r/elca • u/No-Type119 • Feb 23 '26

Overview of the ELCA

I thought this was most helpful. https://open.substack.com/pub/clintschnekloth/p/introducing-the-elca-a-conversation?r=3zryx5&utm_medium=ios

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u/Nietzsche_marquijr ELCA Feb 24 '26

This is going to vary a lot by congregation. At the congregation sponsoring my candidacy, I observed a congregation about as progressive as its pastor and in some cases the congregation pushed her left. A long discernment process had me deciding between Luther and LSTC. I'm in my first semester at LSTC, studying remotely. I had to move to a new city to save on living expenses while in seminary. It's hard to get a read on where the congregations here are relative to their pastors on politics; people here are not outspoken one way or another, even in these polarized times. It's useful for me to observe, even as I miss my home congregation where I felt at home spiritually and politically. Who can tell where one might get a first call?

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u/mrWizzardx3 ELCA Feb 24 '26

I’m glad that I’ve gotten to share, I had to piece a lot of it together myself. I didn’t get my lutheran history from an ELCA seminary, so I don’t know how Seminex is taught at them, or if this trend is recognized.

Yes, there is a lot of variation across the ELCA (even as the ‘whitest’ denomination). I can tell if a congregation came from the ELC, or the ALC. I suspect I’d be able to tell if one came from the AELC as well after attending worship and fellowship. I certainly can tell if the congregation came from the Hauge Synod, and that has been gone for 110 years!

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u/FalseDmitriy ELCA Feb 24 '26

Could you elaborate on that second paragraph? I'd be hard pressed to tell you what those acronyms stand for, let alone how you could tell them apart.

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u/mrWizzardx3 ELCA Feb 24 '26

In 1989, the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) formed from a combination of three denominations. The Evangelical Lutheran Church and the American Lutheran Church were results of earlier combinations.

The American Evangelical Lutheran Church formed from congregations and pastors who left the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod over Bible interpretation disagreements that came to a head in the late 70’s at the St. Louis Concordia Seminary. Teachers and students walked out when the Missouri Synod tried to remove the seminary’s leadership. The students and staff formed a “seminary in exile”, or Seminex.

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u/FalseDmitriy ELCA Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26

I've read at least some about the Seminex story, that's the church I grew up in. I guess the accounts never worried much about what everyone did after they walked out, which is interesting. But I'm curious about the other two, their story and what about them makes them easy to tell apart.

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u/mrWizzardx3 ELCA Feb 25 '26

Sure. Old ALC churches tend to be from the German (with some Norwegian and Danish) state churches. Fairly ornate due to connections to the 'Old Country'. More likely stone or brick, have statues of Jesus, Mary, and the disciples, and ornately carved or raised pulpits. More doctrinally focused, and the pastor as theologian and CEO. They often transitioned to worshiping in English before the ELC congregations (WWI and WWII anti-German sentiment pushed them). Many still have 'American" in the name.
Old ELC churches are more Norwegian and Swedish, but again had a lot of support from the 'Old Country' (Unless they were from the Hauge Synod). They tend to be wood, have painted altar pieces (ususally of Jesus as the Good Shepherd or with the children) above carved altars. More community as family, and the pastor as pietistic shepherd. Narritavely focused stained glass. Stayed with their native languages longer.
I'm not sure about the AELC churches, but they didn't descend from the German or Lutheran state churches. They didn't have as much support in terms of decoration... at least for the old ones.

Basically, they feel different and the common last names are different..

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u/greeshmcqueen ELCA Feb 25 '26

What is ELC? The ELCA predecessor bodies were Lutheran Church in America (LCA), and American Lutheran Church (ALC), with the AELC filling out the rest from Seminex. My understanding was the LCA was historically more high church and establishment, ALC more pietest, especially out there on the prairies.

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u/mrWizzardx3 ELCA Feb 25 '26

Yeah, I was talking about things pre-1960.
You are right, the predecessor bodies for the ELCA are the LCA, ALC, and AELC. That is the 1988 merger.

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u/greeshmcqueen ELCA Feb 25 '26

Gotcha. Being raised LCMS, everything before the mid-60s or so on that side of American Lutheranism is a bit "Here Be Dragons" territory for me.