Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches

church, United States

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 26, 2026

Quick Summary

The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC) was a Lutheran church in North America that merged in 1988 with the American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church in America to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The AELC was formed in 1976 by a group of ecumenical-minded leaders who broke away from the conservative Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. This new denomination aimed to provide Lutherans with a more unified voice in ecumenical discussions within the United States.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
…along with the much smaller Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches. The new church cut across ethnic lines and was designed to give Lutherans a more coherent voice in ecumenical discussions with other Christian churches in the United States.
Read More
…along with the much smaller Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches. The new church cut across ethnic lines and was designed to give Lutherans a more coherent voice in ecumenical discussions with other Christian churches in the United States.
Read More

Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
…two years later of the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches by 100,000 Missouri Synod dissidents. At issue in the dispute were congregational autonomy versus synodical authority and the nature of the church’s mission. The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches also ordained women, while the Missouri Synod did not. In 1982…
Read More
…two years later of the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches by 100,000 Missouri Synod dissidents. At issue in the dispute were congregational autonomy versus synodical authority and the nature of the church’s mission. The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches also ordained women, while the Missouri Synod did not. In 1982…
Read More