Lutheran Church in America
Encyclopedia
The Lutheran Church in America (LCA) 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.
The LCA's immigrant heritage came mostly from Germany, Sweden
, Slovakia
, Denmark and Finland
, and its demographic focus was on the East Coast (centered on Pennsylvania
), with large numbers in the Midwest and some presence in the Southern Atlantic
states.
Theologically, the LCA was often considered the most liberal
and ecumenical branch in American Lutheranism, although there were tendencies toward conservative pietism in some rural and small-town congregations. In church governance, the LCA was clerical and centralized, in contrast to the congregationalist
or "low church" strain in American Protestant Christianity. With some notable exceptions, LCA churches tended to be more formalistically liturgical than their counterparts in the American Lutheran Church
. Among the Lutheran churches in America, the LCA was thus the one that was most similar to the established Lutheran churches in Europe.
The LCA ordained
the country's first female Lutheran pastor
, the Rev. Elizabeth Platz
, in November 1970. It subsequently ordained the nation's first female African American
Lutheran pastor (1979), first Latina
Lutheran pastor (1979), and first female Asian American
Lutheran pastor (1982).
The LCA was a founding member of the Lutheran Council in the United States of America
, which began on January 1, 1967.
.
The Lutheran Church in America was another product of these trends, forming in 1962 out of a merger among the following independent Lutheran denominations:
The merger was largely engineered through the efforts of Franklin Clark Fry
, who had served as president of the United Lutheran Church in America
since 1944 and president of the Lutheran World Federation
since 1957. Fry was known by contemporaries as "Mr. Protestant," a moniker that captured his tireless work on behalf of greater ecumenical unity among Protestant church bodies.
The merger was made official and celebrated at a convention in Detroit, Michigan on June 28, 1962. Upon its inception, the LCA became the largest Lutheran church body in the United States.
. On January 1, 1988, the Lutheran Church in America ceased to exist when its US section, along with the American Lutheran Church
and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches
, joined together to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA), today the largest Lutheran church body in the United States. At the time of the merger, the LCA remained the largest Lutheran church body in the United States, and it brought approximately 2.85 million members into the ELCA.
Title changed to Bishop in 1980.
The LCA's immigrant heritage came mostly from Germany, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Denmark and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, and its demographic focus was on the East Coast (centered on Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
), with large numbers in the Midwest and some presence in the Southern Atlantic
South Atlantic States
The South Atlantic United States form one of the nine Census Bureau Divisions within the United States that are recognized by the United States Census Bureau....
states.
Theologically, the LCA was often considered the most 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...
and ecumenical branch in American Lutheranism, although there were tendencies toward conservative pietism in some rural and small-town congregations. In church governance, the LCA was clerical and centralized, in contrast to the congregationalist
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
or "low church" strain in American Protestant Christianity. With some notable exceptions, LCA churches tended to be more formalistically liturgical than their counterparts in the American Lutheran Church
American Lutheran Church
The American Lutheran Church was a Christian Protestant denomination in the United States that existed from 1960 to 1987. Its headquarters was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Upon its formation in 1960, the ALC designated Augsburg Publishing House , also located in Minneapolis, as the church publisher...
. Among the Lutheran churches in America, the LCA was thus the one that was most similar to the established Lutheran churches in Europe.
The LCA ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
the country's first female Lutheran pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, the Rev. Elizabeth Platz
Elizabeth Platz
The Rev Elizabeth Alvina Platz is an American Lutheran pastor and was the first woman in North America ordained by a Lutheran church body. She was ordained in November 1970 into the Lutheran Church in America . The ordination of women, approved earlier that year by both the LCA and The American...
, in November 1970. It subsequently ordained the nation's first female African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Lutheran pastor (1979), first Latina
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
Lutheran pastor (1979), and first female Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
Lutheran pastor (1982).
The LCA was a founding member of the Lutheran Council in the United States of America
Lutheran Council in the United States of America
The Lutheran Council in the United States of America was an ecumenical organization of American Lutherans that existed from 1967 to 1988. Succeeding the National Lutheran Council, it was founded by four Lutheran church bodies: the Lutheran Church in America, the American Lutheran Church, the...
, which began on January 1, 1967.
Formation
During the late 1950s and early 1960s, many of the independent U.S. Lutheran church bodies moved progressively toward greater unity. In 1960, for example, a number of such bodies joined to form the American Lutheran ChurchAmerican Lutheran Church
The American Lutheran Church was a Christian Protestant denomination in the United States that existed from 1960 to 1987. Its headquarters was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Upon its formation in 1960, the ALC designated Augsburg Publishing House , also located in Minneapolis, as the church publisher...
.
