Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church facts for kids

The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church was a Christian church group in the United States. It was part of the Lutheran faith. This church was formed by Swedish immigrants who came to America in the 1800s.

In 1962, the Augustana Church joined with other Lutheran churches. They formed a new, larger church called the Lutheran Church in America (LCA). Just before this merger, the Augustana Church had over 619,000 members. It also had 1,353 pastors and 1,219 church buildings.

How the Augustana Church Began

The Augustana Church started in 1860. Its first official meeting was held in June at the Jefferson Prairie Settlement in Wisconsin. Several Swedish Lutheran pastors helped create this new church group. These leaders included Jonas Swensson, Lars Paul Esbjörn, Tuve Hasselquist, Eric Norelius, and Erland Carlsson.

The name Augustana comes from Confessio Augustana. This is the Latin name for the Augsburg Confession. The Augsburg Confession is a very important document for Lutherans. It explains what Lutherans believe. It was presented in 1530 in the German city of Augsburg.

At first, the Augustana Church included people from Norway and Denmark. But in 1870, the Norwegian and Danish members left. They formed their own separate church groups. After they left, the Augustana Church changed its name several times. In 1948, it became known as the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The Augustana Church started with very traditional beliefs. But over time, it began to explore new ways of understanding its faith. Its main seminary, a school for training pastors, was at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. When the Lutheran Church in America was formed in 1962, this seminary joined with another school. It became part of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Colleges Started by the Church

The Augustana Church helped create several colleges in the United States. These are called liberal arts colleges. They teach many different subjects, not just one. Some of these colleges are:

• Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois
• Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota
• Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas
• California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California
• Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska

These colleges are known for providing a good education. Even though the Augustana Church was not the largest, it had a big impact. It taught the importance of missions, working with other churches, and helping people in need.

One of the largest Lutheran churches in the world, Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was started by the Augustana Church. It has over 13,000 members.

Leaders of the Augustana Church

Here are the people who served as presidents of the Augustana Church:

• Tuve Hasselquist (1860–1870)
• Jonas Swensson (1870–1873)
• Eric Norelius (1874–1881)
• Erland Carlsson (1881–1888)
• Sven Peter August Lindahl (1888–1891)
• P. J. Svärd (1891–1899)
• Eric Norelius (1899–1911)
• L. A. Johnston (1911–1918)
• Gustaf Albert Brandelle (1918–1935)
• Petrus Olaf Bersell (1935–1951)
• Oscar A. Benson (1951–1959)
• Malvin H. Lundeen (1959–1962)

Church Groups and Numbers

The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized into different regional groups called Conferences. Here are the numbers from December 31, 1961, just before the church merged: