Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches

Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches
AbbreviationAELC
ClassificationLutheran
AssociationsLutheran Council in the United States of America
RegionUnited States
OriginDecember 1976
Separated fromLutheran Church–Missouri Synod
Merged intoEvangelical Lutheran Church in America (1988)
Congregations250 (1986)
Members103,263 (1986)
Ministers672 (1986)

The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC) was a U.S. church body that existed from 1976 through the end of 1987. The AELC formed when approximately 250 dissident congregations withdrew from the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) in 1976, and ended as an independent body when it became part of the new Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on January 1, 1988.

In 1986, just before its merger into the ELCA, the AELC had 672 pastors, 250 congregations, and 103,263 members.[1]

  1. ^ "Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches". American Denomination Profiles. Association of Religion Data Archives. Retrieved July 28, 2017.