations were directed in 1822 to use only
220-687: A group from Prussia of about 1000 Old Lutherans. They were from Erfurt , Magdeburg and the surrounding area, led by J. A. A. Grabau . They emigrated to the United States in summer 1839. Grabau and his friends founded the "Synod of Lutherans immigrated from Prussia", afterward known as the Buffalo Synod . Thousands of other Old Lutherans settled in the Midwest and Upper Midwest of the United States during this period. In addition to Old Lutherans there were also Neo-Lutheran immigrants from
264-708: A man through successive generations. It is a title like King of England. Old Lutherans Bible Translators Theologians Old Lutherans were German Lutherans in the Kingdom of Prussia , especially in the Province of Silesia , who refused to join the Prussian Union of churches in the 1830s and 1840s. Prussia's king, Frederick William III , was determined to unify the Protestant churches, homogenize their liturgy, organization, and architecture. In
308-469: A number of Lutheran pastors and congregations continued to use the old liturgical agenda and sacramental rites of the Lutheran church. Becoming aware of this defiance, officials sought out those who acted against the decree. Pastors who were caught were suspended from their ministry. If suspended pastors were caught acting in a pastoral role, they were imprisoned. Among the leaders of the Old Lutherans
352-645: A second wave of Prussian immigrants arrived, led by Pastor Gotthard Fritzsche . His group settled in Lobethal and Bethanien . The Lutherans in South Australia established the Killalpaninna Mission (Bethesda) Station at Cooper's Creek . Johann Flierl , the pioneer missionary of German New Guinea , served there for seven years (1878–1885). When he left for Kaiser-Wilhelmsland in 1885, his cousin, also named Johann Flierl, replaced him at
396-602: A series of proclamations over several years the Church of the Prussian Union was formed, bringing together a group that was majority Lutheran and minority Reformed. As a result, the government of Prussia had full control over church affairs, with the king recognized as the leading bishop. Attempted suppression of the Old Lutherans led many to emigrate to Australia , Canada , and the United States , resulting in
440-551: Is a name used by Lutherans to designate those who believe in the doctrines taught in the Book of Concord of 1580 (the Lutheran confessional documents) in their entirety. Confessional Lutherans maintain that faithfulness to the Book of Concord, which is a summary of the teachings found in Scripture, requires attention to how that faith is actually being preached, taught, and put into practice. Confessional Lutherans believe that this
484-761: Is a vital part of their identity as Lutherans. The term Confessional Lutheran is generally used among the more conservative churches found in groupings such as the International Lutheran Council (ILC), the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC), and the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum . Churches of the larger Lutheran World Federation subscribe to the Book of Concord as an exposition of faith in so far as ( quatenus ) it agrees with their interpretation of
SECTION 10
#1732771845884528-580: Is adhered to because it is faithful to the Scriptures ) implies that the subscriber believes that there is no contradiction between the Book of Concord and the Scriptures . Quatenus subscription (the Book of Concord is adhered to insofar as it is faithful to the Scriptures) implies that the subscriber leaves room for the possibility that there might be a contradiction of the Scriptures in
572-575: Is still the location of the St Martin's Lutheran Church. In the 1870s other Lutheran migrants arrived in New Zealand including large numbers from Scandinavia who settled in the Wairarapa, Manawatu and Hawkes Bay regions. Norsewood and Dannevirke owe their origins to these settlers. Numerous waves of Old Lutherans immigrated to the United States as well during this time period. Among them was
616-423: The Book of Concord in which case the subscriber may hold to the Scriptures against the Book of Concord . Some Confessional Lutherans maintain that this distinguishes them from other ("mainline") Lutheran bodies and Lutherans, who, they believe, hold to a quatenus subscription. C. F. W. Walther explained the meaning of confessional subscription: An unconditional subscription is the solemn declaration which
660-893: The Concordia Lutheran Conference , the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America , member congregations of the Protes'tant Conference , and member congregations of the Orthodox Lutheran Confessional Conference of Independent Congregations, the United Lutheran Mission Association, and the Evangelical Lutheran Conference & Ministerium of North America (all of North America). In
704-924: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya . Contemporary Lutheran church bodies that identify themselves as confessional tend to be either members of the International Lutheran Council, the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum, or certain other independent Lutheran bodies. Among the members of the ILC are the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod ,
748-806: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Prussia , seated in Breslau, officially recognised on 23 July 1845), which through various mergers eventually resulted in the present-day Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church (SELK). By 1835 many dissenting Old Lutheran groups were looking to emigration as a means to finding religious freedom. Some groups emigrated to Australia and the United States in the years leading up to 1841. The first Lutherans to come to Australia in any significant number were immigrants from Prussia , who arrived in South Australia in 1838 with Pastor August Kavel . These immigrants created three settlements at Klemzig , Hahndorf , and Glen Osmond . In 1841,
