Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church
Encyclopedia
The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church (previously the Augustana Lutheran Synod and also Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America and Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America) was a Lutheran
church body in the United States that was one of the churches that merged into the Lutheran Church in America
in 1962. It had its roots among the Swedish immigrants
in the 19th century.
The Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America was established in 1860.
The organizing meeting was held at the Jefferson Prairie Settlement
, near Clinton, Wisconsin
from June 5-8. A group of Swedish Lutheran pastors including Jonas Swensson
, Lars Paul Esbjörn
, Tuve Hasselquist
, Eric Norelius
and Erland Carlsson
pioneered development of the Augustana Synod.
"Augustana" is the Latin translation of the city of Augsburg in Germany, birthplace of one of Lutheranism's defining documents, the Augsburg Confession
of Faith. Along with the Swedish members of the church were Norwegian
and Danish members who left the church in 1870 to form two new church bodies the Conference of the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
and the Norwegian Augustana Synod
. Also in 1870 the synod was renamed the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America. In 1894 the name was change to Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America. In 1948, the name Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church was adopted.
Originally somewhat conservative, the church turned gradually more liberal after historical criticism
had been introduced at its seminary. The Augustana Theological Seminary was located on the campus of Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. It was later merged into the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
at the time of the formation of the Lutheran Church in America.
The Augustana Church was the direct parent to several liberal arts colleges in the United States: Augustana College
in Rock Island, IL; Gustavus Adolphus College
in St. Peter, MN; Bethany College
in Lindsborg, KS; California Lutheran University
in Thousand Oaks, CA; Midland Lutheran College
in Fremont, NE; and Upsala College
in East Orange, NJ. Augustana and Gustavus Adolphus consistently rank among the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the U.S., and the other institutions are recognized as strong regional colleges.
While the Augustana Church only had about 500,000 members when the Lutheran Church in America was formed, its influence on its successor bodies has been significant, incorporating many of Augustana's emphases on mission, ecumenism, and social service. Herbert W. Chilstrom, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
's first presiding bishop, is a graduate of the Augustana Theological Seminary and was ordained to Augustana's ministry in 1958. Included among the Augustana-founded congregations is Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, MN the largest Lutheran congregation in the world with over 13,000 members.
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
church body in the United States that was one of the churches that merged into the Lutheran Church in America
Lutheran Church in America
The Lutheran Church in America was a U.S. and Canadian Lutheran church body that existed from 1962 to 1987. It was headquartered in New York City and its publishing house was Fortress Press....
in 1962. It had its roots among the Swedish immigrants
Swedish American
Swedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent, especially the descendants of about 1.2 million immigrants from Sweden during 1885-1915. Most were Lutherans who affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ; some were Methodists...
in the 19th century.
The Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America was established in 1860.
The organizing meeting was held at the Jefferson Prairie Settlement
Jefferson Prairie Settlement
Jefferson Prairie Settlement was a pioneer colony of Norwegian-Americans located near the village of Clinton, in Rock County, Wisconsin. This site and the nearby Rock Prairie settlement outside Orfordville, Wisconsin served as a center for both Norwegian immigration and developments within the...
, near Clinton, Wisconsin
Clinton, Wisconsin
Clinton is a village in Rock County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 2,162 at the 2000 census . The village is located within the town of Clinton...
from June 5-8. A group of Swedish Lutheran pastors including Jonas Swensson
Jonas Swensson
Jonas Swensson was a noted minister of the Lutheran Church and president of the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church....
, Lars Paul Esbjörn
Lars Paul Esbjörn
Lars Paul Esbjörn was a Swedish-American Lutheran clergyman, academic and church leader. Esbjörn was a founder of Augustana College and of the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church.-Background:...
, Tuve Hasselquist
Tuve Hasselquist
Tuve Nils Hasselquist was a Swedish American Lutheran minister and church leader.-Biography:Hasselquist was born in Hasselröd, Osby Municipality in Skåne County, Sweden....
, Eric Norelius
Eric Norelius
Eric Norelius was a Swedish-American Lutheran minister, church leader and author.-Background:Eric Norelius was born on October 26, 1833 in Norrbäck, Hassela parish, in Nordanstig Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden. He received his early education at Hudiksvall's allmänna läroverk...
and Erland Carlsson
Erland Carlsson
Erland Carlsson was a Swedish-American Lutheran Minister. He was one of the founders and served as President of the Augustana Lutheran Synod.-Background:...
pioneered development of the Augustana Synod.
