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Apostolic Lutheran Church of AmericaEvangelical Protestant |
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Denomination History, Practices and Beliefs IntroductionThe Apostolic Lutheran Church of America was originally the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church in America. In 1962, the Finnish Americans adopted its new name of the Apostolic Lutheran Church of America. Finnish Evangelical Lutheran National Church of America became the National Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1946. It merged with the Missouri Synod Lutheran in 1964 Church in 1964. History The Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church originally came from the northern part of Norway and its State Church. Provost Lars Levi Laestadius, of Pajala, Sweden. founded a Lutheran group who were excluded from taking the Sacraments with the other Lutherans in the area. Those who were excluded formed a congregation in December, 1872, originally called Salomon Korteniemi Lutheran Society. It later became known as the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Congregation and as ordinarily designated, the Apostolic Lutheran Church (Finnish). They first settled in Calumet, Michigan and spread to Massachusetts, Minnesota and Oregon. Belief The Apostolic Lutheran Church of America or ALCA follows the creeds of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. It stresses regeneration and absolution from sin. They believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. They believe in the Prophetic and Apostolic Books of the Old Testament and the New Testament. They hold to three Ecumenical Creeds of the early Christian Churches; The Apostolic, the Nicene, and the Athanasian Creeds; The Augsburg Confession and other symbolical books of the Apostolic Lutheran Church that are deemed important. The Apostolic Lutheran Church of America believes the Sacrament of Baptism is the means of the grace of God. They believe Baptism is the fulfillment of the promise received by faith. They believe Baptism works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives everlasting salvation to all who believe the Words and Promises of God. They believe the Scripture states that infants do have faith; God is the one who instills faith in the heart. So they practice infant Baptism. They practice sprinkling, but accept any other form of Baptism as long as it is performed in the Name of the Triune God. The Apostolic Lutheran Church of America believes man is by nature evil and only by the grace of God is able to do good things. Original sin was inherited from Adam and Eve, and remains in the flesh of man throughout the natural lifetime. It is through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that the price of our sin debt has been purchased and paid for our salvation. The Apostolic Lutheran Church of America believes man is justified by faith alone before God and that this is the work of God alone, because man is dead in trespasses and sins and must become a new creature in Christ. |
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MLA Style Citation: About the Author
Joanne B. Holstein is a Becker Bible Studies Teacher and author of Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians. She is a Religious Philosophy student of Liberty University, and a Homeschool parent and child advocate. She is well-known as a counsleor to Christian faithful who are struggling with tremendous burden in these difficult times. She is a leading authority on the history of development of the Christian churches and the practices and beliefs of world religions and cults. |
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