History

Resources

Vision and Plan for the North American Lutheran Church and Lutheran CORE

History

The NALC was constituted on August 27, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio, at a Convocation organized by the church reform movement Lutheran CORE. One year earlier, a similar gathering of Lutheran CORE had directed its leadership to develop new organizational alternatives for faithful Lutheran Christians in North America.  In response to numerous requests from congregations for the creation of a new Lutheran church body, Lutheran CORE developed A Vision and Plan for the North American Lutheran Church and Lutheran CORE, published in February 2010.  Six months later, our new church body was formed.  

The constituting Convocation was attended by nearly 1,000 members and visitors from across North America.  A number of other church bodies sent leaders to greet the Convocation, including the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, and the Anglican Church in North America.  Bishop Benson Bagonza of the Karagwe Diocese, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, preached at the closing worship and along with retired Bishop Ken Sauer, installed the Rev. Paull E. Spring as the first Bishop of the NALC.  

The NALC has been blessed with extraordinarily rapid growth.  At the time of the constituting Convocation in August 2010, seventeen congregations had voted to join the NALC.  One year later, that number had grown to more than 250 congregations.  Of those, roughly 35 were mission congregations, reflecting the priority placed on missions and evangelism by the NALC.  We give thanks to God for all that has been accomplished, and seek His guidance as we move into the future with excitement.