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122-532: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ( ELCA ) is a mainline Protestant church headquartered in Chicago , Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. As of December 31, 2023, it has approximately 2.79 million baptized members in 8,498 congregations. In 2015, Pew Research estimated that 1.4 percent of the U.S. population self-identifies with

244-459: A schism precipitated by disputes over biblical inerrancy and ecumenism . These were part of the overall fundamentalist–modernist controversy that had been roiling American Protestant churches for several decades. In 1969 the LCMS had elected more conservative leadership under President J. A. O. Preus II , replacing moderate incumbent Oliver Harms . The new leadership opened an investigation at

366-797: A Lutheran church body, the ELCA professes belief in the " priesthood of all believers " as reflected in Martin Luther's To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation , that all baptized persons have equal access to God and are all called to use their gifts to serve the body of Christ. Some people are called to "rostered ministry", or vocations of church leadership and service. After formation, theological training, and approval by local synods these people are "set aside, but not above" through ordination. An extensive "Study of Ministry"

488-939: A Lutheran minister in the United States, the Rev. Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo, was ordained by the ALC in July 1987. On January 1, 1988, The American Lutheran Church ceased to exist when it, along with the Lutheran Church in America and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches , joined to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with its new headquarters in the Lutheran Center on West Higgins Road in suburban Chicago, Illinois . At

610-809: A bar for candidacy in the professional ministry, joined most of its Lutheran sister churches in Europe, including in Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Austria. The ELCA is also among a growing number of Christian churches in the United States to make this move, which include the United Church of Christ , the Episcopal Church , the Presbyterian Church (USA) , and the United Methodist Church . In contrast,

732-531: A century. The Second Great Awakening was a catalyst for the reform of society. Efforts to improve the rights of women, reforming prisons, establishing free public schools, prohibiting alcohol, and (in the North) abolishing slavery were promoted by mainline churches. After the Civil War , however, tensions between evangelicals and non-evangelicals would re-emerge. As the practice of historical criticism spread to

854-722: A former townhouse mansion on Madison Avenue in New York City . Its publishing house, Fortress Press , was on Queen Lane in northwest Philadelphia , and produced the church magazine, The Lutheran . Its demographic focus was on the East Coast, centered on Pennsylvania ). It also had large numbers in the Midwest and some presence in the South Atlantic States . There are notable exceptions, but LCA-background churches tend to emphasize liturgical expression more than

976-772: A merger of the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church Association in America (the "Blair Church", established 1884) and the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America (the "North Church", established 1894). The Lutheran Free Church , which had broken away from the United Norwegian Lutheran Church in 1897, joined the ALC on February 1, 1963. Forty Lutheran Free Church congregations chose not to participate in

1098-729: A practice that all three of its predecessor churches adopted in the 1970s (The ALC and LCA in 1970, the AELC in 1976). Some women have become bishops. The first female bishop, April Ulring Larson , was elected in the La Crosse area synod in 1992. In 2018, the ELCA elected its first African-American female bishops: Patricia Davenport in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld in South-Central Wisconsin . In 2013, Elizabeth Eaton became

1220-459: A term apparently coined by William Hutchison. The "Seven Sisters" are: The term 'mainline' has also been applied to Canadian Protestant churches that share common origins with their US counterparts such as the: The Association of Religion Data Archives , Pew Research , and other sources also consider these denominations, listed with adherents and members, to be mainline: These same sources also consider "Mainline" other denominations outside

1342-697: A true witness to the Gospel . The ELCA is less conservative than the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), the second and third largest Lutheran bodies in the United States, respectively. Most ELCA Lutherans are theologically moderate-to-liberal, although there is a sizable conservative minority. Other Lutheran bodies in the U.S. tend to hold more strictly to Confessional Lutheranism . Constituent congregations of

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1464-514: A uterus with the aid of reasonable and necessary technology ." The ELCA opposes "laws that deny access to safe and affordable services for morally justifiable abortions", and "laws that are primarily intended to harass those contemplating or deciding for an abortion." The statement emphasizes the prevention of circumstances leading to abortion, specifically encouraging "appropriate forms of sex education in schools, community pregnancy prevention programs, and parenting preparation classes." In 2000,

1586-432: A very complex scientific, social, and religious issue." The task force recommends opposition to reproductive cloning, as almost all religious groups currently do. However, the main theological reasoning is unique. Lewis D. Eigen explains: The argument they articulate is not the common but weak argument that it would be "offensive to God," "against the will of God" or "man encroaching into God's domain", but they observe that

1708-553: A vibrant lifetime and continue to evidence vital ministry and faith regardless of declining populations or birthrates. For example, giving and engagement with need and justice, both indicators of strong Christian faith, have increased despite the aging and loss of congregational members. While various Protestant denominations have experienced declining membership, the most pronounced changes have occurred among mainline churches. Demographic trends for evangelical and historically African-American churches have been more stable. According to

1830-427: Is Augsburg Fortress , and the official denominational magazine is Living Lutheran . ELCA predecessor bodies established twenty-six colleges and universities, which are now affiliated with the ELCA and a large number of associated theological seminaries. Some of these are associated with neighboring universities or theological consortia. Most local congregations are legally independent non-profit corporations within

1952-523: Is a matter of contention within the ELCA. In a Social Statement adopted in 1991, the church set out its position on the matter as follows. The ELCA describes itself as "a community supportive of life", and encourages women to explore alternatives to abortion such as adoption . However, the Social Statement asserts that there are certain circumstances under which a decision to end a pregnancy can be "morally responsible". These include cases where

