Church of the Lutheran Brethren

[Jim Butler]

I recently had some guests in worship who said they were members of a CLB congregation. I honestly don't know anything about this Lutheran body; I've rarely heard of them.

Any insights to this church body and what distinguishes them from other Lutheran groups in America?

[aletheist]

Here is their website: https://clba.org/

Apparently they adhere to the three ecumenical creeds, the unaltered Augsburg Confession, and Luther's Small Catechism, but not the rest of the Book of Concord.

[Matt Hummel]

They also have (had?) the Tuscarora Inn in Mt. Bethel PA. The MNYS Candidacy Committee and one of my parishes on lI used them for retreats. I recall the robustly healthy serving staff comprised of young ladies from Norway.

[John_Hannah]

I have known three members of the Lutheran Brethren, one quite well. It is a strain of Haugean, Norwegian Lutheranism. Headquarters are in Northern Minnesota; rather small compared to the better known Lutheran bodies. Ultra congregational and non-liturgical; highly motivated to witnessing and mission. Absence of the entire Book of Concord is not necessarily a negative. Scandinavians were not party to the issues that were settled; they are not opposed to these confessions.

Peace, JOHN

[Charles Austin]

Test post.

[Dave Likeness]

The Lutheran Brethren seminary is in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.
However, the ELCA and LCMS have large congregations in that
city and are not affected by the isolated Lutheran Brethren.

[Charles Austin]

There was a Lutheran Brethren congregation near me in New Jersey. They wanted no contact with other Lutherans.

[Dave Likeness]

Church of the Lutheran Brethren has one seminary.  It is located in
Fergus Falls, Minnesota.  It has 4 full-time faculty members and 3 part-
time faculty members as well as 2 adjunct faculty members.  Obviously,
they do not have a large enrollment of seminarians. 

Lutheran Brethren grew out of a Norwegian background which settled
in the upper- Midwest.  Their focus today is on foreign mission work.
They claim to have 1,500 congregations in various foreign countries.

[Rev. Spaceman]

I recently had some guests in worship who said they were members of a CLB congregation. I honestly don't know anything about this Lutheran body; I've rarely heard of them.

Any insights to this church body and what distinguishes them from other Lutheran groups in America?

The group originated from congregations that left the United Norwegian Lutheran Church (UNLC) in the year 1900. UNLC was formed in 1890. The CLB folks were critical of allowing nominal members to be on church rolls without displaying a true commitment. They sought to promote "pure" congregations. As as been mentioned, they are, like other Norwegian Lutheran bodies, influenced by the Haugean revival tradition.

[Terry W Culler]

The CLB started in the early years of the 20th century.  Originally the leaders were part of the folks who left the United Church and formed the Lutheran Free Church as led by Georg Sverdrup and Sven Oftedahl.  They objected to the part of the Fundamental Principles which speaks of the inability of the local congregation to be pure in this world.  They do come out of the Haugean tradition, but so do most Norwegian Lutherans, although their focus on pure congregations seems to me more Laestadian than Haugean.  Sverdrup and Oftedahl both came from families friendly to Haugean thought, but they were molded more by the teachings of Gisele Johnson.