American Evangelical Lutheran Church

American Evangelical Lutheran Church
AbbreviationAELC
ClassificationLutheran
AssociationsNational Lutheran Council
FounderAdam Dan
Origin1878
Neenah, Wisconsin
Merged intoLutheran Church in America (1962)
Congregations76
Members23,808 (1961)
Ministers84
Other name(s)Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (1878–1954)

The American Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC) was one of the many denominations formed when Lutherans immigrated to America. Originally known as the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (DELCA), the predominantly Danish-American church was informally known as "the Danish Church."

In 1872, Grundtvigian pastors and lay people from Denmark formed a Church Mission Society. The Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was started in 1874 and formally organized as a synod in Neenah, Wisconsin, in 1878. The church's official founder was Adam Dan, the grandfather of American historian Henry Steele Commager. A constitution was accepted in 1879, and the AELC name was adopted in 1954.

The AELC established Grand View College and Seminary in 1896.

In 1962, the AELC joined the Lutheran Church in America. In 1961, just before the merger, the AELC had 84 pastors, 76 congregations, and 23,808 members.[1]

  1. ^ "American Evangelical Lutheran Church". American Denomination Profiles. Association of Religion Data Archives. Retrieved July 27, 2017.