2074-442: Is a very broad denomination. It contains groups of socially and/or theologically conservative or liberal factions with differing emphases on various topics such as liturgical renewal , confessional Lutheranism, charismatic revivalism, moderate to liberal theology, and liberal activism. The socially liberal segment of the ELCA is represented by independent organizations such as ReconcilingWorks , Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries , and

2196-724: Is combined with Florida in one synod; Bermuda , Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands ); and one congregation in the border city of Windsor, Ontario , a member of the Slovak Zion Synod . Before 1986, some of the congregations that form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada were part of the ELCA's predecessor churches. Within the church structure are divisions addressing many programs and ministries. Among these are support for global mission, outdoor ministries, campus ministries, social ministries, and education. They include

2318-537: Is considered to be evangelical by Pew Research while the Association of Religion Data Archives considered it to be mainline. Mainline Protestantism is characterized by theological and ideological pluralism . While doctrinal standards and confessional statements exist, these are not usually interpreted in ways to exclude people from membership. Richard Hutcheson Jr., chairman of the Office of Review and Evaluation of

2440-527: Is consulted by the presiding bishop and the Church Council for advice on matters of doctrine, faith and order, and ecumenical relations. The ELCA website states that "While primarily advisory, the role of the Conference of Bishops is significant within the life of this church." The ELCA is divided into 65 synods , one of which is non-geographical (the Slovak Zion Synod ) and 64 regional synods in

2562-737: Is higher than that of evangelicals: While the term "mainline" was not applied to churches until the 20th century, mainline churches trace their history to the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. The largest and most influential Protestant denominations in Britain's Thirteen Colonies were the Anglicans (after the American Revolution called Episcopalians) and the Congregationalists (from which

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2684-657: Is often used as an attempt to find impartial sociological vocabulary in distinguishing orthodoxy and heresy . Hence in Christological and doctrinal reference mainstream Christianity is often equivalent to Trinitarianism . Mainline Protestantism should not be confused with Nicene Christianity which is more widely accepted as having the "mainstream Christianity" designation that also includes Catholics , Eastern and Oriental Orthodox believers, and non-Mainline Protestants such as Evangelical , Fundamentalist , Charismatic , Confessional , Confessing Movement ,

2806-666: Is only between a man and a woman". This was followed by the general synod of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus also breaking links with the ELCA. In April 2010, the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America adopted revisions to ministry policy documents to bring them in line with the August 2009 vote, as well as adding sections on integrity, substance abuse and addiction. The release noted that

2928-431: Is true for only 28% of congregations founded prior to 1900. As demographics change, the churches founded by earlier generations often struggle to adapt to changing conditions, including the declines or shifts in the age and ethnicity of local populations. Says David Roozen, Director of Hartford Seminary's Hartford Institute for Religion Research, "Location, Location, Location used to be the kind way that researchers described

3050-464: Is used for a meeting or conference of ministers such as priests or bishops of a diocese, province (region) or nation or, in some Protestant churches, as the term for their annual governing convention. Some Evangelical Lutheran denominations overseas continue to use the ancient church title of "diocese". Outside of the United States, ELCA also has congregations in the Caribbean region ( Bahamas which

3172-597: The Evangelical and Ecumenical Women's Caucus . What is now known as the Lutheran Coalition For Renewal (Lutheran CORE) is made up ELCA congregations as well as socially conservative congregations that left the ELCA after it (the ELCA) decided to accept openly gay clergy for ordination and calling. Adherents of Evangelical Catholicism practice High Church Lutheranism and include the members of

3294-758: The Lutheran Peace Fellowship , Lutheran Women's Caucus , Lutheran Volunteer Corps , and the Lutheran Youth Organization ELCA Youth Gathering (formerly known in predecessor denominations as the Luther League ). They cooperate with an ecumenical inter-Lutheran college/university student organization known as the Lutheran Student Movement-USA founded in 1922 and reorganized in 1969. The denominational publishing house

3416-509: The Order of Lutheran Franciscans . The ELCA constitution states: "This church accepts the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life." ELCA clergy tend not to subscribe to a doctrine of biblical inerrancy , but see validity in various scholarly methods of analysis to help in understanding

3538-442: The Presbyterian Church in the United States , observed that clergy candidates were more likely to be rejected due to "excessive narrowness" than for violating confessional standards. Mainline churches hold a range of theological orientations— conservative , moderate and liberal . About half of mainline Protestants describe themselves as liberal. Mainline Christian groups are often more accepting of other beliefs and faiths, affirm

3660-585: The Republican Party . Numbers of the wealthiest and most affluent American families , such as the Vanderbilts and Astors , Rockefeller , who were Baptists, Du Pont , Roosevelt , Forbes , Fords , Mellons , Whitneys , the Morgans and Harrimans are Episcopalian and Presbyterian families. Through the 1940s and 1950s, neo-orthodoxy had become the prevailing theological approach within

3782-761: The Society of the Holy Trinity . Those oriented toward Confessional Lutheranism, Evangelicalism , or an admixture of the two include the WordAlone network. Members of the Charismatic Movement include congregations and pastors associated with the Alliance of Renewal Churches and some ethnic congregations. Additionally, there has been a recent growth in Franciscan spirituality in the ELCA through

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3904-515: The Unitarians would later split). These were later surpassed in size and influence by the evangelical denominations: the Baptists, Presbyterians and Methodists. Sharing a common Reformation heritage with Episcopal and Congregational churches, these denominations together created the mainline. It was, according to historian Jason Lantzer, "the emerging evangelical movement that would help forge

