Anti-Missourian Brotherhood

Part of a series on
Lutheranism
Luther's rose
Book of Concord Apostles' Creed Nicene Creed Athanasian Creed Augsburg Confession Apology of the Augsburg Confession Luther's Small / Large Catechism Smalcald Articles Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope Formula of Concord
Theology Justification Law and Gospel Sola gratia Sola scriptura Christology Sanctification Two kingdoms Priesthood of all believers Divine Providence Marian theology Theology of the Cross Sacramental Union Homosexuality
Sacraments Rites Baptism Eucharist Confession Confirmation Matrimony Anointing of the Sick Holy Orders
Organization Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference International Lutheran Council Lutheran World Federation Denominations Lutheranism by region
History Protestant Reformation (start) Lutheran Orthodoxy Gnesio-Lutherans Pietists Haugeans Laestadians Finnish Awakening Old Lutherans Neo-Lutherans High Church Lutherans Confessional Lutherans
Missionaries John Campanius Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg Hans Egede Johann Heinrich Callenberg Johann Phillip Fabricius Paul Henkel John Christian Frederick Heyer Karl Graul Martti Rautanen Wilhelm Sihler F. C. D. Wyneken Hans Paludan Smith Schreuder Lars Olsen Skrefsrud Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen Onesimos Nesib Paul Olaf Bodding Johann Flierl Christian Keyser
Bible translators Martin Luther Casiodoro de Reina Kjell Magne Yri Onesimos Nesib Aster Ganno Jurij Dalmatin Kristian Osvald Viderø Jákup Dahl Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg Johann Phillip Fabricius William Tyndale John Rogers George Constantine Jozef Roháček Johannes Avetaranian Guðbrandur Þorláksson Ludvig Olsen Fossum Hans Egede / Paul Egede Otto Fabricius Nils Vibe Stockfleth Olaus Petri / Laurentius Petri Martti Rautanen Primož Trubar Jurij Dalmatin Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen Joachim Stegmann Primož Trubar Sebastian Krelj Mikael Agricola Norwegian Bible Society Samuel Ludwik Zasadius Stanislovas Rapalionis Victor Danielsen Jákup Dahl Laurentius Andreae Hans Tausen Olaf M. Norlie Jonas Bretkūnas Hans Paludan Smith Schreuder Antonio Brucioli Mikołaj Jakubica Matthias Bel Johann Ernst Glück William F. Beck
Theologians Martin Luther / Katharina Luther Philipp Melanchthon Johannes Bugenhagen Johannes Brenz Justus Jonas Lucas Cranach the Elder Hans Tausen Laurentius Petri Olaus Petri Mikael Agricola Matthias Flacius Martin Chemnitz Johann Gerhard Abraham Calovius Johannes Andreas Quenstedt Johann Wilhelm Baier David Hollaz Henry Muhlenberg Lars Levi Læstadius Charles Porterfield Krauth C. F. W. Walther Dietrich Bonhoeffer Paul Tillich
Lutheranism portal

Anti-Missourian Brotherhood was the name of a group of Lutheran pastors and churches in the United States that left the Norwegian Synod. ^[1]

In 1872, the Norwegian Synod had been a co-founder of the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America, along with the Missouri, Wisconsin, and Ohio Synods. The Norwegian Synod soon experienced internal division over questions concerning predestination and conversion, a conflict known as Predestination Controversy (naadevalgsstriden).

During the decade of the 1880s about a third of its congregations left. The dispute led to hard feelings and a polarized church body. There were depositions of pastors by their congregations, squabbles over ordinations and the editorial policies of periodicals, disputed elections of district officers and the like. The Anti-Missourian Brotherhood began to function as an entity within the Synod and established its own seminary at St. Olaf College in 1886. ^[2]

The Anti-Missourians were so named because they disagreed with the predestination positionthat was held by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The Anti-Missourians opposed the views of Dr. C. F. W. Walther, of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, on these questions. They left the Synod at its annual meeting in Stoughton, Wisconsin during 1887. Among the leading advocates of the anti-Missourian position were St. Olaf College founding pastor, Bernt Julius Muus, J. N. Kildahl and Thorbjorn N. Mohn (both St. Olaf College Presidents) together with Luther Seminary Professor M. O. Bockman. ^[3]

These dissenting "Anti-Missourian Brotherhood" congregations joined in 1890 with the Norwegian Augustana Synod and the Norwegian-Danish Conference to form the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America which was a forerunner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

References