The Lutheran Church in America was another product of these trends, forming in 1962 out of a merger among the following independent Lutheran denominations:
- The United Lutheran Church in AmericaUnited Lutheran Church in AmericaThe United Lutheran Church in America was established in 1918 with the merger of three independent German-language synods: the General Synod , the General Council and the United Synod of the South . The Slovak Zion Synod joined the United Lutheran Church in America in 1920...
(ULCA), established in 1918 with the merger of three independent German-American synods: the General SynodGeneral Synod (Lutheran)The General Synod was an association of Lutheran church bodies in America....
, the General CouncilGeneral Council (Lutheran)The General Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America was a conservative Lutheran church body, formed as a reaction against the new "Americanized Lutheranism" of Samuel Simon Schmucker and the General Synod....
and the United Synod of the SouthUnited Synod of the SouthUnited Synod of the South is the name given to a historic Lutheran church body in the southern states of the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries....
. This group provided the bulk of the eventual LCA's membership. - The Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (Suomi Synod), established in 1890.
- The American Evangelical Lutheran ChurchAmerican Evangelical Lutheran ChurchThe American Evangelical Lutheran Church was one of the many denominations formed when Lutherans immigrated to America. Originally known as the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America , the predominantly Danish-American church was informally known as "the Danish Church."In 1872 Grundtvigian...
, traditionally a Danish-American Lutheran denomination, established in 1872. - The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran ChurchAugustana Evangelical Lutheran ChurchThe Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church 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...
, traditionally a Swedish-American Lutheran denomination, established in 1860.
The merger was largely engineered through the efforts of Franklin Clark Fry
Franklin Clark Fry
Franklin Clark Fry was a leading American Lutheran clergyman, known for his work on behalf of interdenominational unity.-Early years:...
, who had served as president of the United Lutheran Church in America
United Lutheran Church in America
The United Lutheran Church in America was established in 1918 with the merger of three independent German-language synods: the General Synod , the General Council and the United Synod of the South . The Slovak Zion Synod joined the United Lutheran Church in America in 1920...
since 1944 and president of the Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Federation
The Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
since 1957. Fry was known by contemporaries as "Mr. Protestant," a moniker that captured his tireless work on behalf of greater ecumenical unity among Protestant church bodies.
The merger was made official and celebrated at a convention in Detroit, Michigan on June 28, 1962. Upon its inception, the LCA became the largest Lutheran church body in the United States.
Merger into the ELCIC and ELCA
On January 1, 1986, Lutheran Church in America-Canada Section merged with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in CanadaEvangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada's largest Lutheran denomination, with 152,788 baptized members in 624 congregations, with the second largest, the Lutheran Church–Canada, having 72,116 baptized members...
. On January 1, 1988, the Lutheran Church in America ceased to exist when its US section, along with the American Lutheran Church
American Lutheran Church
The American Lutheran Church was a Christian Protestant denomination in the United States that existed from 1960 to 1987. Its headquarters was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Upon its formation in 1960, the ALC designated Augsburg Publishing House , also located in Minneapolis, as the church publisher...
and 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...
, joined together to form 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), today the largest Lutheran church body in the United States. At the time of the merger, the LCA remained the largest Lutheran church body in the United States, and it brought approximately 2.85 million members into the ELCA.
Presidents/Bishops
- 1962-1968 Franklin Clark FryFranklin Clark FryFranklin Clark Fry was a leading American Lutheran clergyman, known for his work on behalf of interdenominational unity.-Early years:...
- 1968-1978 Robert J. MarshallRobert J. MarshallRobert James Marshall was an American clergyman and religious leader who was president of the Lutheran Church in America in the 1970s, at the time the largest Lutheran church in the United States...
- 1978-1987 James R. Crumley, Jr.
Title changed to Bishop in 1980.
Colleges
- Augustana College (Illinois)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...
, Rock Island, Illinois - Bethany College (Kansas)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...
, Lindsborg, Kansas - California Lutheran College, Thousand Oaks, California
- Carthage CollegeCarthage CollegeCarthage College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin midway between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the campus is on the shore of Lake Michigan and is home to 2,500 full-time and 900 part-time...
, Kenosha, Wisconsin - Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg CollegeGettysburg College is a private four-year liberal arts college founded in 1832, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States, adjacent to the famous battlefield. Its athletic teams are nicknamed the Bullets. Gettysburg College has about 2,700 students, with roughly equal numbers of men and women...
, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania - Gustavus Adolphus CollegeGustavus Adolphus CollegeGustavus 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...
, St. Peter, Minnesota - Lenoir Rhyne College, Hickory, North Carolina
- Midland University, Fremont, Nebraska
- Muhlenberg CollegeMuhlenberg CollegeMuhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America.- History...