4026-540: The United Methodist Church practice of Itinerancy, where clergy are intentionally moved from one church to another as often as yearly in an effort to support and encourage the United Methodist tradition of strong lay ministry. Mainline churches have also had difficulty attracting minorities, particularly Hispanics. Hispanics comprise 6 percent of the mainline population but 16 percent of the US population. According to

4148-581: The United Methodist Church . Various Lutheran church bodies in the United States formed resulting from immigration waves from various countries. For instance, members of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) (centered in New York City , New York , and Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ) were largely descendants of immigrants in the colonial and mid-19th century period. The American Lutheran Church (ALC), with headquarters in Minneapolis , Minnesota ,

4270-910: The United States , some formed by dissidents to the major 1988 merger. Its members are largely descendants of Scandinavians and Germans who emigrated from countries where Lutheranism was the state religion . The ELCA belongs to the World Council of Churches , the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA , and the Lutheran World Federation . It is in full communion with the Episcopal Church , Moravian Church , Presbyterian Church (USA) , Reformed Church in America , United Church of Christ , and

4392-669: The ecumenical movement , mainline churches are sometimes (especially outside the United States) given the alternative label of ecumenical Protestantism. These churches played a leading role in the Social Gospel movement and were active in social causes such as the civil rights movement and the women's movement . As a group, the mainline churches have maintained religious doctrine that stresses social justice and personal salvation . Members of mainline denominations have played leadership roles in politics, business, science,

4514-470: The ecumenical movement , they are sometimes given the alternative label of "ecumenical Protestantism" (especially outside the United States). While in 1970 the mainline Protestant churches claimed most Protestants and more than 30 percent of the American population as members, as of 2009 they are a minority among American Protestants, claiming approximately 15 percent of American adults. Some have criticized

4636-495: The ordination of women , and have become increasingly affirming of gay ordination . Nearly one-third of mainline Protestants call themselves conservative, and most local mainline congregations have a strong, active conservative element. Mainline denominations are historically Trinitarian and proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Son of God. In practice, mainline churches tend to be theologically moderate and influenced by higher criticism , an approach used by scholars to separate

4758-451: The "first American Lutheran Church" to distinguish it from the later body into which it had been absorbed. The merged body was named "The American Lutheran Church" (with "The" as part of the official title and therefore capitalized), which was abbreviated "TALC." Hence "ALC" designates the 1930-1960 body while "TALC" designates the 1960-1987 body. The Evangelical Lutheran Church , established in 1917 and known from its founding until 1946 as

4880-642: The 1920s . Several sources claim that the term is derived from the Philadelphia Main Line , a group of affluent suburbs of Philadelphia; most residents belonged to mainline denominations. Today, most mainline Protestants remain rooted in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. C. Kirk Hadaway and Penny Long Marler define the term as follows: "the term 'mainline Protestant' is used along with 'mainstream Protestant' and 'oldline Protestant' to categorize denominations that are affiliated with

5002-546: The 1960s. As the national population has grown these churches have shrunk from 63% of the population in 1970 to 54% by 2000, and 48% in 2012, ceasing to be the religious category for the majority of Americans. This statistic may be inaccurate due to the number of former or historically mainline Protestants who continue to espouse mainline Protestant values without active church attendance. American affiliation with mainline denominations declined from 55% of all Protestants in 1973 to 46% in 1998. The number of mainline congregations in

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5124-531: The 2016 General Conference for the African Methodist Episcopal Church , a historically Black denomination but also identified as mainline, Hillary Clinton was invited to offer an address for the delegates and clergy. The term "mainline" once implied a certain numerical majority or dominant presence in mainstream society, but that is no longer the case. Protestant churches as a whole have slowly declined in total membership since

5246-728: The 20th century, they actively supported the Social Gospel . Mainline churches were basically pacifistic before 1940, but under the influence of people such as Reinhold Niebuhr they supported World War II and the Cold War . They have been far from uniform in their reaction to issues of gender and sexuality, though they tend to be more accepting than the Catholic Church or the more conservative Protestant churches. Many mainline denominations are active in voicing perspectives on social issues. Almost all mainline denominations are gender-inclusive and ordain women. On abortion issues,

5368-607: The 7,500 mainline Christians surveyed said the Bible is God's Word and is to be interpreted as literally true, word for word. Thirty-eight percent thought that the Bible is God's Word but is not to be taken literally, word for word. Twenty-eight percent said the Bible was not the Word of God but was of human origin. It has been noted, even by members of mainline churches, that the leadership of denominational agencies and bureaucracies has often been more theologically and socially liberal than

5490-474: The ALC formed the autonomous Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada (ELCC), which in 1986 joined with the Lutheran Church in America – Canada Section (LCA-CS) (former LCA congregations in separate regional synods in Canada) to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC). The American Lutheran Church was formed in 1960 out of the following Lutheran church bodies: The first American Lutheran Church

5612-532: The ALC-background churches. Its theological orientation ranged from moderately liberal to neo-orthodox , with tendencies toward conservative Pietism in some rural and small-town congregations. Its theology originated in Neo-Lutheranism . In 1976, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC) was formed by 250 congregations that had left the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) in

5734-593: The Barna Group report, the failure of mainline Protestants to add substantial numbers of Hispanics is portent for the future, given both the rapid increase of the Hispanic population as well as the outflow of Hispanics from Catholicism to Protestant churches in the past decade, most of whom are selecting evangelical or Pentecostal Protestant churches. In general, however, decline can be a difficult thing to statistically quantify. Many older Protestant churches lived

