"Old" Norwegian Synod

Statements and confessions adopted in the era of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (1853-1917).

Lay Preaching

Adopted by the Synod in 1862, ending a controversy on lay preaching for the constituents of the Norwegian Synod. For more information, see ''Grace for Grace'' p. 137 and following.

The Third Commandment and the Christian Sunday

The Synod adopted this statement in 1863. It was prepared by Rev. J. A. Ottesen. See ''Grace for Grace'' p. 143 and following for more information.

Slavery

There had been some disquiet within the Synod concerning the perceived position of the Concordia Seminary (St. Louis) faculty on secession and slavery. The Synod adopted three statements on the subject of slavery: the first resolution in 1861, the second in 1868 to settle the controversy that ensued during the intervening years, and the third in 1869 to clarify and defend its position. See ''Grace for Grace'' p. 148 and following for more information.

Absolution

The Synod adopted these theses in 1874. For more information, see ''Grace for Grace'' p. 156 and following.

An Accounting

An Accounting to the Congregations of the Norwegian Synod, prepared by Ulrik Vilhelm Koren and published in November 1884 with the signatures of 107 Norwegian Synod pastors. From ''Grace for Grace:'' It is an important historical document which presented the teaching of the Norwegian Synod clearly and summed up all the arguments on both sides in the long drawn-out debate [on Conversion and Election], rejecting both the Calvinizing errors of which the Norwegian Synod had been falsely accused and the synergistic errors of Prof. Schmidt and his followers. It constitutes the confession on which the Norwegian Synod took its stand in the 1880's and on which we today still stand, since it gives the answer to the mistaken concessions and false teachings in the union documents of 1917 as well." See ''Grace for Grace'' p. 173 and following.