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81-779: 1517 Media , formerly Augsburg Fortress Press , is the official publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It also publishes for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada as Augsburg Fortress Canada. Headquartered on South Fifth Street in Minneapolis , Minnesota, in the former headquarters of the American Lutheran Church , Augsburg Fortress publishes Living Lutheran (founded 1831, named The Lutheran until 2016),

162-459: 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

243-860: A General Synod for the Confederate States of America (later renamed the United Synod of the South ). In 1866, the General Synod further split over theological issues when the General Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America was formed by dissatisfied members of the General Synod. Before these secessions, the General Synod claimed 164,000 communicants . This was about two-thirds of

324-798: 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"

405-873: 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,

486-722: 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

567-506: A merger with the Lutheran General Council a real possibility. The General Synod was structured as a voluntary association of regional Lutheran church bodies called district synods. As a result, its authority over member synods was limited by its constitution. The General Synod was responsible for adopting catechisms , liturgies or hymnals . The General Synod was also responsible for creating general boards to oversee

648-730: 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

729-556: A resurgence. In 1864, the General Synod's constitution was amended to require synods to accept the Augsburg Confession as a correct presentation of fundamental doctrines. By 1913, all of the Lutheran confessions had been officially adopted by the General Synod. While doctrines and practices contradicting the confessions were still tolerated in the General Synod, the moves toward a more orthodox and confessional position made

810-500: A synod was awarded one additional clerical delegate and an equal number of lay delegates. An ordained minister was elected to preside over the convention as president. A secretary and a treasurer were also elected from among the deputies. Their term of office ended when the next convention met. Domestic missionary work was conducted by member synods. The General Synod sponsored foreign missions in Liberia and India, where it established

891-698: 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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972-514: 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,

1053-434: 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

1134-427: 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

1215-524: 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

1296-444: 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

1377-671: 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

1458-760: Is considered the "Patriarch of American Lutheranism" and the prime organizer of the first Lutheran synod in America, the Pennsylvania Ministerium , in 1746. The LCA came into existence in 1962 with the merger of several smaller Lutheran denominations. The largest forerunner of the Fortress Press was the Muhlenberg Press of the United Lutheran Church in America , the largest partner in the LCA merger. The oldest ancestor

1539-528: 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

1620-586: 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

1701-906: The Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), the Lutheran Study Bible , and the Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), as well as a range of academic, reference, and educational books. Tim Blevins has served as the CEO of 1517 Media since August, 2018. Beth Lewis served as the CEO of Augsburg Fortress since September 3, 2002. Augsburg Fortress was formed in 1988 when the Fortress Press of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , and Augsburg Publishing House of Minneapolis , Minnesota , merged when their parent denominations ,

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1782-754: The Danish Lutheran Publishing House (established 1893) of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Blair, Nebraska . When the Lutheran Free Church joined the ALC in 1963, its publishing house, Messenger Press (established 1922), was also added. Augsburg, and Wartburg before it, had published the old ALC denominational magazine The Lutheran Standard , which had ancestry back to the 1840s in

1863-691: The Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio . Fortress Press was the publishing arm of the LCA, headquartered in northwest Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , in the Muhlenberg Building , a unique U-shaped brick building of Georgian architecture style. The building was named for Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg and other members of the Muhlenberg family who were important in American Lutheranism. Henry

1944-597: 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

2025-677: The Lutheran Church in America (LCA) and the American Lutheran Church (ALC) merged to form the ELCA . Augsburg Publishing House was affiliated with the ALC. It had been founded in 1891 at Augsburg Seminary in Minneapolis Both the publishing house and seminary were part of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America (UNLC). The publishing house left the seminary campus in 1894, relocating to

2106-758: 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

2187-510: 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

2268-761: 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

2349-555: 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 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

2430-592: 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

2511-399: The Augsburg Confession in order to make it more acceptable to American sensibilities, namely Calvinist and American evangelical theology, a development that was termed "American Lutheranism" or "New School Lutheranism". The Platform specifically sought to eliminate references to baptismal regeneration and the real presence. By the 1850s, however, Confessional Lutheranism was enjoying

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2592-664: The Augsburg Fortress re-branded as 1517 Media. It continues to use Augsburg Fortress as an imprint for church resources and Fortress Press as an imprint for academic and reference titles. Other imprints include Beaming Books, Broadleaf Books, and Sparkhouse. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ( ELCA ) is a mainline Protestant church headquartered in Chicago , Illinois. The ELCA

2673-718: 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

2754-530: 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,

2835-507: 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

2916-575: 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

2997-424: 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

3078-491: 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

3159-489: 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

3240-561: 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

3321-405: 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

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3402-422: 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 ,