5856-409: The Bible's earliest historical elements from perceived later additions and intentional distortions. Mainline denominations generally teach that the Bible is God's Word in function, but that it must be interpreted both through the lens of the cultures in which it was originally written, and examined using God-given reason. A 2008 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that only 22 percent of

5978-501: The Bible, a process sometimes called Higher Criticism. Like other Lutheran church bodies, the ELCA confesses two sacraments : Communion (or the Eucharist ) and Holy Baptism (including infant baptism ). Guidance on sacramental practices in the ELCA is provided in The Use of the Means of Grace , a statement adopted by the 1997 Churchwide Assembly. In addition to the two sacraments, ELCA churches also practice acts which are orders. These include confirmation , ordination , anointing

6100-405: The Church in 2001 and was re-elected in August 2007 for a second term. Elizabeth Eaton was elected presiding bishop in August 2013 and took office on November 1, 2013. She was reelected for a second term in 2019. In November 2023, Michael Burk was appointed Presiding Bishop Pro Tempore by the ELCA Church Council following a request by Bishop Eaton to take a 4–6 month leave of absence. In addition,

6222-574: The Church of the Brethren and Mennonite Church USA, are against abortion. Regarding human sexuality, TEC, the ELCA, PC(USA), Society of Friends (Quaker), UUA, and UCC recognize same-gender marriages. Also considered mainline, the Anglican Church of Canada, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, and United Church of Canada bless or marry same-gender couples. In 2015, the Mennonite Church Canada saw its first same-gender marriage in one of its congregations. The American Baptist Churches USA does not perform same-gender marriages, but allows each congregation

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6344-505: The Church – The Sanctity of Nascent Life", on December 14, 2012. The ELCA official statement on "End of Life Decisions", adopted on November 9, 1992, disapproves euthanasia: "We oppose the legalization of physician-assisted death , which would allow the private killing of one person by another. Public control and regulation of such actions would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. The potential for abuse, especially of people who are most vulnerable, would be substantially increased." As

6466-448: The Churchwide Assembly, the ELCA Church Council governs the denomination, along with the advisory Conference of Bishops. At the Assembly, elections are held for general officers of the Church such as the presiding bishop, vice president and secretary, budgets are adopted, social statements examined and approved, and various other church business enacted, along with reports made and ecumenical visitors acknowledged. A constitutional amendment

6588-423: The Cooperative Clergy Study Project found that one fifth of ELCA clergy favored banning abortion with a constitutional amendment. Lutheran CORE , which represents theologically conservative members of ELCA, together with the North American Lutheran Church , through their Joint Commission an Theology and Doctrine, approved an official anti-abortion stance in the document "The Lord Is with You" – A Word of Counsel to

6710-491: The ELCA hold many differences of opinion, and have had disputes over social and doctrinal issues. In part, this is related to the history of having assimilated three different Lutheran church bodies, each with its own factions and divisions, but also to responses to changing social conditions in the United States. Old intra-group conflicts were inherited and new inter-group ones were created. Differences on issues usually reflect theological disputes between various parties. The ELCA

6832-486: The ELCA when he was elected to a six-year term as bishop of the Southwest California Synod. In 2015, the denomination ordained, officially, the first transgender pastor. Also in 2015, after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationally in the US, the office of the presiding bishop released a letter informing members that each congregation is free to marry gay and lesbian couples or to choose not to do so. Since 2009 blessings of same-sex marriages are allowed in

6954-559: The ELCA's Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis voted to allow congregations to call and ordain gays and lesbians in committed monogamous relationships to serve as clergy. By a vote of 559 to 451, delegates approved a resolution declaring that the church would find a way for people in "publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous same-gender relationships" to serve as official ministers. Congregations that do not wish to call these persons to ordained ministry are not required by these policy changes to do so. In reaction, Lutheran CORE , which opposed

7076-426: The ELCA. It is the seventh-largest Christian denomination by reported membership and the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States . The next two largest Lutheran denominations are the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) (with over 1.7 million baptized members) and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) (with approximately 340,000 members). There are also many smaller Lutheran church bodies in

7198-405: The ELCA. Its ethnic heritage was primarily from German immigrants of the mid-19th century, who came to the U.S. after the revolutions in various principalities. Many were abolitionists and Unionists during the American Civil War. By the 1980s, the AELC theology generally resembled the LCA's. The ELCA is headed by a presiding bishop , who is elected by the Churchwide Assembly for a six-year term (it

7320-406: The Episcopal Church (TEC), Presbyterian Church (USA) (PCUSA), Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), and United Church of Christ (UCC) are members of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice . The United Methodist Church (UMC) and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) support exceptions, when abortion may be necessary, but do not endorse the procedure. Other denominations, such as

7442-421: The Eucharist at all services, although some churches alternate between non-eucharistic services and those containing the Lord's Supper. The ELCA's stances on social issues are outlined in its Social Statements and Messages. Social Statements, which are usually, but not always, adopted by a two-thirds majority of a Churchwide Assembly, have been adopted on the following topics: The ELCA ordains women as pastors ,

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7564-600: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The ELCA has not adopted an official position on creation or evolution , but there is general agreement on interpreting the Bible within its historical contexts and applying critical methods of research. In 2000, the Cooperative Clergy Study Project surveyed 681 ELCA pastors and found that 26 percent of ELCA clergy thought Scientific Creationism should be taught alongside evolution in biology classes, while 57 percent disagreed. The ELCA has not yet taken an official position regarding reproductive cloning. However, Task Force on Genetics of

7686-461: The National Council of Churches and have deep historical roots in and long-standing influence on American society." In the US, Protestantism is generally divided between mainline denominations and evangelical or theologically conservative denominations. In other parts of the world, the term mainline Protestant is not used. Instead, the term " ecumenical " is used to distinguish similar churches from evangelical denominations. Some have criticized

7808-431: The New World. Over time Lutherans formed church organizations in America. The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC), which withdrew from the LCMS in 1975, comprised many congregations throughout the lower Midwest. Over time, church associations' national or ethnic identification lessened as descendants assimilated into general American society. Members across organizations began to have more in common as areas of

7930-414: The Norwegian Lutheran Church of America (NLCA). The NLCA had itself been formed from a merger of the Hauge Synod (established 1876), the Norwegian Synod (established 1853), and the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America (established 1890). The United Evangelical Lutheran Church , founded in 1896, and known until 1946 as the United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church. The UDELC had been formed from

8052-457: The Pastor's "Ministry of Word and Sacrament". Mainline Protestant Mainline Protestant churches have stressed social justice and personal salvation , and both politically and theologically , tend to be more liberal than non-mainline Protestant churches. Mainline Protestant churches share a common approach that often leads to collaboration in organizations such as the National Council of Churches , and because of their involvement with

8174-548: The Pew Research Center, mainline churches could claim 14.7 percent of all US adults compared to 25.4 percent who belonged to evangelical churches in 2014. Demographers Hout, Greeley, and Wilde have attributed the long-term decline in mainline membership and the concomitant growth in the conservative Protestant denominations to four basic causes: birth rates; switching to conservative denominations; departure from Protestantism to "no religion" (i.e. secularization); and conversions from non-Protestant sources. In their analysis, by far

8296-429: The Seven Sisters and which provides a core to the wide variety of theological and doctrinal differences, shaping them into a more coherent whole." The Great Awakening ignited controversy within Protestant churches between Old Lights and New Lights (or Old Side and New Side among Presbyterians). Led by figures such as the Congregationalist minister Charles Chauncy , Old Lights opposed the evangelical revivalism at

8418-457: The Seven Sisters mainline groups are not considered mainline: The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) [13.2 million], Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) [1.8 million], the Churches of Christ and Christian churches [1.1 million each], the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) [0.4 million], the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) [0.13 million], and the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (CCCC) [0.04 million]. After

8540-798: The U. S. declined from more than 80,000 churches in the 1950s to about 72,000 in 2008. Robert Drinan estimated that there may have been a hundred million Mainline Protestants at one time in the United States. Various causes of mainline decline in population have been cited. Much analysis has taken place both from those within and outside mainline denominations. Key factors indicate that all types of churches can and do grow, regardless of hymnody or contemporary music, type of liturgy, average age of worshiper, or location On average, however, churches in rural areas, churches with older congregants, and churches with fewer young people involved struggle most to add members and grow churches. For example, of all churches founded since 1993, 54% are experiencing growth, while that

8662-558: The UMC also elected the denomination's first openly gay bishop. Some congregations of the Church of the Brethren have also voted to perform same-gender marriages although the national denomination opposes this practice. Most of the above denominations also ordain openly transgender clergy. While the national church has not approved of gay or lesbian clergy, the UMC has allowed transgender pastors. Politically, mainline churches are also active. While no particular candidate can be endorsed, mainline churches often invite political speakers. At

8784-590: The US, including: Historically African American denominations are usually categorized differently from evangelicals or mainline. However, in 2014 the Christian Century identified that these groups "fit the mainline description." Though not listed as mainline in either the Association of Religion Data Archives or the Pew Research classifications, two groups also appeal to this label. Some denominations with similar names and historical ties to

8906-533: The United States and the Caribbean, each headed by a synodical bishop and council; these synods are in turn grouped into nine regions. Within the ELCA the term synod refers to the middle judicatory , which is referred to in some other denominations as "presbyteries", "districts", "conferences" or "dioceses" (the most ancient and traditional term in Christianity). In other Christian churches, the term "synod"

9028-475: The United States into one organization is desirable". A group of congregations left the LCMS after 1975 as it became dominated by theological and social conservatives; they formed the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC). After several years of discussion, the LCA, ALC, and AELC formally agreed in 1982 to unite. Implementing this agreement took longer: the new Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA)

9150-537: The United States, conflict over biblical inspiration erupted within Protestant churches. Conservative Protestants led by A. A. Hodge , B. B. Warfield and other Princeton theologians argued for biblical inerrancy , while liberal theologians such as Charles A. Briggs of Union Theological Seminary were open to using historical criticism to understand the Bible. As 19th–century evangelicals embraced dispensational premillennialism and retreated from society in

9272-546: The United States. Some also include the highest proportion of those with some college education, such as the Episcopal Church (76%), the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (64%), and the United Church of Christ (46%), as well as most of the American upper class . compared with the nationwide average of 50%. Episcopalians and Presbyterians also tend to be considerably wealthier and better educated than most other religious groups, and they were disproportionately represented in

9394-449: The arts, and education. They were involved in the founding of leading institutes of higher education. Marsden argues that in the 1950s, "Mainline Protestant leaders were part of the liberal-moderate cultural mainstream, and their leading spokespersons were respected participants in the national conversation." Some mainline Protestant denominations have the highest proportion of graduate and post-graduate degrees of any other denomination in

9516-632: The board of one of the ELCA's partner churches, the Evangelical Mekane Yesus Fellowship in North America , voted in October 2009 to declare disunity with the ELCA. A press release stated that the board was no longer "in good conscience" "able to commune and partner with ELCA Church that has willfully disobeyed the word of God and regrettably departed from the clear instructions of the Holy Scriptures" that "marriage

9638-488: The body of the Church Council is composed of representatives elected for a stated number of years from the various synods . These meet regularly with legislative powers in between sessions of the Churchwide Assemblies. The Conference of Bishops, which meets at least twice a year, is formed of 66 bishops (the 65 elected synodical bishops, together with the presiding bishop), plus the ELCA church secretary. It

9760-634: The church publisher. The Lutheran Standard was the official magazine of The ALC. The ALC's immigrant heritage came mostly from Germany , Norway , and Denmark , and its demographic center was in the Upper Midwest (with especially large numbers in Minnesota ). Theologically, the church was influenced by pietism . It was slightly more conservative than the Lutheran Church in America (LCA), with which it would eventually merge. While officially it taught biblical inerrancy in its constitution, this

9882-515: The church's "Church in Society" initiative is studying the theological and ethical issues that the world is likely to face in coming years as a result of Genetic Science. The task force has issued a draft report for comment and discussion. The draft statement covers a wide range of topics, from genetic testing to GMOs . A section in this report which has been described by an independent reviewer as "a remarkably nuanced analysis and statement regarding

10004-404: The clone would be denied the dignity of possessing a unique human genotype. This is an extremely interesting argument—that each and every human being has the right to his or her own uniqueness—particularly a unique genotype. The draft statement further asserts that any clones that might be created should have full acceptance as human beings and access to rites of the church. The issue of abortion

10126-475: The country urbanized and more people made their livings in suburbs and cities, rather than in rural farming areas. The ALC and LCA were already the result of earlier mergers among associated congregations once related to ethnic immigrant groups. In 1970, a survey by Strommen et al. found that 79% of Lutheran Church in America clergy, 62% of American Lutheran Church clergy, and 58% of Lutheran Church Missouri Synod clergy agreed that "a merger of all Lutheran groups in

10248-517: The cross. Members of other denominations sometimes refer to this as a belief in consubstantiation . Lutherans, however, reject the philosophical explanation of consubstantiation , preferring to consider the presence of the Lord's body and blood as mysterious rather than explainable by human philosophy. The Lutheran belief in the holy mystery character of the consecrated bread and wine is more similar to that of Catholic and Eastern Orthodox belief than to

10370-571: The decades. Finally, conservative denominations have had a greater inflow of converts. Their analysis gives no support for the notion that theological or social conservatism or liberalism has much impact on long-term growth trends. Evidence from the General Social Survey indicates that higher fertility and earlier childbearing among women from conservative denominations explains 76% of the observed trend: conservative denominations have grown their own. Mainline denomination members have

10492-504: The decision, stated that it would "initiate a process that we hope will lead to a reconfiguration of North American Lutheranism." In February 2010, Lutheran CORE announced that it would secede from the ELCA and form a new denomination to be named the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). As of 2008, 37 percent of ELCA pastors were found to support same-sex marriage . The ELCA, in removing sexual orientation as

10614-560: The eastern U.S.); Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church , of Swedish ethnicity with some dating to the colonial era; the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America ; and American Evangelical Lutheran Church , made up of ethnic Danish families. The LCA was the slightly larger partner and brought approximately 2.85 million members into the ELCA. Its administrative offices were in the Church House,

10736-585: The extent to which the growth or decline of American congregations was captive to the demographic changes going on in their immediate neighborhoods." Age demographics cannot be overlooked as a real factor in congregational decline, with the birthrate for mainline Protestants well below what is needed to maintain membership numbers. The Barna Group , an Evangelical surveyor, has noted, Protestant pastors who serve mainline churches serve on average half as long as Protestant pastors in non-mainline churches. This may contribute to decline and may be influenced in part by

10858-413: The face of mounting social problems caused by industrialization, urbanization and immigration, liberal Protestants embraced the Social Gospel , which worked for the "regeneration of society" rather than only the conversion of individuals. The Fundamentalist–Modernist Controversy of the 1920s widened the division between evangelical and non-evangelical Protestants as the two sides fought for control over

10980-641: The first woman to be elected presiding bishop of the ELCA. The most recent ELCA hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship , includes alternate gender-neutral invocations and benedictions in all settings. All of the psalms and many of the hymns and parts of the liturgy have been altered to remove masculine pronouns referring to God. In 2000, the Cooperative Clergy Study Project surveyed 681 ELCA pastors and found that 95 percent of ELCA clergy thought that all clergy positions should be open to women, while 2 percent disagreed. On August 21, 2009,

11102-635: The freedom to decide for itself. Including the aforementioned denominations, the Mennonite Church USA, Metropolitan Community Church, and Moravian Church Northern Province license or ordain openly gay clergy. While the UMC does not nationally ordain gay or lesbian clergy, the New York Annual Conference, a regional body of the UMC, has ordained the denomination's first openly gay and lesbian clergy. The Western Jurisdiction of

11224-546: The heart of the Awakening, while New Lights, led by fellow Congregationalist minister Jonathan Edwards , supported the revivals and argued for the importance of having a conversion experience. By the 1800s, Chauncy's followers had drifted toward forms of theological liberalism, such as Universalism , Unitarianism and Transcendentalism . The Second Great Awakening would inaugurate a period of evangelical dominance within American mainline Protestantism that would last over

