Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church
Encyclopedia
The Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches was an American
Lutheran Christian
denomination
that existed from 1902 to 1971. In 1971 it merged with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
, and it now operates as a non-geographic district of that body (see SELC District (LCMS)
).
The denomination was founded by Slovak
Lutheran
immigrants in Connellsville, Pennsylvania
on September 2, 1902 as the Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Augsburg Confession in the United States of America (Slovenská evanjelická celocirkev augsburgského vyznania v Spojenych štátoch amerických). At its origin, the denomination had ten clergymen and 15 congregations. Most congregations were composed of recent immigrants, and liturgies
were usually conducted in the Slovak language
.
The name was changed in 1913 to Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Synod of the United States of America. In 1945, the name was shorten to Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church. By 1959, the use of Slovak as a primary liturgical language had died out and the denomination was renamed the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, or SELC.
The SELC was a founding member of the Lutheran Council in the United States of America
, which began on January 1, 1967. In 1971 during its convention held at Zion Lutheran Church in Clark, NJ, the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches officially merged with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod with whom it had always been a partner. The SELC became a non-geographic district of the LCMS. As a part of the LCMS, the SELC could no longer be considered a "synod," thus it is officially known as the SELC District
of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The district retained the initials "SELC" to mark its origins and heritage.
Today, as part of the LCMS, the SELC District oversees 55 congregations in 11 US states and 2 Canadian provinces and has nearly 18,000 baptized
members and over 13,000 communicants. The district is strongest in the Northeastern United States
and the Midwest
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Lutheran Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
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...
that existed from 1902 to 1971. In 1971 it merged with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
, and it now operates as a non-geographic district of that body (see SELC District (LCMS)
SELC District (LCMS)
The SELC District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod . It is one of the Synod's two non-geographical districts, along with the English District, and has its origins in the congregations of the former Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church, which merged with the LCMS in...
).
The denomination was founded by Slovak
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
Lutheran
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...
immigrants in Connellsville, Pennsylvania
Connellsville, Pennsylvania
Connellsville is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, USA, 57 miles southeast of Pittsburgh on the Youghiogheny River, a tributary of the Monongahela River. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. In 1890, 5,629 people lived in Connellsville, which was a borough at that time...
on September 2, 1902 as the Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Augsburg Confession in the United States of America (Slovenská evanjelická celocirkev augsburgského vyznania v Spojenych štátoch amerických). At its origin, the denomination had ten clergymen and 15 congregations. Most congregations were composed of recent immigrants, and liturgies
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
were usually conducted in the Slovak language
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
.
The name was changed in 1913 to Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Synod of the United States of America. In 1945, the name was shorten to Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church. By 1959, the use of Slovak as a primary liturgical language had died out and the denomination was renamed the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, or SELC.
The SELC was a founding member of the Lutheran Council in the United States of America
Lutheran Council in the United States of America
The Lutheran Council in the United States of America was an ecumenical organization of American Lutherans that existed from 1967 to 1988. Succeeding the National Lutheran Council, it was founded by four Lutheran church bodies: the Lutheran Church in America, the American Lutheran Church, the...
, which began on January 1, 1967. In 1971 during its convention held at Zion Lutheran Church in Clark, NJ, the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches officially merged with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod with whom it had always been a partner. The SELC became a non-geographic district of the LCMS. As a part of the LCMS, the SELC could no longer be considered a "synod," thus it is officially known as the SELC District
SELC District (LCMS)
The SELC District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod . It is one of the Synod's two non-geographical districts, along with the English District, and has its origins in the congregations of the former Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church, which merged with the LCMS in...
of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The district retained the initials "SELC" to mark its origins and heritage.
Today, as part of the LCMS, the SELC District oversees 55 congregations in 11 US states and 2 Canadian provinces and has nearly 18,000 baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
members and over 13,000 communicants. The district is strongest in the Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
and the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
.
Presidents of SELC
- Daniel Jonaten Záboj Laucek 1902–05
- John Pelikán 1905–13
- Stephen Tuhy 1913–19
- J. Pelikán 1919–21
- John Somora 1921–22
- John Samuel Bradác 1922–39
- Andrew Daniel 1939–49
- Paul Rafaj 1949–63
- John Kovac 1963–69
- Milan A. Ontko 1969–71