The Origin of the Lutheran Conference of Confessional Fellowship (LCCF)

Abstract

David P. Baker’s comprehensive essay traces the formation and development of the Lutheran Conference of Confessional Fellowship (LCCF), a small Lutheran church body that emerged in the early 1980s following doctrinal disputes within the Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC). The central controversy involved membership in fraternal benefit societies such as Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL) and Lutheran Brotherhood (LB), which were deemed unionistic by some within the CLC. Baker details the theological debates, synodical resolutions, and congregational responses that led to the withdrawal of several pastors and congregations from the CLC. These groups, committed to stricter doctrinal separation, formed the LCCF in 1983. The essay documents the LCCF’s confessional stance, organizational structure, and key figures, while reflecting on the broader implications of doctrinal integrity, ecclesiastical fellowship, and the challenges of maintaining unity in small church bodies. —Abstract prepared by Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4)