11346-501: The historically Black church , and Global South Protestants . In the United Kingdom and Australia, the term mainline Protestant is not used, and mainstream does not mean progressive Protestant. Although some supporters and adherents, do claim that Mainline Protestant is synonymous with Mainstream Protestant. The largest mainline churches are sometimes referred to as the "Seven Sisters of American Protestantism ,"

11468-560: The lowest birthrate among American Christian groups. Unless there is a surge of new members, rising death rates are predicted to diminish their ranks even further in the years ahead. Some other findings of the Barna Group: Recent statistics from the Pew Forum provide additional explanations for the decline. Not paralleling the decline in membership is the household income of members of mainline denominations. Overall, it

11590-408: The main cause is birth rates—low for the mainline bodies, and high for the conservatives. The second most important factor is that fewer conservatives switch to mainline denominations than before. Despite speculation to the contrary, Hout, Greeley, and Wilde argue that switching from a mainline to a conservative denomination is not important in accounting for the trend, because it is fairly constant over

11712-664: The mainline churches claimed most Protestants and more than 30 percent of the population as members, today they are a minority among Protestants; in 2009, only 15 percent of Americans were adherents. A Pew Forum statistic revealed the same share in 2014. American Lutheran Church The American Lutheran Church ( ALC ) was a Christian Protestant denomination in the United States and Canada that existed from 1960 to 1987. Its headquarters were in Minneapolis, Minnesota . Upon its formation in 1960, The ALC designated Augsburg Publishing House , also located in Minneapolis, as

11834-419: The mainline churches. This neo-orthodox consensus, however, gave way to resurgent liberal theologies in the 1960s and to liberation theology during the 1970s. Mainline Protestants were a majority of Protestants in the United States until the mid-20th century. A dip in membership across all Christian denominations was more pronounced among mainline groups, with the result that mainline groups no longer comprise

11956-493: The mainline denominations. The fundamentalists lost these battles for control to the modernists or liberals. Since the 1920s, mainline churches have been associated with liberal Protestantism. Episcopalians and Presbyterian WASPs tend to be considerably wealthier and better educated than most other religious groups in America, and are disproportionately represented in the upper reaches of American business , law and politics, and for many years were especially dominant in

12078-499: The majority. In 2020, Public Religion Research Institute conducted a religious census, based on self-identification, finding that an estimated 16% of U.S. Americans identified as non-Hispanic white mainline Protestants, slightly outnumbering non-Hispanic white evangelical Protestants who were 14% of the American population. In 2014, Pew Research completed and published the Religious Landscape Survey in which it

12200-651: The merger, and instead formed the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations , today the sixth-largest Lutheran denomination in the U.S. with over 250 congregations. The ALC began ordaining women as ministers/pastors in December 1970, when the Rev. Barbara Andrews became the second woman ordained as a Lutheran minister in the United States. In 1970, a survey of 4,745 Lutheran adults by Strommen et al., found that 66% of ALC Lutherans surveyed agreed that women should be ordained, compared with 75% of LCA Lutherans and 45% of LCMS Lutherans. The first Native American woman to become

12322-650: The new ELCA. It was the most theologically conservative of the forming bodies, having a heritage of Old Lutheran theology. It had been in fellowship for a decade with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and officially held to biblical inerrancy in its constitution. It seldom enforced that stance by means of heresy trials or other doctrinal discipline. Its geographic center was in the Upper Midwest , especially Minnesota . Its headquarters and publisher ( Augsburg Publishing House ) were based on South Fifth Street in Minneapolis and one of its several seminaries

12444-516: The overall membership of the mainline churches. This gap has caused feelings of alienation among conservative mainline Protestants. This dissatisfaction has led to the formation of various Confessing Movements or charismatic renewal movements which are more conservative in tone. The mainline denominations emphasize the biblical concept of justice, stressing the need for Christians to work for social justice , which usually involve politically liberal approaches to social and economic problems. Early in

12566-412: The pregnancy "presents a clear threat to the physical life of the woman", situations where "the pregnancy occurs when both parties do not participate willingly in sexual intercourse", and "circumstances of extreme fetal abnormality , which will result in severe suffering and very early death of an infant." Regardless of the reason, the ELCA opposes abortion when "a fetus is developed enough to live outside

12688-498: The recent split of the UMC, the Global Methodist Church (GMC) could be added to this list, though no official census is currently known. Since these groups are too theologically conservative to be considered mainline, those strictly adhering to historical rules of faith are grouped as confessional , while those without are grouped as evangelical . *The National Association of Congregational Christian Churches

12810-402: The revised ministry policies would be posted on the church's website by the end of April 2010. Since August 2009, according to the office of the ELCA secretary, over 600 congregations have left the ELCA through January 2011. Income declined, with revenue of $ 66.7 million in 2010, down from $ 76.5 million in 2009. On May 31, 2013, Guy Erwin became the first openly gay man to be chosen bishop in

12932-460: The sick , confession and absolution , and marriage . With respect to the eucharist or the Lord's Supper, the ELCA holds to the Lutheran doctrine of the sacramental union , that is, that Christ's body and blood is truly present "in, with and under" the bread and wine. All communicants orally receive not only bread and wine, but also the same body and blood of Christ that was given for them on

13054-501: The state where they are located and own their own property. Governing practice within the congregation ranges from congregational voters' assemblies or annual and special congregational meetings to elder-and-council-led, to congregations where the senior pastor wields great, if informal, power (more common in larger churches). The Churchwide Assembly consists of elected lay and ordained voting members. The Churchwide Assembly met biennially in odd-numbered years until 2013. Between meetings of

