cyberjosh
Member
I had never heard of this Church before today but the more and more I read about it, the more I like it. How I stumbled across it is I was studying Scandinavian religious history (I've inhereited about 70% Norwegian from both sides of my family) and Scandinavia was a huge place for the Reformation that complimented Luther's reforms. As a result, most of Scandinavia was Lutheran and several revivals happened over the years. Apparently this Church (Evangelical Covenant Church) had its origins in a late 1800s movement in Sweden that moved to America. The Church had Lutheran background. And even though Lutheran Churches aren't my favortie I wouldn't mind going to one - my Grandparents went to a Lutheran Church (being the last in a long line of family tradition) when I was a kid, but now they go to a more modern church that seems to mix the best aspects of both Baptist beliefs and charismatic enthusiasm with firm Biblical base (sorry - that was tangent).
Anyway, I read their (the The Evangelical Covenant Church) doctrinal beliefs and I like how they remain firm in the Bible because of the traditional Lutheran beliefs but are more liberated in the sense of not being legalistic like some other Lutheran denominations have. Infact one of the founding Swedish theologians for this denomination, Paul Petter Waldenström, was contemporary to another Swedish preacher/leader named Læstadius who (though his teachings were good) eventually founded a demonination that (by succesional corruption - meaning the people after him messed it all up), while it had ties with Paul Petter Waldenström's revival in Sweden, went the other direction and is today one of the most legalistic Luthern Churches in America and (not meaning to offend my Catholic brethren too much) is almost worse in their Church government than the Catholics are in their dedication to the Pope (they believe they must consult the "elders in Sweden" for all important affairs - prefered over what the Bible says sometimes): The Old Apostolic Lutheran Church. Look here for a debunking/exposing of their beliefs. They hold that only their denomination can be saved. Sounds familiar...
Yet on the other hand the The Evangelical Covenant Church seems to have prospered. To me that seems to tell me that of the Godly movements started in Scandinavia (of which I owe my family's Christian heritage to one, or a conglomerate, of them) that out of that movement begun by Paul Petter Waldenström and a similar movement by his contemporary Læstadius (whom the Old Apostolic lutherans venerate) God seems to have blessed one immensely and yet let the other corrupt itself. Its an intersting observation really, because it helps me see how God moved in history. And if you've never done research on how denominations were started - you should. It's facinating.
From what I've heard of The Evangelical Covenant Church it sounds like a Church I would not mind joining. Have you heard anything about it? I'm curious.
Tell me your thoughts.
God Bless,
~Josh
Anyway, I read their (the The Evangelical Covenant Church) doctrinal beliefs and I like how they remain firm in the Bible because of the traditional Lutheran beliefs but are more liberated in the sense of not being legalistic like some other Lutheran denominations have. Infact one of the founding Swedish theologians for this denomination, Paul Petter Waldenström, was contemporary to another Swedish preacher/leader named Læstadius who (though his teachings were good) eventually founded a demonination that (by succesional corruption - meaning the people after him messed it all up), while it had ties with Paul Petter Waldenström's revival in Sweden, went the other direction and is today one of the most legalistic Luthern Churches in America and (not meaning to offend my Catholic brethren too much) is almost worse in their Church government than the Catholics are in their dedication to the Pope (they believe they must consult the "elders in Sweden" for all important affairs - prefered over what the Bible says sometimes): The Old Apostolic Lutheran Church. Look here for a debunking/exposing of their beliefs. They hold that only their denomination can be saved. Sounds familiar...
Yet on the other hand the The Evangelical Covenant Church seems to have prospered. To me that seems to tell me that of the Godly movements started in Scandinavia (of which I owe my family's Christian heritage to one, or a conglomerate, of them) that out of that movement begun by Paul Petter Waldenström and a similar movement by his contemporary Læstadius (whom the Old Apostolic lutherans venerate) God seems to have blessed one immensely and yet let the other corrupt itself. Its an intersting observation really, because it helps me see how God moved in history. And if you've never done research on how denominations were started - you should. It's facinating.
From what I've heard of The Evangelical Covenant Church it sounds like a Church I would not mind joining. Have you heard anything about it? I'm curious.
Tell me your thoughts.
God Bless,
~Josh