792-667: The Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland , Mission Province of the Church of Sweden , and the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Norway entered into schism with their national churches due to "the secularization of the national/state churches in their respective countries involving matters of both Christian doctrine and ethics"; these are members of the International Lutheran Council with their bishops having secured their lines of apostolic succession from other traditional Lutheran Churches, such as
836-987: The Lutheran Church–Canada , the Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Germany, the Lutheran Church of Australia , and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil . Among the CELC are the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod . Other confessional Lutherans include the Church of the Lutheran Confession , the American Association of Lutheran Churches ,
880-496: The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). On April 27–29, 1993, the CELC was formed in Oberwesel, Germany with Lutheran church bodies from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. Today, the CELC consists of thirty-four Lutheran church bodies worldwide. Member church bodies confess "the canonical books of the Old and New Testament as the verbally inspired and inerrant Word of God and submit to this Word of God as
924-815: The Bible. Two main confessional movements arose during the 19th century: the Old Lutherans and the Neo-Lutherans . The Old Lutherans originated from the Schism of the Old Lutherans , while Neo-Lutheranism arose in Germany in the 1830s from the Pietist driven Erweckung ("Awakening"). Neo-Lutheranism itself contained differing camps . It gave rise later to those calling themselves confessional Lutherans. Neo-Lutheranism developed in reaction to Pietism on
SECTION 20
#1732771845884968-516: The Bible. The second is that he teaches that salvation is not by faith alone but by faith and works. The present pope upholds and practices these principles. This marks his rule as antichristian rule in the church. All popes hold the same office over the church and promote the same antichristian belief so they all are part of the reign of the Antichrist. The Bible does not present the Antichrist as one man for one short time, but as an office held by
1012-571: The Book of Concord, while others do so unofficially in matters of doctrine and practice. All internally trained AFLC pastors are taught a quia subscription of the Book of Concord, leaving the denomination as a whole "unofficially" confessional in matters of preaching and teaching. Though there are some congregations in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America which would call themselves "confessional", many of those congregations have decided to leave
1056-486: The CELC. Member church bodies sorted by country/region in alphabetical order: The CELC holds a triennial convention in various countries around the world. The CELC conducts official business at these conventions. Representatives from all CELC member synods attend these conventions. The conventions center around a main doctrinal theme and include worship and Scripture-based essays. Confessional Lutheran Bible Translators Theologians Confessional Lutheranism
1100-678: The Christian faith. Additionally, the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil uses the title "confessional" on its name, but it instead has a " Quatenus " subscription to the Book of Concord and it is a member of the Lutheran World Federation . Lutheran church bodies and Lutheran individuals that identify themselves as confessional generally hold to a " quia " ( Latin for "because") rather than
1144-540: The ELCA due to the liberal leanings of the denomination, most notably their stances expressed in the 2009 ELCA convention. The ELCA as a whole does not use the title "confessional" to describe itself, but it and the other member churches of the Lutheran World Federation do ascribe to the unaltered Augsburg Confession and the other confessional documents in the Book of Concord as true interpretations of
1188-796: The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and the Church of the Lutheran Confession officially maintain that the Early apostolic Church had been led into the Great Apostasy by the Roman Catholic Church and that the Pope is the Antichrist ; the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod affirms that "Antichrist" refers to the office, and not to
1232-974: The Nordic countries, members of the Communion of Nordic Lutheran Dioceses are a part of the International Lutheran Council: these include the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, the Mission Province of the Church of Sweden, and the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Norway. These dioceses entered into schism with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, Church of Sweden, and Church of Norway, respectively, due to "the secularization of
1276-1059: The Old Lutheran free church leader Friedrich August Brünn , both sending missionaries to newly arrived German immigrants in the Midwest , and with the immigration of groups including the Saxons who settled in Missouri under Martin Stephan and C. F. W. Walther, the Germans who settled in Indiana under F. C .D. Wyneken, and the Prussians under J. A. A. Grabau in Western New York and southeastern Wisconsin (the Buffalo Synod ). In Scandinavia, where High Church Lutheranism and Pietist Lutheranism has been highly influential,
1320-422: The creation of significant Lutheran denominations in those countries. The legacy of Old Lutherans also survives in the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in modern Germany. In 1799 King Frederick William III of Prussia issued a decree for a new common liturgical Agenda (service book) to be published, for use in both the Lutheran and Reformed congregations. To accomplish this, a commission to prepare
1364-464: The decree created a great deal of dissent among Lutheran congregations. In a compromise with dissenters, who had now earned the name "Old Lutherans", in 1834 Frederick William issued a decree which stated that Union would only be in the areas of governance and liturgy, but the respective congregations could retain their confessional identities. In addition to this, dissenters were forbidden from organizing sectarian groups. In defiance of this decree,
Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference - Misplaced Pages Continue
1408-515: The diocese. The Concordia Lutheran Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sweden are other bodies that identify as Confessional Lutherans in the region of Scandinavia. Additionally, the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations (AFLC) describes themselves as confessional. The autonomous congregations within the AFLC are only required to officially subscribe to the unaltered Augsburg Confession and Luther's Small Catechism, but many member congregations officially subscribe to more, or all, of
1452-458: The individual who wants to serve the church makes under oath (1) that he accepts the doctrinal content of our Lutheran Confessions, because he recognizes the fact that they are in full agreement with Scripture and do not militate against Scripture in any point, whether the point be of major or minor importance; and (2) that he therefore heartily believes in this divine truth and is determined to preach this doctrine. Confessional Lutherans, including
1496-431: The intervening years. The CELC rejects the 1999 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification signed between the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church . After the decline and dissolution of the Synodical Conference in the 1950s and 1960s, there was renewed interest for fellowship with other Lutheran church bodies. The Rev. Edgar Hoenecke called for a worldwide fellowship of Lutheran church bodies in
1540-441: The late 1960s. Over the years, many people advocated for an international Lutheran organization and did much to help bring it about. However, three people are noted as having some of the biggest influence in helping to bring about a new international Lutheran organization: Pres. Gerhard Wilde of the Evangelisch-Lutherische Freikirche (ELFK), Pres. George Orvick of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), and Prof. Wilbert Gawrisch of
1584-568: The mission. There have been five waves of migration into the Lutheran Church in New Zealand: In January 1843, just three years after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi , the first Lutheran missionaries arrived in Otago . They found that the Wesleyan and Anglican Mission Societies were already well established in New Zealand. They therefore took up the suggestion that they move to the Chatham Islands where they arrived on 20 February of that year. As someone said, they had "...faith in their souls and next to nothing in their pockets." In June of
1628-443: The national/state churches in their respective countries involving matters of both Christian doctrine and ethics". Apostolic succession of the Mission Province is derived from Walter Obare Omwanza , the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya , who, assisted by bishops Leonid Zviki from Belarus, David Tswaedi from South Africa , and Børre Knudsen and Ulf Asp from Norway, consecrated Arne Olsson as bishop of
1672-449: The newly formulated agenda for worship. This met with strong objections and non-compliance from Lutheran pastors around Prussia. The liturgical agenda was subsequently modified to appease many of the objections of the dissenting Lutherans, and in 1830 Frederick William ordered all Protestant congregations in Prussia to celebrate the Lord's Supper using the new agenda. Rather than having the unifying effect that Frederick William desired,
1716-405: The one side and Rationalism on the other, both of which had arisen in the previous century. German clergymen such as Martin Stephan , C. F. W. Walther , F. C. D. Wyneken , and Wilhelm Loehe became a part of the movement as they studied the works of Martin Luther and the Book of Concord . The Old Lutheran and Neo-Lutheran movements spread to the United States with the Neo-Lutheran Loehe and
1760-425: The only infallible rule and authority in all matters of doctrine, faith, and life." They also accept "the Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church contained in the Book of Concord of 1580, not in so far as, but because they are a correct exposition of the pure doctrine of the Word of God." Members cannot be in fellowship with church bodies whose doctrine or practice deviate from the confessional standard of
1804-492: The person, while the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod states that the reference is to the office, but not to the exclusion of the current office holder: There are two principles that mark the papacy as the Antichrist. One is that the pope takes to himself the right to rule the church that belongs only to Christ . He can make laws forbidding the marriage of priests, eating or not eating meat on Friday, birth control, divorce and remarriage, even where there are not such laws in
Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference - Misplaced Pages Continue
1848-423: The same year, 1843, a shipload of German migrants arrived in Nelson. They settled in what is now Upper Moutere and built a church. There is still a thriving Lutheran congregation worshipping on this site. In the 1860s a number of German people arrived in the Rangitikei . They convinced others from German speaking communities in South Australia to join them. Most initially settled along Pukepapa Road in Marton, which
1892-493: Was Johann Gottfried Scheibel (1783–1843). Scheibel was a professor of theology in Breslau from 1818 until 1830 when he was suspended from his post for his dissenting views. Scheibel came to prominence as a leader of the Old Lutherans in the dissent against the Prussian Union. He spoke, preached and wrote against the Union, which consequently resulted in suspension from his post as theological professor. Undaunted, Scheibel continued in his dissent as he moved to new cities. He
1936-482: Was at Dresden in 1832 where he was ordered to leave that same year. He moved to Hermsdorf , where likewise he was asked to leave in 1836, then on to Glauchau and Nuremberg . He died at Nuremberg about the time that he was being restored to his post as professor at Breslau. After Scheibel, Eduard Huschke became the leader of Old Lutherans. Other famous Old Lutherans included Henrik Steffens , H. E. F. Guericke , Kahnis and Rudolf Rocholl . Union also caused
#883116