Anti-Missourian Brotherhood
Encyclopedia
Anti-Missourian Brotherhood was the name of a group of Lutheran pastors and churches in the United States that left the Norwegian Synod.
In 1872, the Norwegian Synod had been a co-founder of the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America
, along with the Missouri, Wisconsin, and Ohio Synods. The Norwegian Synod soon experienced internal division over questions concerning predestination
and conversion, a conflict known as Predestination Controversy (naadevalgsstriden).
During the decade of the 1880s about a third of its congregations left. The dispute led to hard feelings and a polarized church body. There were depositions of pastors by their congregations, squabbles over ordinations and the editorial policies of periodicals, disputed elections of district officers and the like. The Anti-Missourian Brotherhood began to function as an entity within the Synod and established its own seminary at St. Olaf College
in 1886.
The Anti-Missourians were so named because they disagreed with the predestination positionthat was held by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The Anti-Missourians opposed the views of Dr. C. F. W. Walther
, of Concordia Seminary
in St. Louis, Missouri
, on these questions. They left the Synod at its annual meeting in Stoughton, Wisconsin
during 1887. Among the leading advocates of the anti-Missourian position were St. Olaf College founding pastor, Bernt Julius Muus
, J. N. Kildahl and Thorbjorn N. Mohn
(both St. Olaf College Presidents) together with Luther Seminary
Professor M. O. Bockman.
These dissenting "Anti-Missourian Brotherhood" congregations joined in 1890 with the Norwegian Augustana Synod
and the Norwegian-Danish Conference
to form the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America
which was a forerunner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
.
In 1872, the Norwegian Synod had been a co-founder of the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America
Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America
The Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America was a Lutheran joint fellowship organization between the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod , the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod...
, along with the Missouri, Wisconsin, and Ohio Synods. The Norwegian Synod soon experienced internal division over questions concerning predestination
Predestination
Predestination, in theology is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God. John Calvin interpreted biblical predestination to mean that God willed eternal damnation for some people and salvation for others...
and conversion, a conflict known as Predestination Controversy (naadevalgsstriden).
During the decade of the 1880s about a third of its congregations left. The dispute led to hard feelings and a polarized church body. There were depositions of pastors by their congregations, squabbles over ordinations and the editorial policies of periodicals, disputed elections of district officers and the like. The Anti-Missourian Brotherhood began to function as an entity within the Synod and established its own seminary at St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College is a coeducational, residential, four-year, private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American immigrant pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after Olaf II of Norway,...
in 1886.
The Anti-Missourians were so named because they disagreed with the predestination positionthat was held by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The Anti-Missourians opposed the views of Dr. C. F. W. Walther
C. F. W. Walther
Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther was the first President of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod and its most influential theologian...
, of Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary is located in Clayton, Missouri, an inner-ring suburb on the western border of St. Louis, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod . The current president of...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, on these questions. They left the Synod at its annual meeting in Stoughton, Wisconsin
Stoughton, Wisconsin
Stoughton is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States and is a neighbor of Madison. It straddles the Yahara River about 20 miles southeast of the capital, Madison. Stoughton is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area...
during 1887. Among the leading advocates of the anti-Missourian position were St. Olaf College founding pastor, Bernt Julius Muus
Bernt Julius Muus
Bernt Julius Muus was a Norwegian-American Lutheran minister and church leader. He helped found St. Olaf College.-Background:Muus was born in the parish Snaasen in Throndhjems Stift in Snåsa, Nord-Trøndelag, Norway...
, J. N. Kildahl and Thorbjorn N. Mohn
Thorbjorn N. Mohn
Thorbjorn N. Mohn was an American Lutheran church leader and the first president of St. Olaf College.-Background:...
(both St. Olaf College Presidents) together with Luther Seminary
Luther Seminary
Luther Seminary is the largest seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America . Located in the Saint Anthony Park neighborhood of St...
Professor M. O. Bockman.
These dissenting "Anti-Missourian Brotherhood" congregations joined in 1890 with the Norwegian Augustana Synod
Norwegian Augustana Synod
Norwegian Augustana Synod was a Lutheran church body in the United States from 1870 to 1890. The group's original name was the Norwegian-Danish Augustana Synod in America. The name was shorted in 1878.-Background:...
and the Norwegian-Danish Conference
Conference of the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
Conference of the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America usually called the Conference was a Lutheran church body that existed in the United States from 1870 to 1890, when it merged into the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America....
to form the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America
United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America
The United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America was the result of the union formed in 1890 between the Norwegian Augustana Synod , the Conference of the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America , and the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood .In 1897, a group of churches left the UNLC and...
which was a forerunner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
.