Evangelical Lutheran Conference and Ministerium, 1035 Poland Avenue, Altoona, PA (2026)

07/29/2025

This was a sad but interesting post by Pastor Richard Blue from 2023 Statistics on several of the Lutheran Church Bodies regarding the shortage of Ordained Pastors in the bodies named.

Actually the earliest Lutheran Church groupings in America began with Shortages of Ordained Pastors. Here is the Eastern US the Dutch Lutherans formed small Congregations in New Amsterdam (New York & New Jersey ) but couldn’t get Lutheran Pastors. They often had to make use of Dutch Reform Pastors or their own elected Lay leaders.

Then as the Palatine German Synod’s/ Ministerium formed and prior to their formation there were constant appeals to Europe for Pastors to be sent . the Hamburg Orthodox Lutheran Synod and the Halle Pietist Lutherans and even the Swedish Lutherans tried to respond but a terrible shortage of ordained Pastors remained . The Ministerium organized by Muhlenberg and the Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers and the Shenandoah Henkel’s in New Market Virginia of the Ministerium began to utilize Lay leaders with a sense of Calling to fo Ministry. They were referred to as “Catechists”. And many under the mentoring of Ordained Pastors would become Ordained Pastors.

Our little ELCM (Evangelical Lutheran Conference & Ministerium of North America, Inc) predates both LCMC and NALC. We are out of the Early Dutch Lutheran. German Palatine, Ministerium - Muhlenberg - Krauth - Henkel tradition. And we are small but have more Ordained Pastors than Congregations even though the number of our congregations has grown. Several of our Pastors are serving Mission Congregations that are not ELCM . We also have some of our Ordained Pastors Serving in Chaplaincy settings - Military and Hospital, etc. So even though we have more Ordained Pastors on our Roster than congregations we do not have enough Ordained Pastors to cover all of our congregations and we thus have replicated the early Ministerium praxis of installing Catechists or teams of Catechist in Congregations where we have no Pastors available . The Congregation’s Elect (Call) a Catechist and the President of our Synod or someone appointed by the President installs the duly elected Catechist(s) into ministry . We have been delighted with the Mission results . Several Congregations that were almost destroyed by Ordained Pastors have truly come alive and are solidly Biblical Confessional Lutheran . To date we have Ordained one of the men who began as a Catechist and he is the current Secretary of our ELCM.

So we believe we truly do not need to re-invent the Wheel. Our early American Lutheran Forbearer’s faced the same issues ( LC-MS faced the same in the early years) and today the replication of thise early solutions can be very helpful.

Really it was the same challenge in the early Church - The harvest was plentiful but the laborers were few - but the Church did not place its focus in the highly credentialed elite but in the Calling to Ministry by tiny congregations in conjunction with appointment in ministry by Tent Maker, Fisherman , Tax Collector, etc. Believers and Followers (the first Pastors) of Jesus.

Anyhow this is the approach we in ELCM have been following drawn from our Eastern Early Lutheran heritage and from the early Christian Church.

05/06/2025

During the Sundays in Lent our congregations in Blair and Bedford Counties PA focused on the first 18 Articles of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession. That series focus triggered interest by many in the entire Book of Concord . And so beginning Wednesday May 7 at 6:00 PM and continuing each Wednesday thereafter we begin a Study of the entire Book Of Concord which is known as the Lutheran Confessions. Volume 2 of the Jacob’s resource even contains the various items set forth by the opponents of the Lutherans, Such as the “confutation of the Augsburg Confession” . We in ELCM hold that all of the documents in the Book of Concord (BOC) are a correct setting forth of the doctrines of Holy Scripture. Truly it is grand to see the interest that has been expressed in our Churches in studying the entire BOC. We have Coffee and Water available with home made desserts at the study group meetings.

04/24/2025

During Lent on Sundays and Wednesdays we focused on the first 18 Articles of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession . This Lenten focus led to interest in learning more concerning the Biblical focused Items in the Book of Concord (The Lutheran Confessions).

And so a Study Class will be held on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM at the Faith Ev. Lutheran, Frankstown Road beginnin on May 7. The Study will trace the basic Biblical Doctrines as set forth in the “Book of Concord. “

Coffee and dessert will be available. Any interested in learning the Reformation Biblical understandings are welcome to becoart of the Study.

Some Lutheran Churches hold to what is known as the “Quatenous” view and others - our ELCM included) hold to what is known as the “Quia “ view. In our view all the writings in the Book of Concord are a correct setting forth of Biblical teaching and Doctrine.

