Apostolic Lutheran Church of America
Apostolic Lutheran Church of America | |
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Abbreviation | The Federation, ALCA |
Classification | Protestant |
Orientation | Lutheran |
Region | United States |
Founder | Salomon Korteniemi |
Origin | 1872 |
Members | 6,000 (2009) |
Other name(s) | Salomon Korteniemi Lutheran Society (1872–1879) Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Congregation (1879–1900s) Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church |
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Lutheranism in the United States |
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The Apostolic Lutheran Church of America (ALCA) is a
The ALCA Laestadians are called "Mickelsens" by other Laestadians, after 20th Century leader Reverend Andrew Mickelsen (1897-1983).[citation needed] The organization is also referred to by members and non-members as the Federation.
Membership
In 2009, membership in the denomination was estimated to include 6,000 baptized members.[1] Its ministers are mostly lay preachers.[2] It has sizable congregations in Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, New Hampshire and in various other countries, such as Canada and Finland. The national organization is governed by an elected board (the Central Board) which meets regularly at various locations across the United States and Canada, and individual member churches are governed by elected boards. The ALCA has no central headquarters facility. Though historically a lay movement, a seminary education is becoming more common amongst Apostolic Lutheran pastors. The majority of seminary-instructed pastors receive their education from the Inter-Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hancock, Michigan.
Doctrine
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Amerikan_lestadiolaisuuden_sukupuu_eng2.png/220px-Amerikan_lestadiolaisuuden_sukupuu_eng2.png)
The ALCA narrowly follows the doctrines and practices of Laestadianism. For example, it emphasizes the necessity of regeneration and the practical importance of absolution from sin. It follows the Laestadian-specific doctrine of the audible declaration of forgiveness of sins and encourages avoidance of worldliness and sin. Unlike the two larger branches of Laestadianism, the ALCA does not teach that it is the only true Laestadian group.
Liturgically, the church accepts the creeds of the Evangelical
The majority of the written doctrine of the Apostolic Lutheran Church is based on Luther's Small Catechism, a collection of Martin Luther's teachings.
References
- ^ LWF Statistics 2009 Archived 2010-08-21 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ A Brief Study of the Lutheran Churches in America Archived 2010-11-21 at the Wayback Machine
- Encyclopedia of American Religions, J. Gordon Melton, editor. 6th Ed., 1999. pp 93–94.
External links