CHRISTENDOM Series: Lutheran

LUTHERAN

(Mainline Protestant)

And they that understand among the people shall instruct many:
yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame,
by captivity, and by spoil, many days.
Daniel 11:33 (Thought to be referring to the Reformation, brought about by Luther)

Lutheranism is based on the teachings of the renegade Catholic monk Martin Luther, known as the "father of the Reformation". Lutherans today go across the spectrum from theological conservative to liberal. Martin Luther taught that salvation comes by the grace of God and faith in Jesus Christ alone, and the many rituals and works prescribed by the church were not only unnecessary, but a stumbling block to salvation. He rejected such traditions as the intermediary role of priests, priestly celibacy, the Latin Bible and liturgy, purgatory, and transubstantiation, and advocated for the scriptures to be available to the laity in their own language.
Lutherans believe in both infant & adult baptism, by sprinkling. Lutherans still have monks & nuns, celebrate the saints feast days, although they don't pray to saints. Some still call communion "mass", but more refer to it as the "Lord's Supper". Most (but not all) are Amillennial. Their soteriology is mostly Melanchthonian, but they have a limited sacramentalism, believing that baptism is required for salvation. Their Sunday observance is based on the "Luther view". Luther also taught the "Two Kingdoms" theology (that God rules the world / left handed kingdom of secular government by laws & the spiritual / right handed kingdom by Grace). Their church polity is episcopal.

Rising "star" of female clergy in ELCA
(What would Luther say?)

---The big 4 Denominations---
1) Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) - 1988, The main
body of Lutheran believers today. It was the merger of several Lutheran denominations (themselves mergers). This is the more liberal of the big 4 branches of Lutheranism in America. But many congregations, especially rural ones, are more conservative. The ELCA has women ordination, recently allowed gay clergy, and most clergy believe in evolution, but a about a 4th still hold to creation. Also, many clergy won't condemn abortion. While the national leadership is moving to the
left, many in the pews are much more theologically divided causing tensions in the ELCA today.

Also, some of the ECLA have been involved in Franciscan spirituality. Baptism is by sprinkling and infant baptism. The ELCA is Amillennial. In 2010 they lost a substantial number that split into the North American Lutheran Church (NALC), mostly over gay marriage.
About 3,800,000 members.
2) Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) - 1847, Considers itself the "moderate" of the big 4 Lutheran denominations. Started by Lutherans in Germany who believed the Church was straying away on it's purity to Lutheranism. So 1,100 Saxons moved to America and settled initially in Perry County, Missouri. Then spread into the Midwest from there. Over the years the Norwegian, Finish & Slovak Lutheran churches in America merged into them.
Although Amillennial, they do teach (like Luther, & unlike the ELCA today) that the Papacy is an anti-Christ.
Their official position is creationism, but many hold to theistic evolution. Although they do not have women ordination, they place women in leadership roles in the church hierarchy.
About 2,200,000 members. 
3) Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) - 1868, Considers itself the "conservative" of the big 4. The roots of it lay with a revolt of Lutherans against sharing the pulpits with non Lutheran ministers. WELS holds to Creationism, is opposed to abortion, women ordination, gay marriage and strongly believes the Papacy is anti-Christ. Some are more traditional historic pre-millennial and some Amillennial on eschatology.
About 380,000 members.

4) North American Lutheran Church (NALC) - 2010, the more conservative wing of the ECLA, from which they split recently. Some of the simmering problems included liberal ELCA leadership straying from Biblical authority on doctrine. The final straw was gay marriage & clergy. Although divided over evolution-creation, they are staunchly pro-life on abortion. They also have been in ecumenical talks with the similar breakaway group of the Anglican Church of North America, with the Eastern Orthodox & Roman Catholics.
About 140,000 members.

---Other Lutheran bodies---

Apostolic Lutheran Church of America - 1872, followers of Laestadianism, which was a revival brought here from the Laplands of Scandinavia in the 1800's. This belief includes declaring publicly that others sins have been forgiven, as they have confession-but to each other rather than a priest. They avoid the ways of the world-from TV to avoiding school sports, buying of insurance, dancing, alcohol, etc. They agree with Catholic teachings opposed to birth control.
Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America (CLBA) - Formed from a reformation that swept through Lutheranism in the Great Lakes region in the 1890's and early 1900's. One thing was the adoption of dispensational pre-millennialism, separating them from other mainline Lutherans. About 8,000 members.
Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) - 1918, formed from mostly Norwegian synods in America. About 19,000 members.
Protes'tant Conference - 1927, Split from the Lutheran Church Wisconsin Synod by 40 pastors kicked out of the church. It was over support of the Beitz paper, which concluded there wasn't enough emphasis on grace and too much power at the synod level. Their view is referred to as

