Christian Cyclopedia

Swed. immigrants, who came from free Luth. chs. or miss. socs. formed as a result of revivals in Swed., organized indep. congs. in Am. Some of these, esp. in Illinois, formed the Swed. Ev. Luth. Mission Syn. 1873; others formed the Swed. Ev. Luth. Ansgarius Syn. 1874, which joined The General* Syn. of the Ev. Luth. Ch. in the USA 1875. The 2 united 1885 to form the Swed. Ev. Mission Covenant Ch. of Am. The name The Ev. Covenant Ch. of Am. was adopted 1957; “of Am.” was dropped 1983. The ch. stresses the necessity of spiritual life, essential unity of Christians, consecrated living, miss. work. It finds inspiration and guidance in hist. creeds but adopts no fixed creeds. Mems. confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive the OT and NT as the record of God's revelation of Himself through various acts of love and judgment, as His special revelation, and as the only perfect rule of faith, doctrine, and practice.

C. W. Biorklund, H. J. Ekstam, K. A. Olsson, and D. C. Frisk, According to Thy Word (Chicago, 1954).