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History of the AFLC


The Association of Free Lutheran Congregations (AFLC) was organized in October, 1962.  Most of the founders were members of the Lutheran Free Church (LFC), which had voted to merge with - The American Lutheran Church in 1963.

Why Was the AFLC Needed When Everybody Else Was Merging?

There were five principal reasons for the formation of a new fellowship.

  1. As Lutherans, we wanted the Bible as the inspired and inerrant authority in all matters of faith and life.
  2. As Lutherans, we wanted the teaching and preaching of God's Word to be 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.
  3. As Lutherans, we recognized 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.
  4. As Lutherans, we understood 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 or even a synod.
  5. As Lutherans, we know that Christians are called to be a salt and light, separated from the ways of the world. We know that this difference must be reflected in the life of the congregation as well as in the institutions of the church body.

So What Happened?

Convinced of the need for a new conservative evangelical Lutheran fellowship as well as the relevance of its free church heritage, the AFLC determined at its first conference to continue under the Fundamental Principles of the Lutheran Free Church, committed to promoting free and living congregations.

That is why the AFLC is not an incorporated synod, but a free association. Each local congregation is a separate corporation, and five additional corporations are sponsored by them to direct our common endeavors.

How Can Something So-Disjointed Work?

It has to do with structure, the way this Association is put together. Here's how the pieces fit together:

The Coordinating Committee of the AFLC is a corporation consisting of seven members chosen from the congregations, and serves to guide the work of our fellowship between conferences. One of their duties is to maintain the clergy roster, and a pastor or candidate for ordination must be approved by the committee through a colloquy process before he can be recommended for call to a congregation. This committee also maintains the congregational roster, which consists of churches who share the AFLC's faith and principles. Other ministries of the AFLC, such as youth, evangelism, parish education and publications, function under the corporate covering of the Coordinating Committee.

The Schools Corporation consists of fifty members from AFLC congregations, and elects a Board of Trustees who are entrusted with the responsibility of governing the theological seminary and Bible school. The seminary, established in 1964, offers a three-year academic program for the training of parish pastors, plus a one-year internship, while the Bible school, which welcomed its first class in 1966, provides a two-year course of studies in the Bible and related subjects for high school graduates. Both schools share a spacious campus in suburban Minneapolis (Plymouth), Minnesota, with the AFLC headquarters.

The Missions Corporation also includes fifty members from AFLC congregations, and elects from its membership a World Missions Committee and a Home Missions Committee. Our World Mission outreach currently includes Brazil, Mexico and India, and Home Missions subsidizes new congregations in the U.S. and Canada, as well as providing low-interest loans for building projects through a Church Extension Fund.

The Association Retreat Center (ARC), located near Osceola, Wisconsin, and The AFLC Foundation are also organized as separate corporations.

What Kinds of Things Do AFLC Churches Do Together?

The AFLC schedules an Annual Conference where reports of the various ministries are presented and recommendations made for the future. The primary purpose of the conferences is spiritual edification, and the agenda includes prayer hours and worship services together with the business sessions. A unique feature of a free association is the fact that all voting members of AFLC congregations may attend as delegates.

There are two auxiliaries in the AFLC. The Women's Missionary Federation (WMF) serves the women of our church with a program of Bible study and mission emphasis. F.L.Y. (Free Lutheran Youth), formerly the Luther League Federation, sponsors a biennial convention, while seeking to strengthen youth programs in the local congregations and districts.

How Does a Group like the AFLC Communicate?

The official publication of the AFLC is The Lutheran Ambassador, with sixteen issues per year devoted to Word-centered articles and news of the churches. Our parish education department offers "The Ambassador Series," a Sunday School curriculum, plus materials for confirmation and new member instruction, Bible study, and devotional reading. "The Ambassador Hymnal" is a new worship resource available for congregations and individuals, containing over 600 hymns and several orders of worship.

What Do AFLC Congregations Have in Common?

We are Lutheran but we subscribe to some guidelines developed around 1900. The Fundamental Principles state that a free congregation "esteems and cherishes all the spiritual gifts which the Lord gives for its edification, and seeks to stimulate and encourage their use" (#6). The AFLC is not "charismatic" in the sense that the term is often used today, and the annual conference adopted a statement in 1965 cautioning against an unbalanced promotion of the charismatic movement and warning against abuses.

How Big Is This Lutheran Group?

The AFLC continues to see significant growth, expanding from about 40 congregations in 1962 to about 260 currently in 2004, making us the fourth largest Lutheran church body in the U.S. While most of the congregations are located in the Upper Midwest, the fellowship includes some in 27 different states as well as 3 Canadian provinces, and contacts continue to come from new areas of the country where there is interest in free and living Lutheran congregations.

How Is an Association Funded--How Are You Different from a Synod?

The common endeavors of the AFLC are dependent on the free-will contributions of members and friends, since there are no financial quotas or suggested goals imposed on congregations. The Annual Conference adopts a budget, and when God's people are informed of the needs, they generously support AFLC ministries as the Lord provides.

The AFLC provides a Pension Plan and a Health Insurance Plan for its pastors and workers.

Do You Want to Know More?

You can send us an e-mail at: welcome@LutheransInSilverhill.com

Or, your questions may be addressed to our AFLC Headquarters:

The Office of the President
3110 East Medicine Lake Boulevard
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55441
email: presidnt@aflc.org

"If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32)