Wauwatosa Theology.
Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELK) - 1949, formed for Estonian American Lutherans. Has women ordination. About 8,000 American members.
The Concordia Lutheran Conference - 1956, A very tiny offshoot of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, over the growing doctrinal confusion, especially over eschatology and ecumenism of the church. The Fort Wayne Declaration of 1947 exacerbated the problem.
Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ( LELBA ) - 1957, formed by Latvian Lutheran Americans and has women ordination.  About 12,000 members.
Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC) - 1960, Resulted from the splits and mergers, and splits rocking Lutheranism in the 1960's. About 8,000 members.
Association of Free Lutheran Congregations - 1962, formed as an association of very independent Lutheran congregations, who revolted from various mergers taking place within Lutheranism at the time. Women ordination is up to  each congregation. About 44,000 members.
Lutheran Churches of the Reformation (LCR) - 1964, Split from the

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. They hold to Creationism and strongly believe in the Lutheran Book of Concord as authoritative. Their seminary is in Decatur, Indiana. About 1,300 members.
World Confessional Lutheran Association - 1965, Lutherans who felt the church of the 60's was becoming to liberal. Over 900 members.
Lutheran Church-International (LC-I) - 1967, Formed by various Lutherans to focus on missionary work, to find common ground among Christians and have some clergy who mold themselves in the spirit of Catholic Francis od Assisi. About 1,000 members.
The American Association of Lutheran Churches (AALC) - 1987, the remnant of The American Lutheran Church (after the majority voted to join the ELCA). The AALC

was mostly compromised of mergers of Danish, Norwegian, Finish, Swedish & a few German Lutherans from earlier. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, they have a congregational polity. They consider their church to be more serious about the authority of Scripture & hold more strictly to the Lutheran Confessions. In other words, the more conservative members stayed put & didn't merge with the ELCA. They have a growing strain of charismatics in their midst. About 16,000 members.
Lutheran Ministerium and Synod – USA - 1995, broke away from the

American Association of Lutheran Churches, especially in opposition to the growing charismatic movement creeping into the AALC. Headquarters is in Indianapolis, Indiana.
 Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church (ALCC) - 1997, Split from the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, formed to be more Catholic in its rites, and considers Lutherans to still be Catholics (still in schism with the mother church though). They also use the Anglican Common Book Of Prayer in order to attract Episcopalians. {Sort of a restorationist type of church for the Catholic, Anglican & Lutheran end of the spectrum}. They have petitioned the Catholic Church to join them. They are still waiting for an answer.
The Lutheran Evangelical Protestant Church (LEPC) - 2000, formed by Lutherans who wanted to focus on missionary work, which most mainline denominations no longer do today. They oppose gay marriage and are pro-life on abortion but allow women clergy. They also allow members to engage in charismatic (tongues) activity if they so choose.

Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) - 2001, more of a loose-knit coalition of congregations of the ELCA who oppose the liberalism of gay marriage & clergy, but oppose some of the conservatism of the Missouri, and especially Wisconsin Synod. They allow charismatic worship styles in music or tongues if one chooses.
Lutheran Orthodox Church - 2004, formed by Lutherans who adopt Catholic rites.
United Lutheran Mission Association (ULMA) - 2005, small, conservative, congregational polity break-away from the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
Orthodox Lutheran Confessional Conference - 2006, Split form the

Lutheran Churches of the Reformation (LCR) to be very congregational, including the right of congregations to pick their ministers. Considers itself the most Lutheran of Lutherans as it relates to the Lutheran Book of Concord.
Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America - 2006, Started by Lutherans in Texas, it now has spread to more than 10 states.
Association of Confessional Lutheran Churches (ACLC) - 2007, Lutherans who left the ELCA over wrongful termination of a pastor. Several congregations have now joined it.
Evangelical Lutheran Conference & Ministerium of North America (ELCM) - 2009, Founded by Lutherans in Pennsylvania, now has congregations from neighboring states joining it.
Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC) - An organization, which individual congregations of Lutherans can be members of, and engage in charismatic tongues, while holding to Lutheranism.

CHRISTENDOM Series Outline Link:
http://master1844-dc.blogspot.com/2015/06/christendom-series-outline.html