Norwegian-American Lutheranism facts for kids
The Norwegian Lutheran Church in the United States is a name for the Lutheran churches started in the United States by people who moved there from Norway. These churches helped Norwegian immigrants keep their faith and culture alive in their new home.
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How It Started
Most Norwegian immigrants who came to the United States, especially between the 1860s and early 1900s, were part of the Church of Norway. This was an official Lutheran church in Norway. When they settled in America, they created their own church groups, called synods and conferences. These groups helped shape the Lutheran church in the United States today.
Early Church Groups
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The first organized group of Norwegians to move to the United States came on a ship called the Restauration in 1825. Many of them were religious people who had different ideas from the main church in Norway. Some were followers of a lay preacher named Hans Nielsen Hauge. These early settlers often moved to the Fox River Settlement in Illinois. Ole Olsen Hetletvedt, a Haugean, was one of the first leaders there.
In 1839, Elling Eielsen, another lay preacher, wanted to bring the Norwegian settlers back to the Lutheran faith. He helped organize a church and became a Lutheran pastor in 1843. The Eielsen Synod, founded in 1846, was named after him.
Other important leaders like Claus Lauritz Clausen and Johannes Wilhelm Christian Dietrichson also helped set up churches in Wisconsin. In 1853, several Lutheran ministers formed the Synod of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, often called the Norwegian Synod. They followed the traditions of the Church of Norway.
Over time, different groups formed new church bodies because they had different ideas about faith. For example, the Scandinavian Augustana Synod was started in 1860. Later, in 1870, Norwegian and Danish churches left this group to form the Conference of the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and the Norwegian Augustana Synod.
The Hauge Synod was created in 1876, named after Hans Nielsen Hauge. Many of these groups eventually joined together. In 1890, the Norwegian Augustana Synod, the Conference, and the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood formed the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America.
Churches Still Using Norwegian
Even though many churches in America were started by Norwegian settlers, most now use English for their services. However, two churches in the United States still use Norwegian as their main language for worship. These are Den Norske Lutherske Minnekirke in Chicago, Illinois, built in 1912, and Den Norske Lutherske Mindekirke in Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1922.
Norwegian Lutheran Church Groups in the US
Here are some of the church groups that were formed by Norwegian Lutherans in the United States:
- Eielsen Synod (1846–1997)
- Norwegian Synod (1853–1917)
- Norwegian Augustana Synod (1870–1890)
- Conference of the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (1870–1890)
- Hauge Synod (1876–1917)
- Anti-Missourian Brotherhood (1887–1890)
- United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America (1890–1917)
- Lutheran Free Church (1897–1963)
- Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America (1900–present)
- The Evangelical Lutheran Church (1917–1960)
- Evangelical Lutheran Synod (1918–present)
- Association of Free Lutheran Congregations (1962–present)
Colleges Started by Norwegian Lutherans
Many colleges in the United States were founded by Norwegian Lutheran groups. Here are some of them:
- Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota
- Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota
- Luther College in Decorah, Iowa
- Pacific Lutheran University in Parkland, Washington
- St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota
- Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa
Related Reading
- Fevold, Eugene L. The Norwegian Immigrant and His Church
- Koren, Ulrik Vilhelm Why Is There No Church Unity Among Norwegian Lutherans In America?
- Teigen, Erling T. The Legacy of Jakob Aall Ottesen and The Enduring Legacy of Preus, Koren, and Ottesen
Images for kids
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Trondhjem Norwegian Lutheran Church
Webster Township, Rice County, MN
National Register of Historic Places