3483-602: 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

3564-421: The General Synod did stand in opposition to the rationalism making inroads into other Lutheran bodies. The doctrines concerning baptismal regeneration and the real presence were rejected, however. In 1855, Samuel S. Schmucker , a supporter of revivalism and interdenominational agencies like the American Sunday School Union , proposed the Definite Synodical Platform . The Platform proposed revisions to

3645-421: 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) was effective on January 1, 1988, creating the largest Lutheran church body in

3726-424: 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 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

3807-429: The Pastor's "Ministry of Word and Sacrament". General Synod (Lutheran) The General Synod was organized in 1820 at Hagerstown, Maryland , as a union or federation of four regional synods : the Pennsylvania Ministerium , the North Carolina Synod, the New York Ministerium , and the Synod of Maryland and Virginia. The Pennsylvania Ministerium had suggested the creation of a general synod two years earlier and took

3888-492: 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

3969-399: 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,

4050-423: 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 , was influenced by descendants of

4131-421: 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

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4212-415: 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

4293-461: 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

4374-404: 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

4455-467: 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

4536-424: 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

4617-459: The downtown area in 1908. By 1960 it had become the publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church . With the 1960 merger of Lutheran denominations that formed the "new" American Lutheran Church, Augsburg was designated that church's publishing arm. It absorbed the publishing houses of the other denominations participating in the merger, including Wartburg Press (established 1881) of the "old" American Lutheran Church in Columbus , Ohio , and

4698-408: 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,

4779-399: The entire Lutheran population in America. The resulting numerical losses totaled 76,000 communicants. In 1918, the General Synod, the General Council and the United Synod of the South were reunited with the formation of the United Lutheran Church in America , a predecessor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America . By the time of the merger, the General Synod ranked third in size among

4860-555: 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,

4941-659: The largest Lutheran bodies in America. In 1916, it reported 477,434 baptized members, 366,728 confirmed members, and 260,720 communicants . The early history of the General Synod has been characterized as one of loose commitment to Lutheran orthodoxy . Its constitution lacked references to the Bible and the Lutheran confessions . Furthermore, distinctions were made between parts of the Augsburg Confession , with some parts deemed "fundamental" doctrines and others labeled "non-fundamental". Fundamental doctrines alone were required to be believed. Fundamental doctrines included biblical teachings with which other Protestants agreed, and

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5022-528: The lead in organizing it. The Joint Synod of Ohio and the Tennessee Synod refused to join, citing concerns that the new body would be too hierarchical . In 1823, the Pennsylvania Ministerium withdrew itself to pursue plans for a union with the Reformed churches in Pennsylvania based on the model of the Prussian Union of churches . The New York Ministerium, which was started with the help of Johann Christopher Kunze , meanwhile, had ceased operations and would not become active again until 1837. Nevertheless,

5103-480: The missionary and benevolent activities of the church, such as foreign and home missions. It could offer advice on doctrinal or disciplinary disputes when requested to by synods, congregations or ministers. The constitution required a convention to be held every two years. Member synods were entitled to send an equal number of clerical and lay delegates to conventions in proportion to the number of ministers belonging to each synod. For every ten ministers it possessed,

5184-579: 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

5265-412: 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

5346-417: 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 the United States into one organization is desirable". A group of congregations left

5427-404: 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

5508-433: The second convention of the General Synod took place in 1823, with the newly established West Pennsylvania Synod becoming a member. Like many Protestant denominations, the General Synod was split over the issue of slavery and the political and military conflict of the American Civil War . In 1863, the southern synods were offended over Civil War resolutions passed by the General Synod. In response, they withdrew and formed

5589-405: 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

5670-502: 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

5751-408: 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

5832-481: The term "synod" 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

5913-595: 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

5994-656: 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 the New World. Over time Lutherans formed church organizations in America. The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC), which withdrew from

6075-627: 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

6156-490: 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

6237-561: 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

6318-416: 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 the ELCA. It is the seventh-largest Christian denomination by reported membership and the largest Lutheran denomination in

6399-510: 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

6480-649: 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 the United Methodist Church . Various Lutheran church bodies in

6561-602: Was the Henkel Press, started by the son of Paul Henkel , a famous late 18th and early 19th century Lutheran pastor, missionary, and evangelist in the Appalachian Mountains region. Fortress published The Lutheran , the monthly magazine of the LCA and also of the earlier United Lutheran Church in America. The magazine had its beginnings in 1831 in publications of the General Synod . In July 2016,

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