National Evangelical Lutheran Church
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The National Evangelical Lutheran Church (original name was Finnish Evangelical Lutheran National Church of America until 1946) was a Finnish-American Lutheran church that was organized 1898 at Rock Springs, Wyoming. The church was started by people who had left the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America over concerns of losing congregational freedom and autonomy. The church merged with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod on January 1, 1964. After about 40 years of close cooperation with the LCMS, during which time all her ministerial students had been trained at LCMS seminaries.
Presidents of NELC
- J. W. Eloheimo 1898–1900
- Wilhelm Adrian Mandellöf 1900–1905
- William Williamson 1905–1908
- Karl Gustaf Rissanen 1908–1913
- Peter Wuori 1913–1918
- Arne Wasunta 1918–1922
- Karl E. Salonen 1922–1923
- Matti Wiskari 1923–1931
- Gustaf A. Aho 1931–1953
- Jalo E. Nopola 1953–1959
- Emil A. Heino 1959-1963
- Vilho V. Latvala 1963–1964
