The Apostolic Lutheran Church of America is a church established by Finnish-Americans in the early 20th century. The Finns came principally from northern Norway and were identified under the State Church. However, there were a number belonging to a party founded by Provost Lars Levi Laestadius, of Pajala, Sweden. Eventually, there were too many arguments between these and the other Lutherans and some of the followers of Laestadius were excluded from the Sacrament. Under the lead of Salomon Korteniemi the excluded formed a congregation of their own in December, 1872, under the name of the Salomon Korteniemi Lutheran Society. In 1879 this name was changed to the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Congregation. As other congregations of Finns in Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and Oregon were organized on the same basis, they came into fellowship with this body under the name of the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church, or, as it is usually called, the Apostolic Lutheran Church. The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... St. ... Finnish Americans are Americans of Finnish descent, who currently number at about 700,000. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ... Pajala is a Municipality in Norrbotten County, in northern Sweden. ...

Membership

In 1995, membership in the denomination was estimated to include 7,700 members in 60 congregations.¹ It has sizeable congregations in Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, New Hampshire and in various other countries, such as Canada and Finland. The church is governed by an elected board of elders (the Central Board) which meets regularly at various locations across the United States and Canada. The ALCA has no central headquarters facility. Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... “Washington State” redirects here. ... Official language(s) English Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Area  Ranked 46th  - Total 9,359 sq mi (24,239 km²)  - Width 68 miles (110 km)  - Length 190 miles (305 km)  - % water 3. ...

Doctrine

In general, the ALCA accepts the creeds of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and put emphasis on the necessity of regeneration and the practical importance of absolution from sin. It is one of the few Lutheran bodies in the world claiming to have apostolic succession back to Rome. This, however, is disputed by the Catholic Church. The majority of the doctrine within the Apostolic Lutheran Faith is based off of Luther's Small Catechism; a collection of Martin Luther's teachings. In order to become an official member, a person must be both baptised and confirmed as an Apostolic Lutheran under a pastor's guidance. Seminarian pastors are strongly discouraged from teaching within the faith. In Christianity, the doctrine of Apostolic Succession (or the belief that the Church is apostolic) maintains that the Christian Church today is the spiritual successor of the Church of the Apostles. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... A seminary is a specialized university-like institution for the purpose of instructing students (seminarians) in theology, often in order to prepare them to become members of the clergy. ...

External links

• Official Website

References

Note 1: Encyclopedia of American Religions, J. Gordon Melton, editor. 6th Ed., 1999. pp 93-94.