, Allentown, Pennsylvania - Newberry CollegeNewberry CollegeNewberry College is a liberal-arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located on a historic campus in Newberry, South Carolina.The college has 1,025 students and a 19:1 student-teacher ratio...
, Newberry, South Carolina - Roanoke CollegeRoanoke CollegeRoanoke College is an private, coeducational, four-year liberal-arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The college is located in Salem, Virginia, a suburban independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia...
, Salem, Virginia - Susquehanna UniversitySusquehanna UniversitySusquehanna University is a liberal arts college in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, United States, north of the state capital, Harrisburg.-Academics:...
, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania - Thiel CollegeThiel CollegeThiel College is a private, liberal arts, sciences and professional studies college related to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Thiel provides affordable high-quality college experience with dedicated faculty, numerous leadership opportunities and a wide variety of student activities and...
, Greenville, Pennsylvania - Upsala CollegeUpsala CollegeUpsala 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:...
, East Orange, New Jersey (now closed) - Wagner CollegeWagner CollegeWagner College is a private, co-educational, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 total students located atop Grymes Hill in New York City's borough of Staten Island...
, Staten Island, New York - Waterloo Lutheran University, Waterloo, Ont., Canada
- Wittenberg UniversityWittenberg UniversityWittenberg University is a private four-year liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio serving 2,000 full-time students representing 37 states and approximately 30 foreign countries...
, Springfield, Ohio - Grand View University, Des Moines, Iowa
- Suomi CollegeFinlandia UniversityFinlandia University is a university in Hancock, Michigan, United States, and the only private university in the Upper Peninsula. Founded in 1896 as Suomi College, it is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.-History:...
, Hancock, Michigan (2-yr.) (now 4 year Finlandia University)
Seminaries
- Hamma School of TheologyTrinity Lutheran SeminaryTrinity Lutheran Seminary is an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America seminary located in Columbus, Ohio.-Background:In 1830, the German Theological Seminary of the Ohio Synod, later known as the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary, was founded to meet the need for educating pastors in the...
, Springfield, Ohio (shared with ALC) - Lutheran School of Theology at ChicagoLutheran School of Theology at ChicagoThe 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,...
, Illinois - Lutheran Theological SeminaryLutheran Theological Seminary at GettysburgThe Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg is America's oldest Lutheran seminary and a site of 1863 Battle of Gettysburg military engagements.-History:...
, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania - Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Lutheran Theological Seminary, SaskatoonLutheran Theological Seminary, SaskatoonLutheran Theological Seminary Saskatoon is a degree-granting theological school affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan.The seminary was originally created to prepare candidates for Lutheran ministry in Western Canada. It is owned by the four synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada...
, Sask., Canada (shared with ELCCEvangelical Lutheran Church of CanadaThe Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada was a Lutheran Christian denomination active in Canada from 1966 to 1985. Prior to gaining autonomy, its congregations comprised the Canada District of the American Lutheran Church. The first presiding officer of the ELCC was the Rev. Dr Karl Holfeld...
) - Lutheran Theological Southern SeminaryLutheran Theological Southern SeminaryLutheran Theological Southern Seminary , located in Columbia, South Carolina is a theological seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America offering first and second professional theological degrees.-History:...
, Columbia, South Carolina - Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary, Saint Paul, Minnesota; (shared with ALC)
- Pacific Lutheran Theological SeminaryPacific Lutheran Theological SeminaryPacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California is a seminary affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is a member school of the Graduate Theological Union...
, Berkeley, California (shared with ALC) - Waterloo Lutheran SeminaryWaterloo Lutheran SeminaryWaterloo Lutheran Seminary is a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada affiliated with the nondenominational Wilfrid Laurier University, located in Waterloo, Ontario.-History:...
, Waterloo, Ont., Canada
LCA Conventions
- 1962 LCA Constituting Convention, Detroit, Michigan
- 1964 LCA Convention, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- 1966 LCA Convention, Kansas City, Missouri
- 1968 LCA Convention, Atlanta, Georgia
- 1970 LCA Convention, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- 1972 LCA Convention, Dallas, Texas
- 1974 LCA Convention, Baltimore, Maryland
- 1976 LCA Convention, Boston, Massachusetts
- 1978 LCA Convention, Chicago, Illinois
- 1980 LCA Convention, Seattle, Washington
- 1982 LCA Convention, Louisville, Kentucky
- 1984 LCA Convention, Toronto, Ontario
- 1986 LCA Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- 1987 LCA Closing Convention, Columbus, Ohio
External links
- LCA
- ELCA predecessor church bodies
- Wolf, Edmund Jacob. The Lutherans in America; a story of struggle, progress, influence and marvelous growth. New York: J.A. Hill. 1889.