Lutheran Ministerium and Synod - USA
Encyclopedia
The Lutheran Ministerium and Synod - USA (LMS-USA) is a small Lutheran
Christian
denomination
based in the United States
. Its congregations are mostly located in the Upper Midwest, and the church body maintains its official headquarters in Indianapolis
, Indiana
.
Founded in 1995, the LMS-USA is governed by principles known as free church
. It has a Congregationalist
governance structure with no bishop
s or district presidents, and the national leadership has "the authority only to advise and recommend" to its member congregations.
(AALC), a church that itself had broken with the American Lutheran Church
(ALC) when that body participated in the 1988 merger that formed the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA).
After splitting with the American Lutheran Church
in 1987, the AALC
originally sought to provide a home for former ALC
parishioners and other Lutherans that would encompass orthodox, charismatic, and evangelical strains of Lutheranism. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, several ministers of the newly formed AALC
became concerned over the increasing dominance of charismatic or Pentecostal strains of liturgy and theology within the church, particularly at the AALC's new seminary.
This handful of pastors submitted resolutions to the AALC's June 1994 convention that would remove references to the church’s three-strand orientation (orthodox, charismatic, and evangelical), and that would remove from consideration a candidate for a seminary professorship that the pastors found objectionable. After their resolutions failed, three AALC
congregations left that body and formed the LMS-USA at an April 1995 conference in Indianapolis
. They left in order to uphold the inerrancy of Scripture and to not compromise their stance against the charismatic movement.
. Congregations have broad latitude in determining the standards for admission to Holy Communion. The LMS-USA describes itself as "moderate or middle-conservative" socially and theologically. According to church documents, the LMS-USA seeks to "fill the gap" in American Lutheranism between the more liberal ELCA
and what it calls "the conservative to ultra-conservative" approach of the other Lutheran church bodies in the United States.
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
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...
denomination
Religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
based in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its congregations are mostly located in the Upper Midwest, and the church body maintains its official headquarters in Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
Founded in 1995, the LMS-USA is governed by principles known as free church
Free church
The term "free church" refers to a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separated from government . A free church does not define government policy, nor have governments define church policy or theology, nor seeks or receives government endorsement or funding for its general mission...
. It has a Congregationalist
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
governance structure with no bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s or district presidents, and the national leadership has "the authority only to advise and recommend" to its member congregations.
History
The synod was born when its original member congregations split from the American Association of Lutheran ChurchesAmerican Association of Lutheran Churches
The American Association of Lutheran Churches was formed on November 7, 1987 as an alternative choice for churches in The American Lutheran Church denomination who did not want to be part of the merger with two other Lutheran church bodies, Lutheran Church in America , & American Evangelical...
(AALC), a church that itself had broken 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...
(ALC) when that body participated in the 1988 merger that formed 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).
After splitting 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...
in 1987, the AALC
American Association of Lutheran Churches
The American Association of Lutheran Churches was formed on November 7, 1987 as an alternative choice for churches in The American Lutheran Church denomination who did not want to be part of the merger with two other Lutheran church bodies, Lutheran Church in America , & American Evangelical...
originally sought to provide a home for former ALC
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...
parishioners and other Lutherans that would encompass orthodox, charismatic, and evangelical strains of Lutheranism. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, several ministers of the newly formed AALC
American Association of Lutheran Churches
The American Association of Lutheran Churches was formed on November 7, 1987 as an alternative choice for churches in The American Lutheran Church denomination who did not want to be part of the merger with two other Lutheran church bodies, Lutheran Church in America , & American Evangelical...
became concerned over the increasing dominance of charismatic or Pentecostal strains of liturgy and theology within the church, particularly at the AALC's new seminary.
This handful of pastors submitted resolutions to the AALC's June 1994 convention that would remove references to the church’s three-strand orientation (orthodox, charismatic, and evangelical), and that would remove from consideration a candidate for a seminary professorship that the pastors found objectionable. After their resolutions failed, three AALC
American Association of Lutheran Churches
The American Association of Lutheran Churches was formed on November 7, 1987 as an alternative choice for churches in The American Lutheran Church denomination who did not want to be part of the merger with two other Lutheran church bodies, Lutheran Church in America , & American Evangelical...
congregations left that body and formed the LMS-USA at an April 1995 conference in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. They left in order to uphold the inerrancy of Scripture and to not compromise their stance against the charismatic movement.
Beliefs
The LMS-USA accepts the inerrancy of scripture and the Lutheran Confessions as found in the Book of ConcordBook of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
. Congregations have broad latitude in determining the standards for admission to Holy Communion. The LMS-USA describes itself as "moderate or middle-conservative" socially and theologically. According to church documents, the LMS-USA seeks to "fill the gap" in American Lutheranism between the more liberal ELCA
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...
and what it calls "the conservative to ultra-conservative" approach of the other Lutheran church bodies in the United States.