Copies of the “Book of Concord” may be obtained on Amazon.com or from Concordia Publishing House, from North Western Publishing or from Augsburg Fortress. Hard Cover copies cost in the $66.00 - 45.00 range.

Paperback cover editions are available for around $30.00.
Of the various publications we encourage study group members to acquire one of the following : “Concordia:The Luheran Confessions - a readers edition”, or the version by Tappert “The Book of Concord”, or the classic General Council publication by Henry Eyster Jacobs “The Book of Concord.” The Jacob’s work is available as Paper back on Amazon for under 23.00.
In the study we will of course compare and contrast the Book of Concordia consensus views with those of other Traditions.

03/06/2025

At our South West Central PA Tri Church Parish (Blair and Bedfird Counties) ……

Despite the Heavy downpours we had a very good response as we began the Lenten Season last evening with a joint Parish Ash Wed. Service at the Faith Ev. Lutheran, Duncansville Church.

Next Wed (Mar 12) we hold the joint Mid Lent Service at the Barley Ev. Lutheran Church . This year for the Sundays in Lent and the Wed. Mid Week Services we are focusing upon the various articles emphasizing the basic Biblical Christian teachings/ Doctrines held by Evangelical Confessional Lutheran Christians as set forth in the Unaltered Augsburg Confession.

On Ash Wed the focus was upon Article 1 (God) and Article 2 (Sin). On Sunday March 9 the focus will Be upon Article’s 3 & 4 and on Wed March 12 we will focus on Articles 5 & 6.

The Unaltered Augsburg Confession and the entire Christian Book of Concord is viewed as A correct setting forth of the basic Doctrines (teachings) of Holy Scripture. of Blair and Bedfird Counties ——

Despite the Heavy downpours we had a very good response as we began the Lenten Season last evening with a joint Parish Ash Wed. Service at the Faith Ev. Lutheran, Duncansville Church.

Next Wed (Mar 12) we hold the joint Mid Lent Service at the Barley Ev. Lutheran Church . This year for the Sundays in Lent and the Wed. Mid Week Services we are focusing upon the various articles emphasizing the basic Biblical Christian teachings/ Doctrines held by Evangelical Confessional Lutheran Christians as set forth in the Unaltered Augsburg Confession.

On Ash Wed the focus was upon Article 1 (God) and Article 2 (Sin). On Sunday March 9 the focus will Be upon Article’s 3 & 4 and on Wed March 12 we will focus on Articles 5 & 6.

The Unaltered Augsburg Confession and the entire Christian Book of Concord is viewed as A correct setting forth of the basic Doctrines (teachings) of Holy Scripture.

02/08/2025

A great day today Feb 7 in Woodstock. VA. An ELCM Colloquy Committee composed of President Roy , Lay VP Denny Stiffler, Secretary Dave Moore, Kurt Fellenstein of Faith Lutheran - New Market, VA, and Allen Jaymes of Mt Zion - Mercersber PA met with Pastor Philip Anderas and Michael Shasberger of Messiah Lutheran of Roanoke, VA as well as Pastor Cam Dueker and his wife Ashley of Confessing Christ Lutheran Church - Statesville NC.

Pastor Cam and his newly forming congregation had submitted application for ELCM Rostering. The application was unanimously approved and Recommended to the ELCM Executive Board together with the Recommendation that the Executive Board extend an Official Call to Pastor Cam as ELCM Mission Development Pastor for NC . Pastor Cam cones to us together with some of his newly forming congregation members after keaving the LCMC..

Pastor Phil and Michael wanted to get acquainted with some of our ELCM Leaders and we with them before submitting roster applications . Following very good mutual sharing about Messiah Lutheran and about ELCM recommendation will be made that Messiah Lutheran consider rostering with ELCM. Our feeling is that our meeting time together will count as the Colloquy with Pastor Phil and that all we need is the submission of his application papers. If the Messiah congregation desires a visit from an ELCM Official Secretary Dave Moore has Volunteered to represent ELCM. Messiah Lutheran and Pastor Phil will be coming to us after having left the NALC.

Secretary Dave took the Photo of our gathered Group. Pastor Roy took the photo of Secretary Dave. And Pastor Phil took the selfie of Himself with Pastor Roy.

Truly we rejoice at the wonderful fellowship and good accomplishments of todays ELCM gathering in the Woodstock Cafe! Sola Dei Gloria!d

05/30/2024

One of my dear friends came across this delightful hat and gave it to me before the 3rd Service this past Sunday. I put it on at the door as I greeted folks leaving Church much to the hilarity of all 🙂 - President Steward

01/05/2024

At the ELCM Triennial Synod this past August our dear friend The Rev. Dr. Doug Petrovich presented an excellent series of Biblical, Archaeological, and Ancient Linquistic Scholarship showing that a large portion of the Book of Genesis and all of Exodus is factual History reported by Moses. His scholarship is in contrast to the long dominant view that the Scripture referred to was myth legend invented by later authors.

