Association of Free Lutheran Congregations
| The Association of Free Lutheran Congregations | |
|---|---|
| Current President: | Rev. Elden K. Nelson |
| Congregations: | 270 |
| Mailing Address: | 3110 East Medicine Lake Blvd. Plymouth, Minnesota 55441 |
| Official Website: | www.AFLC.org |
Association of Free Lutheran Congregations is the fourth largest Lutheran church body in the United States. The AFLC includes congregations in 27 different states, as well as four Canadian provinces. The AFLC is not an incorporated synod, but a free association. Each local congregation is a separate corporation.
History
The AFLC was formed by 40 churches in 1962. The churches that formed the AFLC were members of the Lutheran Free Church who did not wish to join the American Lutheran Church. The body was originally called the Lutheran Free Church-not merged. The ALC filed suit against the group for using the name Lutheran Free Church. By 1964 the name Association of Free Lutheran Congregations was established.
Today
The AFLC has more than 270 congregations currently[1]. The AFLC headquarters are at 3110 East Medicine Lake Blvd., Plymouth, Minnesota 55441 along with the Association Free Lutheran Bible School and Seminary.
Committees and corporations
The AFLC has five corporations that are sponsored by the AFLC to direct their common endeavors: the Coordinating Committee, the Schools Corporation, the Missions Corporation, the AFLC Foundation and the Association Retreat Center (ARC), located near Osceola, Wisconsin. There are two auxiliary corporations in the AFLC: the Women's Missionary Federation (WMF) and Free Lutheran Youth (FLY)[1].
Coordinating Committee
The coordinating committee consists of seven members from the congregations currently part of the AFLC. The main duties of the coordinating committee includes monitoring the pastoral roster, monitoring the congregational roster, and providing guidance for the other ministries of the AFLC, including youth, evangalism, parish education, etc.
Schools Corporation
The schools corporation's main delegation is the election of the board of trustees, which governs the seminary and Bible school. This corporation consists of fifty members from the congregations of the AFLC.
Association Free Lutheran Bible School
The AFLC leaders came to the consensus to create a Lutheran Bible School patterned after the fundamental teachings of the Lutheran Bible Institute founded in 1919. The school was opened in 1966 with 13 students, but grew to 35 the next year. By the 1990s, the AFLBS was averaging 105 students. Today there are approximately 200 students attending the school.
Missions Corporation
The missions corporation consists of one hundred members of the congregations of the AFLC, and elects from itself a World Missions Committee and a Home Missions Committee, which are involved in the outreach of the AFLC into the United States and several other countries.
Other Committees/Corporations
The Association Retreat Center (ARC) is a separate organization of the AFLC near Osceola, Wisconsin that serves as a retreat center for various activities within the AFLC.
The Women's Missionary Federation (WMF) serves the women of the churches with Bible studies, fellowship, and has an emphasis on missionary services.
The Free Lutheran Youth (FLY), formerly known as the Luther League Federation, is a youth organization dealing with youth ministry.
Doctrine
Five principal reasons for the formation of the AFLC:
- Recognizes the Bible as the inspired and inerrant authority in all matters of faith and life.
- Recognizes that the teaching and preaching of God's Word is the main task of the Church, to be conducted in such a way that the saints are built up and unbelievers see their need for salvation.
- Believes that the congregation is the right form of the Kingdom of God on earth, with no authority above it but the Word and the Spirit of God;
- Believes that Christian unity is a spiritual concept, not a man-made organization such as the World Council of Churches or the National Council of Churches .
- Believes that Christians are called to be a salt and light, separated from the ways of the world, and that this difference is to be reflected in the life of the congregation as well as in the institutions of the church body.
Publications
The official publication of the AFLC is "The Lutheran Ambassador", with twelve issues per year devoted to Bible-centered articles and news of the churches. Ambassador Publications is the parish education department of the AFLC.
The "Ambassodar Hymnal" is the hymnal published by the AFLC, which contains over 600 hymns as well as selected order of church services and responsive Bible readings.
Presidents of the AFLC
| Name | Term |
|---|---|
| John P. Strand | 1962-1978 |
| Richard Snipstead | 1978-1992 |
| Robert L. Lee | 1992-2007 |
| Elden K. Nelson | 2007- |
Annual Conferences
The AFLC schedules each year a conference to share reports of congregations and other various ministries. The main reason for these conferences is spiritual edification, as the schedules include prayer times, worship hours, and business meetings together. It is here that suggestions to changes are presented and discussed. It is also here that the elections for positions in committees/corporations are made.
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References