| Evangelical Lutheran Church | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | ELC |
| Classification | Lutheran |
| Associations | National Lutheran Council |
| Region | United States |
| Origin | 1917 |
| Merger of | Hauge Synod Norwegian Synod United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America |
| Merged into | The American Lutheran Church (1960) |
| Congregations | 2,482 |
| Members | 1,125,867 |
| Ministers | 2,242 |
| Other name(s) | Norwegian Lutheran Church of America (1917–1946) |
The Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC) was a Lutheran denomination that existed from 1917, when it was founded as the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America (NLCA), until 1960, when it joined two other church bodies to form the second American Lutheran Church.
In 1959, just before its merger into the ALC, the ELC had 2,242 pastors, 2,482 congregations, and 1,125,867 members.[1]