Laestadian Lutheran Church
Encyclopedia
The Laestadian Lutheran Church (LLC) is a religious Christian movement, its teachings based on the Bible
and the Lutheran Confessions. From June 9, 1973, the organisation was name the Association of American Laestadian Congregations (AALC), before the association changed its name in 1994 in order better to convey its spiritual heritage. , the Laestadian Lutheran Church has 29 member congregations in the United States and Canada, with highest concentrations of members in Minnesota
, Washington, Arizona
, Michigan
in the United States and in Saskatchewan
, Canada; the congregations are served by 68 ministers, nearly all of them lay preachers.
In Northern Europe, the association's sister organizations are the Conservative Laestadians
' Central Association of the Finnish Associations of Peace () in Finland
, the Sveriges fridsföreningarnas centralorganisation
in Sweden, and the Estonian Lutheran Association of Peace
().
The main teaching among them is of Jesus
' suffering, death, and resurrection. The work of Jesus Christ continues in this world as the work of the Holy Spirit
. The Laestadian Lutheran Church teaches of God's kingdom and need for repentance and the forgiveness of sins. The church holds, in accord with the Lutheran Confessions, that the Bible is the highest guide and authority for Christian
faith, doctrine, and life.
The Laestadian Lutheran Church takes its name from Martin Luther
and Lars Levi Laestadius. Laestadius was a Lutheran pastor who served in northern Sweden from 1825 to 1861. The movement reached North America
with Finnish
immigrants in the 1860s. Congregations were first formally organized in Cokato, Minnesota
, in 1872 and Calumet, Michigan
, in 1873. The Laestadian movement in North America has suffered a number of schism
s since 1890. The subjects of disagreement have mainly been the understanding of justification
, God's congregation, and the sacrament
s. The last division occurred in 1973 and resulted in the establishment of the Laestadian Lutheran Church.
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and the Lutheran Confessions. From June 9, 1973, the organisation was name the Association of American Laestadian Congregations (AALC), before the association changed its name in 1994 in order better to convey its spiritual heritage. , the Laestadian Lutheran Church has 29 member congregations in the United States and Canada, with highest concentrations of members in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Washington, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
in the United States and in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada; the congregations are served by 68 ministers, nearly all of them lay preachers.
In Northern Europe, the association's sister organizations are the Conservative Laestadians
Conservative Laestadianism
Conservative Laestadianism is a Lutheran revival movement and the biggest branch of Laestadianism. It has spread to 16 countries. There are about 90,000 – 110,000 Conservative Laestadians in the world, most of them in Finland and Scandinavia...
' Central Association of the Finnish Associations of Peace () in 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...
, the Sveriges fridsföreningarnas centralorganisation
Sveriges fridsföreningarnas centralorganisation
SFC is The Central Association of the Swedish Associations of Peace. It is part of conservative laestadians organization. It has five associations of peace in Sweden and one in Norway...
in Sweden, and the Estonian Lutheran Association of Peace
Estonian Lutheran Association of Peace
The Estonian Lutheran Association of Peace is a conservative laestadians organization in Estonia. It has one Association of Peace in Tartu. It does mission work in Tallinn, Tartu and Southeast Estonia...
().
The main teaching among them is of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
' suffering, death, and resurrection. The work of Jesus Christ continues in this world as the work of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
. The Laestadian Lutheran Church teaches of God's kingdom and need for repentance and the forgiveness of sins. The church holds, in accord with the Lutheran Confessions, that the Bible is the highest guide and authority for Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
faith, doctrine, and life.
The Laestadian Lutheran Church takes its name from Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
and Lars Levi Laestadius. Laestadius was a Lutheran pastor who served in northern Sweden from 1825 to 1861. The movement reached North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
with Finnish
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...
immigrants in the 1860s. Congregations were first formally organized in Cokato, Minnesota
Cokato, Minnesota
Cokato is a city in Wright County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,694 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, in 1872 and Calumet, Michigan
Calumet, Michigan
Calumet is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County, in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, that was once at the center of the mining industry of the Upper Peninsula. Also known as Red Jacket, the village includes the Calumet Downtown Historic District, listed on the National...
, in 1873. The Laestadian movement in North America has suffered a number of schism
Schism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
s since 1890. The subjects of disagreement have mainly been the understanding of justification
Justification (theology)
Rising out of the Protestant Reformation, Justification is the chief article of faith describing God's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous through Christ's atoning sacrifice....
, God's congregation, and the sacrament
Sacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
s. The last division occurred in 1973 and resulted in the establishment of the Laestadian Lutheran Church.
- Conservative LaestadianismConservative LaestadianismConservative Laestadianism is a Lutheran revival movement and the biggest branch of Laestadianism. It has spread to 16 countries. There are about 90,000 – 110,000 Conservative Laestadians in the world, most of them in Finland and Scandinavia...
- LaestadianismLaestadianismLaestadianism is a conservative Lutheran revival movement started in the middle of the 19th century. It is strongly marked by both pietistic and Moravian influences. It is the biggest revivalist movement in the Nordic countries. It has members mainly in Finland, North America, Norway, Russia and...
- Laestadianism in AmericaLaestadianism in AmericaThe Laestadian church arrived in North America with Nordic immigrants in the latter half of the 19th century, many of whom arrived to work in the copper mines of the Keweenaw Peninsula...
- Summer servicesSummer servicesSummer services is the annual meeting of the Finnish Lutheran movement known as Conservative Laestadians. In addition to the primary Finnish gathering, similar meetings are arranged in North America, Sweden and Russia.-Suviseurat in Finland:...