Evangelical Lutheran Church (United States)

The Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC) was a Lutheran denomination that existed from 1917, when it was founded as the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America (NLCA), until 1960, when it joined two other church bodies to form the second American Lutheran Church (ALC).

In 1959, just before its merger into the ALC, the ELC had 2,242 pastors, 2,482 congregations, and 1,125,867 members.

Background The Norwegian Lutheran Church of America was formed by the merger of the Hauge Synod (est. 1876), the Norwegian Synod (est. 1853), and the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America (est. 1890). A group of congregations in the Norwegian Synod that did not agree with the theological stance of the new body formed the Norwegian Synod of the American Evangelical Lutheran Church, now known as the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The NLCA changed its name to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1946 as part of its Americanization process.

In 1960, the ELC joined with Lutheran churches of German and Danish backgrounds to form the second American Lutheran Church, the first Lutheran body in North America to have multiple ethnic backgrounds. This coalescence of Lutheran churches continued into recent times, with the ALC later joining others 28 years later to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 1988.

Colleges Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota Luther College in Decorah, Iowa Pacific Lutheran University in Parkland, Washington St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa (junior college at that time)

Seminary Luther Theological Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Presidents Hans Gerhard Stub, 1917–1925 Johan Arnd Aasgaard, 1925–1954 Fredrik A. Schiotz, 1954–1960

Conventions From 1917 to 1926 a general convention was held triennially. There was need of holding several extraordinary conventions, so beginning in 1928 (called the 8th) it was held biennially with the general convention always falling on the even numbered years. Voting members of the conventions were pastors who were currently serving congregations of the church, and one lay representative from each parish consisting of one congregation and two representatives from each parish consisting of two or more congregations.

Organizing convention, 1917, Saint Paul, Minnesota 1st extraordinary, 1918, Fargo, North Dakota 1st general convention, 1920, Minneapolis, Minnesota 2nd extraordinary convention, 1922, Minneapolis, Minnesota 2nd general convention, 1923, Saint Paul, Minnesota 3rd extraordinary convention, 1925, Saint Paul, Minnesota 3rd general convention, 1926, Minneapolis, Minnesota 8th general convention, 1928, Minneapolis, Minnesota 9th general convention, 1930, Minneapolis, Minnesota 10th general convention, 1932, Minneapolis, Minnesota 11th general convention, 1934, Minneapolis, Minnesota 12th general convention, 1936, Minneapolis, Minnesota 13th general convention, 1938, Minneapolis, Minnesota 14th general convention, 1940, Minneapolis, Minnesota 15th general convention, 1942, Minneapolis, Minnesota 16th general convention, 1944, Minneapolis, Minnesota 17th general convention, 1946, Minneapolis, Minnesota 18th general convention, 1948, Minneapolis, Minnesota 19th general convention, 1950, Minneapolis, Minnesota 20th general convention, 1952, Minneapolis, Minnesota 21st general convention, 1954, Minneapolis, Minnesota 22nd general convention, 1956, Minneapolis, Minnesota 23rd general convention, 1958, Minneapolis, Minnesota 24th general convention, 1960, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Evangelical Lutheran Church (United States)

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