Dr Doug dealt with more of Scripture set forth by Moses with his excellent Scholarship at a Conference in October dealing with the post Flood Tower of Babel And The identity of Ni**od. Truly fascinating presentation. I wasn’t able to be in attendance for all of the October Conference but I was able to attend enough to hear Dr. Petrovich mention the Video resources of growing evidence that there was indeed a worldwide Flood. The evidence has been set forth by Scientists from a number of disciplines The resource mentioned was “Is Genesis History.Com”. When I had time I checked out thus resource and found the information shared to be very plausible even though contrary to most of what I had been taught throughout my youth and young adulthood.

The evidence that various Scientists have set forth argue for a Thesis that is very Biblical and which supports a much younger earth than all of us have been taught. We have all of us grown up hearing that the Universe and the Earth are Billions of years old and that all just happened and has been evolving.

This of course is the basis of the Thesis of Charles Darwin. Darwin’s Thesis or Assumption is a matter of “Faith”. Assumption is what is called “Apriori” in Science. It is the Assumption held by the Scientist Prior to developing a Thesis (Theiry).

Darwin’s Theory requires huge amounts of time in order for Evolution that just happens to take place. His Thesis was applied not only to Biological life but also to all Social systems.

The Darwin Thesis/ Theory based upon a “Faith” that it all just happened and is progressively evolving based upon survival of the fittest/ strongest/ best adapted IS, however , in direct contrast to the Judaeo-Christian-Biblical Faith.

The Biblical Faith or Apriori assumption IS that it didn’t all just happen and it IS not just evolving.
The Biblical Faith IS: God did it. Gid created everything out of Nothing. Everything is created by (His) “Intelligent Design”. And the Biblical under standing has Apriori Faith” that He who created it all still IS. Thus the Name of God: “I am” or as De. Petrovich puts the translation of the Hebrew “He who Is”!

Intelligent Design does not require Billions upon Billions of years. And thus a much younger Universe and Earth as CD well as life time line is emphasized. In that Time line “He who Is” has intervened and continues to do so to manifest His “Intelligent Design”.

Many who have generally held to the Judaeo-Christian-Biblical Thesis have been so saturated by Science a la the Darwinistic Faith that they have attempted to meld the to radically different Theorie (Theses). They have held to a variety of Deistic Evolutionary Theories.

God just started it all Billions of years ago and then went off to do other things and has let it all evolve, Some hold. Or he tweets evolution in order that it may evolve ultimately into the pure spirituality of oneness others hold., Yet others hold that The Judaeo-Christian Scriptures are evolving over the ages and are not God’s Word to mankind but are the records of people on different ages trying to say something about God. This latter View has been a prominent Thesis among the supposed “Progressive/Liberal” Churches who hold that religion has progressed far beyond the Biblical emphas of past ages and those emphases are no longer binding for modern people. People are at the point of evolving into Human 2.0 (Machine -Man-Artificial Intelligence Hive creatures).

As I have been thinking about the presentations by Dr. Petrovich and reading Scripture as accurate History and also revisitiing intellihent design together with viewing the Theses presented by Various Scientists who are not affirming Darwin’s Apriori Faith I have also been reading MDiv Joe Allen’s Voluminous “Dark Awon” Book.

Joe does an excellent overview of contemporary views. He seems to hold to a form of Deistic Evolution but affirms a Luddite view in resisting the effort to move human beings away from being human.

And so I decided to launch a series of Study on Thursday Evenings beginning the Thursday before Lent at the Faith Ev. Lutheran Church, Frankstown Road, Social Hall. During these study sessions we will compare, contrast and discuss the two different Faith orientations. The Darwinism Faith Oriention (which is not a Faith in God - except in the Deistic Evolution Orientations) will be contracted with the Judaeo-Chrustian-Biblical-Historical Faith Orientation.

The Old Earth Apriori will be contrasted with the Young Earth Apriori. I am of the view that one’s political view for the future is greatly influenced by which one of these predominates in one’s understanding.

12/20/2023

incarnation blessings to all our ELCM members and friends! - President Steward

10/03/2023

This is a promo video for my Indiegogo campaign (Sept/Oct 2023) to raise funds for the initial publication of my new book (Ni**od the Empire Builder) and the...

Evangelical Lutheran Conference and Ministerium

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