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Augustana Catholic Church
Augustana Catholic Church
Classification	Lutheran
Orientation	Evangelical Catholic
Polity	Episcopal
Region	Africa, Caribbean, Latin America
Founder	Irl Allen Gladfelter
Origin	1997
Branched from	Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
Congregations	19
Members	11,100
Ministers	22

The Augustana Catholic Church (ACC), formerly the Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church (ALCC), Augustana Evangelical Catholic Church (AECC), and Evangelical Community Church-Lutheran (ECCL), is a High Church Lutheran or Evangelical Catholic denomination. Founded in 1997 by Metropolitan Archbishop Irl Allen Gladfelter, a former United States Army lieutenant colonel,^[1] the church claimed 19 congregations, 6 schools, 22 clergy, and 11,100 members altogether in 2010.^[2] Although it no longer has a presence in the United States as of 2013, the Augustana Catholic Church is active in Haiti and Ecuador, as well as in certain African countries.^[3]

History

In 1997, the church was founded as the Evangelical Community Church-Lutheran by former members of the Missouri Synod.^[2] Founded and initially led by Irl Allen Gladfelter, the church was headquartered in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; by January 2004, Gladfelter was episcopally ordained by Peter Paul Brennan, who also ordained him as deacon and priest.^[1] Gladfelter was a member of the Anglo-Papalist Order of Corporate Reunion. After their ordinations, an Augustinian order was established within the church.

During Gladfelter's tenure, the denomination accepted papal primacy and infallibility, and clergy were required to sign a mandatum, affirming their rejection of teaching beliefs contrary to Roman Catholic doctrine; by May 2009, the church filed a formal petition to enter full communion with the Latin Church,^[4]^[5] and in 2011, Gladfelter resigned as leader and reconciled with Roman Catholicism.^[6]

As of 2013, the church was dissolved as a registered non-profit corporation within the United States; it remained active in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa.^[3]

Doctrine

The Augustana Catholic Church accepted papal primacy and papal infallibility even though it was not under papal control.^[7]

Full communion

The Augustana Catholic Church established altar and pulpit fellowship (full communion) with the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches.^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b Kersey, John (2016-06-10). "Death of Archbishop Irl A. Gladfelter". The Abbey-Principality of San Luigi. Retrieved 2024-07-21.
^ ^a ^b "Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church". Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches. Retrieved 2024-07-21.
^ ^a ^b "Augustana Evangelical Catholic Church (Lutheran)". HealthVision International. 2013-11-29. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
^ The Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church Has Filed A Petition To Enter the Roman Catholic Church, St. Michael's Lutheran Church ALCC, Kansas City Missouri, archived from the original on 2013-05-11, retrieved 2011-09-20.
^ Fournier, Keith (2012-03-13). "Are Lutherans Next? Lutherans Seek Full Communion with Catholic Church". Catholic Online. Archived from the original on 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2024-07-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ "Irl A. Gladfelter Jr". Star-Journal. 2016-09-16. Retrieved 2024-07-21.
^ "How Is The ACC I is Different From Other Lutheran Churches", Frequently Asked Questions, Archdiocese of the West
^ "Association of Independent Evangelical Lutheran Churches (1988 - Present) - Religious Group". Association of Religion Data Archives. 2024. The Association of Independent Evangelical Lutheran churches was formed in 1988 and incorporated in New York in 2001. It is a small, conservative Lutheran church that affirms the authority of the Bible. It maintains dioceses for Haiti, South America, and South Africa, and is in communion with the Augustana Catholic Church, the Lutheran Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Evangelical Protestant Church.