Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church facts for kids

The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church was a Christian church in the United States. It was part of the Lutheran faith. This church started with Swedish immigrants who came to America in the 1800s. In 1962, it joined with other churches to form the Lutheran Church in America (LCA).

Just before it merged in 1961, the Augustana Synod had over 619,000 members. It also had 1,353 pastors and 1,219 church groups, called congregations.

How the Augustana Church Began

The Augustana Church was officially started in June 1860. Its first meeting was held in Jefferson Prairie Settlement, Wisconsin. Several Swedish Lutheran pastors helped create it. These 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 was presented in 1530 in the German city of Augsburg.

When the church first started, it included Norwegian and Danish members. But in 1870, these members left to form their own churches. After they left, the church changed its name. It became the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America. Later, in 1894, it changed its name again. It was then called the Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America. Finally, in 1948, it became the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The Augustana Church had a seminary, which is a school for training pastors. This school was located at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. When the church merged in 1962, its seminary also merged. It became part of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Colleges and Influence

The Augustana Church helped start several colleges in the United States. These schools are known for their liberal arts programs. 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

Even though the Augustana Church had about 600,000 members when it merged, it had a big impact. It taught the importance of missions, working with other churches, and helping people in society. One of its pastors, Herbert W. Chilstrom, later became the first leader of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This new church was formed from the merger.

One of the largest Lutheran churches in the world, Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, was founded by the Augustana Church. It is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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 Across the Country

The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized into different regional groups called conferences. Here are the numbers for each conference in 1961, just before the church merged: