International Lutheran Fellowship
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| Classification | Lutheran |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Evangelical Catholic |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Origin | 1967 North Dakota |
The International Lutheran Fellowship is an orthodox Lutheran Christian body. The ILF is an Inter-Lutheran group which includes cooperating Lutheran church clergy and laity.
The ILF is incorporated in 1967 as a not-for-profit entity in the state of North Dakota. Its original purpose was to assist Lutherans in the work of evangelism and ecumenism by providing them with a church home. The body has approximately ten districts in the United States (New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois, Texas, North Dakota, Florida and California) and twenty in Latin America (Venezuela),Africa, India, Canada (Ontario, British Columbia, and the North West Territories) and East Asia (Singapore), as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Congregations are independent, but a central and district structure of episcopal governance similar to that of the Church of Sweden and the English District of the Missouri Synod is observed as a sign of the apostolic succession and the unity of the Universal Christian Church. The Central Office is located in Springfield, Illinois.
The Order of Saint Francis-Lutheran (OSF-L) within the International Lutheran Fellowship has establishments in Canada and the United States. The Order includes both ordained clergy and lay brothers and sisters. [1]
While some parishes and districts follow an Lutheran Evangelical Catholicity model and style of worship, others follow a style of worship similar to that of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod or the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Many of its clergy are missionaries or chaplains. Theologically, the ILF may be characterized as traditionalist but evangelical in outreach. Worship styles are traditional, but ministry is dynamic.
[edit] References
- ^ Order of Saint Francis-Lutheran http://osf-lutheran.org/#/our-history/4529927128
