Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (U.S.). Delegate Assembly.

The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (U.S.) (AELC) was founded on December 3-4, 1976. Its formation grew out of a controversy in the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod centering around the alleged teaching of false doctrine at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri. A protest movement within the synod, called Evangelical Lutherans in Mission (ELiM), was formed and existed until 1975 when the synod censured its activities and called on people to choose between the synod and ELiM. The AELC was born out of that choice. Affected persons from the seminary left and formed a "seminary in exile", known variously as Concordia Seminary in Exile, Seminex and Christ Seminary-Seminex. Persons who had been released from the LC--MS' mission department also formed a new organization, Partners in Mission, which related variously to the AELC through its existence. The AELC joined with the American Lutheran Church (1961-1987) and the Lutheran Church in America in 1987 to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.