13176-455: The synod's Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri , about the faculty's commitment to inerrancy in biblical interpretation. It also opposed ecumenism. As a result, most of the faculty and student body walked out and established a separate institution named "Concordia Seminary-in-Exile" (but usually referred to as " Seminex "). The AELC formed in 1976. It brought approximately 100,000 members into

13298-431: The term mainline for its alleged White Anglo-Saxon Protestant ethnocentric and elitist assumptions, and its erroneous association with the term "mainstream" since it almost exclusively described White American , non- fundamentalist and non- evangelical Protestant Americans from its origin to the late twentieth century. The term mainstream Christian in academic usage is not equivalent to mainline Protestant and

13420-442: The term mainline for its alleged White Anglo-Saxon Protestant ethnocentric and elitist assumptions, and its erroneous association with the term "mainstream", since the term mainline almost exclusively described White , non- fundamentalist and non- evangelical Protestant Americans from its origin to the late twentieth century. The term mainline Protestant was coined during debates between modernists and fundamentalists in

13542-435: The time of the merger, The ALC was the third largest Lutheran church body in the United States, behind the Lutheran Church in America and Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod . In 1986, just before its merger into the ELCA, The ALC had 7,671 pastors, 4,959 congregations, and 2,319,443 members. The ALC brought approximately 2.25 million members into the ELCA. Twelve conservative ALC congregations that did not want to participate in

13664-603: The upper reaches of US business and law until the 1950s. In the 1990s four of the US Supreme Court Justices were Mainline Protestants: Sandra Day O'Connor , John Paul Stevens , William Rehnquist and David Souter . From 1854 until at least 1964, Mainline Protestants and their descendants were heavily Republican . In recent decades, Republicans slightly outnumber Democrats. From 1965 to 1988, mainline church membership declined from 31 million to 25 million, then fell to 21 million in 2005. While in 1970

13786-543: The views of other Protestants. In contrast, some Protestant church bodies doubt or openly deny that the true body and blood of Christ is eaten in the Lord's Supper. Unlike certain other American Lutheran church bodies, the ELCA practices open communion , permitting all persons baptized in the name of the Trinity with water to receive communion. Some congregations also commune baptized infants , similarly to Eastern Orthodox practice. The ELCA encourages its churches to celebrate

13908-549: Was a four-year term until 1995). To date, four people have been elected to the position of presiding bishop of the ELCA. Herbert W. Chilstrom served as the first presiding bishop from 1987 to 1995. He was followed by H. George Anderson (1995–2001), who had previously been the president of Luther College . The third presiding bishop was Mark Hanson , who is the past president of the Lutheran World Federation , headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland . Hanson began his tenure as bishop of

14030-735: Was effective on January 1, 1988, creating the largest Lutheran church body in the U.S. The ALC and LCA had been formed by previous mergers. In 1960, the American Lutheran Church formed as a merger of the earlier ALC of 1930, largely members of German heritage; the United Evangelical Lutheran Church (UELC), with members of Danish background; and the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC), made up of members of Norwegian background. The Lutheran Free Church (LFC) joined three years later in 1963. The ALC brought approximately 2.25 million members into

14152-490: Was embarked upon immediately after the 1988 merger as it became apparent that there were still discordant viewpoints and influences, especially by the pressure for a renewal of the office of deacon and its different manifestations to a more ancient and traditional view predating the Reformation into the earliest days of Christianity. The church makes a clear distinction between the deacon's "Ministry of Word and Service", and

14274-442: Was estimated that 14.7% of Americans identified as mainline Protestant, excluding historically Black and African American denominations, while 25.4% identified as evangelical Protestants, also excluding membership in historically Black denominations. Mainline churches share an active approach to social issues that often leads to cooperation in organizations such as the National Council of Churches . Because of their involvement with

14396-699: Was formed in 1930 by a merger of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Iowa and Other States (est. 1854), the Lutheran Synod of Buffalo (est. 1845), and the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and Other States (established 1818 from Ministerium of Pennsylvania ), with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio . After the merger of 1960, this body was informally referred to as the "old American Lutheran Church" or

14518-575: Was in neighboring St. Paul . Its denominational magazine was The Lutheran Standard , published in Minneapolis. Some ALC congregations chose not to join the 1988 merger and instead formed the American Association of Lutheran Churches . The Lutheran Church in America (LCA) was created in 1962 by a merger among the United Lutheran Church in America (created in 1918 by an earlier merger of three German Lutheran synods in

14640-480: Was influenced by descendants of the waves of Scandinavian and German immigration to the Midwest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In their countries of origin, especially in Scandinavia and northern Germany, the Lutheran churches were the state churches . As Lutherans emigrated to America, they initially saw themselves as part of these churches, though they lacked the same organization and formal status in

14762-566: Was passed in 2011 to change the Assembly to one meeting on a triennial basis after 2013. The Assembly was known as the "General Convention" in the ALC and the "Biennial Convention" in the LCA. Lutheranism is associated with the theology of Martin Luther , with its official confessional writings found in the Book of Concord . The ELCA accepts the unaltered Augsburg Confession (not the variata ) as

14884-424: Was seldom enforced by such means as heresy trials. The ALC was a founding member of the " Lutheran Council in the United States of America ", which began on January 1, 1967. The ALC cooperated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod in many ventures, but the ties came to an end when talks concerning a merger of The ALC with the Lutheran Church in America began. After six years, in 1966, Canadian congregations of

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