Evangelical Lutherans in Mission
Encyclopedia
Evangelical Lutherans in Mission (ELIM) was a liberal
caucus within the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
(LCMS). It was formed in 1973 as an oppositional group of clergy following sweeping victories by Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus II
(J. A. O. Preus II) and the LCMS's conservative
wing, known as Confessional Lutherans, at the synod's 1973 convention in New Orleans
. It was not considered a major issue in the LCMS when it began because it originally lacked significant lay support. ELIM gained further momentum in the wake of the 1974 Seminex
controversy at Concordia Seminary
in St. Louis, Missouri. The organization dedicated a large portion of its resources to supporting the break-away Seminex institution. Only after the Seminex
controversy did ELIM begin to gain lay support. However, immediately after the Seminex controversy both the Confessional Lutherans and the ELIM claimed they did not want a schism. But after Preus was easily reelected as president of the LCMS in 1976 ELIM decided to split from the LCMS.
ELIM, along with Seminex
, opposed the Confessional Lutheran doctrine of Sola Scriptura (by scripture alone), which states that all doctrine is derived from the Holy Scriptures, and Biblical innerrancy. The fight between the Confessional Lutherans and the liberals, most of whom left the LCMS to join ELIM, is commonly referred to as the Battle for the Bible. Confessional Lutherans claimed victory in the Battle for the Bible because the liberal wing left the LCMS. The victory by the Confessional Lutherans in the Battle for the Bible was considered to have reaffirmed the confessional nature of the LCMS as established by C. F. W. Walther
, Wilhelm Löhe, and F. C. D. Wyneken
.
For several years, ELIM published a newsletter entitled Missouri in Perspective, intended to provide liberal
commentary on synodical affairs. Many of the leaders, ministers, and congregations that supported ELIM eventually left the LCMS in 1976 to form the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches
(AELC), one of the three predecessor churches of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA). The organization survived as a cross-denominational group (composed of AELC and liberal LCMS members) until the ELCA came into existence in 1988.
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
caucus within the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
(LCMS). It was formed in 1973 as an oppositional group of clergy following sweeping victories by Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus II
J. A. O. Preus II
Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus II was a Lutheran pastor, professor, author, and church president. He served as the president of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod from 1969-1981. He was a major figure in the Seminex affair which resulted in a schism in the Missouri Synod.Preus attended Luther Seminary...
(J. A. O. Preus II) and the LCMS's conservative
Conservative Christianity
Conservative Christianity is a term applied to a number of groups or movements seen as giving priority to traditional Christian beliefs and practices...
wing, known as Confessional Lutherans, at the synod's 1973 convention in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. It was not considered a major issue in the LCMS when it began because it originally lacked significant lay support. ELIM gained further momentum in the wake of the 1974 Seminex
Seminex
Seminex is the widely used abbreviation for Concordia Seminary in Exile . An institution for the training of Lutheran ministers, Seminex existed from 1974 to 1987. It was formed after a walk-out by dissident faculty and students of Concordia Seminary in St...
controversy at 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. The organization dedicated a large portion of its resources to supporting the break-away Seminex institution. Only after the Seminex
Seminex
Seminex is the widely used abbreviation for Concordia Seminary in Exile . An institution for the training of Lutheran ministers, Seminex existed from 1974 to 1987. It was formed after a walk-out by dissident faculty and students of Concordia Seminary in St...
controversy did ELIM begin to gain lay support. However, immediately after the Seminex controversy both the Confessional Lutherans and the ELIM claimed they did not want a schism. But after Preus was easily reelected as president of the LCMS in 1976 ELIM decided to split from the LCMS.
ELIM, along with Seminex
Seminex
Seminex is the widely used abbreviation for Concordia Seminary in Exile . An institution for the training of Lutheran ministers, Seminex existed from 1974 to 1987. It was formed after a walk-out by dissident faculty and students of Concordia Seminary in St...
, opposed the Confessional Lutheran doctrine of Sola Scriptura (by scripture alone), which states that all doctrine is derived from the Holy Scriptures, and Biblical innerrancy. The fight between the Confessional Lutherans and the liberals, most of whom left the LCMS to join ELIM, is commonly referred to as the Battle for the Bible. Confessional Lutherans claimed victory in the Battle for the Bible because the liberal wing left the LCMS. The victory by the Confessional Lutherans in the Battle for the Bible was considered to have reaffirmed the confessional nature of the LCMS as established by 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...
, Wilhelm Löhe, and F. C. D. Wyneken
F. C. D. Wyneken
Friedrich Conrad Dietrich Wyneken was a missionary, pastor and the second president of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod....
.
For several years, ELIM published a newsletter entitled Missouri in Perspective, intended to provide liberal
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
commentary on synodical affairs. Many of the leaders, ministers, and congregations that supported ELIM eventually left the LCMS in 1976 to form the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches
Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches
The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches was a U.S. church body that existed from 1976 through the end of 1987. The AELC formed when approximately 250 dissident congregations withdrew from the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod in 1976, and ended as an independent body when it became part...
(AELC), one of the three predecessor churches 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...
(ELCA). The organization survived as a cross-denominational group (composed of AELC and liberal LCMS members) until the ELCA came into existence in 1988.