Title: Records of the Founding Congregations, 1844-2021

ID: LCA/RG13/Series 2

Primary Creator: Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod (U.S.)

Extent: 65.4 Linear Feet. More info below.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into 27 series:

1) Big Canoe Lutheran (1857-1989)

2) Calmar Congregation (1851-1920)

3) East Clermont Lutheran Church (1926-1986)

4) Coon Valley Lutheran Church (1853-2003)

5) Decorah Lutheran Church (1863-1997)

6) First Lutheran Church (1863-1996)

7) Glenwood Congregation (1854-1961)

8) Hesper Lutheran (1865-1986)

9) Immanuel Lutheran (1881-1982)

10) Paint Creek (East and West) Lutheran (1851-1987)

11) Little Iowa Congregation (1851-1930)

12) Madison and Lincoln Lutheran (1866-2001)

13) Orleans Lutheran (1868-1987)

14) Ossian Lutheran (2003)

15) Our Savior's Lutheran Church (1955)

16) Peace Lutheran (1873-1986)

17) The Ridgeway Parish (1951-1976)

18) Saint Benedict of Decorah (1992)

19) Saint Joseph's First Lutheran (1860-1886)

20) Saint Paul Lutheran Church (1863-1988)

21) Stavanger Lutheran Church (1870-2003)

22) Trinity Lutheran (1854-1995)

23) Washington Prairie Lutheran (1854-2021)

24) Waterloo Lutheran (1867-1977)

25) Vangen (undated)

26) Founding Congregation Histories (1885-2001)

27) Other Congregational Records (1844-1996)

Subjects: Evangelical Lutheran Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church - History, Norwegian Lutheran Church of America, Norwegian Synod, Women's Missionary Federation (Evangelical Lutheran Church)

Forms of Material: Correspondence, Photographs, Scrapbooks, Sound recordings, Video Recordings, Videotapes

Languages: English, Norwegian

The Norwegian Lutheran Synod was organized October 3-7, 1853.  This synod organized 18,000 Norwegian immigrants who had immigrated to southeastern Wisconsin since 1825.  Pastor A. C. Preus was elected as the first synod president.  The synod was founded with the purpose of encouraging the growth of sound, orthodox Lutheranism in America.

The Norwegian Synod grew rpidly after the American Civil War, when Norwegian immigration increasd.  In 1903, the synod had 280 pastors serving 900 congregations with 140,000 members.  The synod established Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, in 1861.  In 1876, it opened a seminary in Madison, Wisconsin.

In 1917, 338 of the 351 synod pastors withdrew to merge with two other Norwegian synods and form the Norwegian Lutheran Church in America.  The thirteen remaining pastors reorganized as the Norwegian Synod of the American Evangelical Lutheran Church.  Pastor B. Harstad served as the first president.

In 1958, the synod changed its name to the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, as a result of many congregations losing their Norwegian character.  The Evangelical Lutheran Synod has been involved in missionary work around the United States and around the world.

Evangelical Lutheran Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church - History
Norwegian Lutheran Church of America
Norwegian Synod
Women's Missionary Federation (Evangelical Lutheran Church)