Church of the Lutheran Confession

Church of the Lutheran Confession
Church of the Lutheran Confession
CLC-logo.png
Classification Lutheran
Orientation Confessional Lutheran
Theology Old Lutheran[1] repristination of Lutheran Orthodoxy
Polity Congregational
Associations Eglise Lutherienne de Confession du Congo · Crown of Glory Lutheran Church (in Ghana) · The Church of the Lutheran Confession of India · The Berea Evangelical Lutheran Church (in India) · The Church of the Lutheran Confession of Kenya Etago · Church of the Lutheran Confession of Myanmar · Himalayan Church of the Lutheran Confession (in Nepal) · The Nigerian Church of the Lutheran Confession · The Church of the Lutheran Confession of East Africa · Eglise Evangelique Lutherienne de Confession du Togo[2]
Geographical areas 24 States within the United States and various missions
Founder Paul Albrecht, former District President of the Dakota-Montana district of the WELS
Origin 1960
Sleepy Eye, Minnesota.[3]
Separated from mainly the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Separations The Lutheran Church of East Africa (in Tanzania)[2] · Lutheran Conference of Confessional Fellowship[4]
Congregations 75
Members 8,631 baptized[5]
Foreign mission churches total about 50,000 baptized[6]

The Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC) is a conservative Christian religious body theologically adhering to confessional Lutheran doctrine. Founded in 1960 in Minnesota, it has approximately 75 congregations in 24 U.S. states, and missions in Canada, India, Africa, Nepal, and Myanmar.

The CLC maintains its headquarters at its ministerial college; Immanuel Lutheran High School, College & Seminary in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Contents

Historical background

Lutherans of the United States
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Various Lutheran congregations left their synods during the 1950s and were independent at first. They began meeting together in 1957.[7] The Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC) was formed around the time of the break-up of the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America in 1963 (see also Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and Evangelical Lutheran Synod).

The CLC was created primarily (though not solely) from churches that broke away from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) and Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) over a disagreement over the application of the principles of Christian fellowship (in this context, an agreement of a unity of belief). The CLC maintains that the WELS and ELS misapplied those principles by not breaking with the Synodical Conference and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod after they had publicly recognized doctrinal error within the Synodical Conference.

While there have been joint talks in the 1990s between the CLC, WELS and ELS to resolve this issue, the talks were unable to come to a resolution. As such, the CLC, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and Evangelical Lutheran Synod remain at odds regarding this issue.

Beliefs and practice

Core beliefs

The CLC teaches that the Bible is the only authoritative source for doctrine. It subscribes to the Lutheran Confessions (the Book of Concord, 1580) as an accurate presentation of what Scripture teaches. It is strongly linked to the concept of sola scriptura -- scripture alone, and its website states, "If it is not Scripture; it is not Lutheran."

Ecumenical relations

Fellowship between the CLC and other church groups is established only upon investigation and confirmation that both church groups hold complete unity in scriptural doctrine and practice.

The CLC is currently in fellowship with several worldwide synods, some founded through mission work by the CLC.

Publishing and publications

The CLC Bookhouse is the official publishing house for the CLC. It is devoted to publishing Christian literature and CLC related religious materials, as well as several CLC periodicals. The CLC Bookhouse also offers books and items from other publishing houses.

CLC periodicals include:

CLC educational materials include:

Presidents

  • Paul Albrecht 1961-1972
  • Robert Reim 1972-1974
  • Egbert Albrecht 1974-1982
  • Daniel Fleischer 1982-2002
  • John Schierenbeck 2002–present

External links

References


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