"Augustana" is the Latin translation of the city of Augsburg in Germany, birthplace of one of Lutheranism's defining documents, the Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
of Faith. Along with the Swedish members of the church were Norwegian
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
and Danish members who left the church in 1870 to form two new church bodies the Conference of the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
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....
and 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:...
. Also in 1870 the synod was renamed the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America. In 1894 the name was change to Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America. In 1948, the name Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church was adopted.
Originally somewhat conservative, the church turned gradually more liberal after historical criticism
Historical criticism
Historical criticism, or historical-critical method, and also known as higher criticism, is a branch of literary criticism that investigates the origins of ancient text in order to understand "the world behind the text"....
had been introduced at its seminary. The Augustana Theological Seminary was located on the campus of Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. It was later merged into the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago is a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Its degree programs include Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Philosophy. It offers concentrations in urban ministry, Bible, environment,...
at the time of the formation of the Lutheran Church in America.
The Augustana Church was the direct parent to several liberal arts colleges in the United States: Augustana College
Augustana College (Illinois)
Augustana College is a private liberal arts college located in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. The college enrolls approximately 2,500 students. Covering of hilly, wooded land, Augustana is adjacent to the Mississippi River...
in Rock Island, IL; Gustavus Adolphus College
Gustavus Adolphus College
Gustavus Adolphus College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in St. Peter, Minnesota, United States. A coeducational, four-year, residential institution, it was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans. To this day the school is firmly...
in St. Peter, MN; Bethany College
Bethany College (Kansas)
Bethany College is a small liberal arts college located in Lindsborg, Kansas and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America . The college's mission is to educate, develop and challenge individuals to reach for truth and excellence as they lead loves of faith, learning and service...
in Lindsborg, KS; California Lutheran University
California Lutheran University
California Lutheran University is a university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Thousand Oaks, California.-Mission statement:The University's mission statement is as follows:...
in Thousand Oaks, CA; Midland Lutheran College
Midland Lutheran College
Midland University, formerly Midland Lutheran College, is a private liberal arts college, located in Fremont, Nebraska, USA, and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America...
in Fremont, NE; and Upsala College
Upsala College
Upsala College was a private college in East Orange, New Jersey, USA, founded in 1893. Construction of the campus started in 1900. The college closed in 1995, after several years of financial problems.-History:...
in East Orange, NJ. Augustana and Gustavus Adolphus consistently rank among the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the U.S., and the other institutions are recognized as strong regional colleges.
While the Augustana Church only had about 500,000 members when the Lutheran Church in America was formed, its influence on its successor bodies has been significant, incorporating many of Augustana's emphases on mission, ecumenism, and social service. Herbert W. Chilstrom, 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...
's first presiding bishop, is a graduate of the Augustana Theological Seminary and was ordained to Augustana's ministry in 1958. Included among the Augustana-founded congregations is Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, MN the largest Lutheran congregation in the world with over 13,000 members.
Presidents
- Tuve HasselquistTuve HasselquistTuve Nils Hasselquist was a Swedish American Lutheran minister and church leader.-Biography:Hasselquist was born in Hasselröd, Osby Municipality in Skåne County, Sweden....
1860–1870 - Jonas SwenssonJonas SwenssonJonas Swensson was a noted minister of the Lutheran Church and president of the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church....
1870–1873 - Eric NoreliusEric NoreliusEric Norelius was a Swedish-American Lutheran minister, church leader and author.-Background:Eric Norelius was born on October 26, 1833 in Norrbäck, Hassela parish, in Nordanstig Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden. He received his early education at Hudiksvall's allmänna läroverk...
1874–1881 - Erland CarlssonErland CarlssonErland Carlsson was a Swedish-American Lutheran Minister. He was one of the founders and served as President of the Augustana Lutheran Synod.-Background:...
1881–1888 - S. P. A. Lindahl 1888–1891
- P. J. Svärd 1891–1899
- Eric NoreliusEric NoreliusEric Norelius was a Swedish-American Lutheran minister, church leader and author.-Background:Eric Norelius was born on October 26, 1833 in Norrbäck, Hassela parish, in Nordanstig Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden. He received his early education at Hudiksvall's allmänna läroverk...
1899–1911 - L. A. Johnston 1911–1918
- G. A. Brandelle 1918–1935
- P. O. Bersell 1935–1951
- Oscar A. Benson 1951–1959
- Malvin H. Lundeen 1959–1962