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The Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church in Calumet, Michigan
The Laestadian Revival Movement was brought to the
western hemisphere with Scandinavian immigrants in the end of 1860's.
The very first Laestadians came from the northernmost parts of Norway
and their origin was Finnish or Lappish. Some years later began also the
Finnish immigration from Northern Finland. Laestadians made an important
part of these newcomers. They started the Finnish spiritual and
congregational activity and organizing in 1873, when the Solomon
Korteniemi Lutheran Society was formed in Calumet, Michigan. Later the
congregation was renamed to the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church and
Laestadians were called to the Apostolic Lutherans in common use.
Apostolic Lutheranism gained a footing almost
everywhere, where immigrants from Finland and Northern parts of Sweden
and Norway moved. The
support of this fraction of Lutheran faith was strong among the
Scandinavians in Northern Michigan, Northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, South
and North Dakota, Washington, Oregon and Massachusetts. After that has
Laestadianism colored local culture in Michigan's Copper Country, New
York Mills, Wolf Lake and Esko in Minnesota, Colombia River Valley in
Washington and Oregon and New Ipswich in New Hampshire. In the beginning
was the American Laestadianism an ethnic religion. The followers were
almost all Finnish, Norwegian or Swedish immigrants from Northern
Scandinavia. In the end of 19th century joined the first
non-Scandinavians to this religion. Even so, the American Laestadianism
has also today a strong Finnish colour. In many congregations even
majority has a family name of Finnish origin.
The Laestadian movement in America has suffered from
the same inner conflicts as in Europe. These have caused several
splits and lead to forming of almost eight different gongregational
branches. The most important of them are:
- The Laestadian Lutheran Church -> Conservative
Laestadians
- The Old Apostolic Lutheran Church -> Firstborns
- The Apostolic Lutheran Church of America ->
Smallfirstborns/Federation
- The First Apostolic Lutheran Church ->
Heidemanins/Töröläläiset
- The Independent Apostolic Lutheran Church ->
Pollarites/Ritimnattilaset
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