Evangelical-Lutheran Liturgical Congregations (lutheranLiturgy.org) Web Site Updated
Are you traveling this fall or want to visit other liturgical congregations in an area? The ELLC (Evangelical-Lutheran Liturgical Congregations) website has had a face-lift over the past few weeks, and now includes maps to help you locate congregations near a certain area.
Whether traveling on vacation or business or moving to a new home, this directory will help you find Evangelical-Lutheran congregations which have not adopted worship customs from the surrounding culture, such as “contemporary worship,” “praise bands,” or “entertainment worship.”
This listing was originally the idea of The Rev. Gary V. Gehlbach, who was traveling to Florida with his family in 2000. His “fussy family” wondered, “What church will we attend?” As they were thinking about this, they realized that many other people had the same concern. From there, the idea developed to gather this information into one place. In order for easy access, the web site was set up.
Many of you have viewed the site in the past, but you will hopefully be pleased with the improvements in the searching and listing capability. The reliability of the data has also improved, as all the listed churches have been verified over the past few months.
Pastor Gehlbach, Pastor Stefanski, and I would appreciate your checking your own church or any churches you know the location of. The locations were found using Google Maps, and we all know that frequently when you look for a location, the point it picks on the map may be off by a block or two (or even farther; one Pastor reported that his church was actually about 3 miles from the identified location!). We have made it very easy for you to update the information — simply follow directions on the website; you can pan and zoom the map to the precise location, viewing the satellite image or the map image, and simply click on the map to locate the listed church.
Many pastors have voiced their appreciation for this site over the years, as have many travelers. In an age where one can’t trust most acronyms on church signs to mean that what will be found inside is in accord with Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, we are glad to make available this aid for connecting those who wish faithfully to hear and practice with those who wish faithfully to preach and practice.
Be sure to visit lutheranLiturgy.org and check out your church or other churches in your area soon!
Norm Fisher
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Norm, thank you so much for all your work!
That site is awesome. Good work.
As a frequent traveler I would love to say thank you to those involved with the web site. I would either have not gone to church on some Sundays or settled for something else. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Can we get this put up on the website? So that this one can start to become the one-stop shopping for Confessionalism that I hope it becomes?
Quinn,
It is in good hands where it is. We can put up a permanent link though on our sidebar.
TR
This is a most valuable tool. And it is sad that we need it.
Thanks so much for this. It is also encouraging to know that there is still faith in Israel and that there are those who have not yet bowed the knee to Baal.
Joe, I agree with you wholeheartedly, but…it displays not only the separation that now exists, but the potential for future unity.
That is, it is sad that those in the WELS and LCMS need a site like this, but maybe those who are listed will seek one another out and recognize that they are not in the body they should be in fellowship with.
EJG (glad that all the pastors with whom I am in fellowship are qualified to list their parishes in the ELLC locator, but praying that the rest of you will know that joy some day soon…and adding my praise for what Norm has done in this revision, even though it’s cost me several hours today!)
Be sure to check the site out again — it now allows you to get driving directions to the church from any address that you type in.
Google Maps API is quite an amazing collection of mapping tools!
As over the road truck drivers, my husband and I check this site for possible churches to visit along our way. Thanks for this. Also, a family member moved to the Franklin, TN area recently. Can anyone recommend a church in that area?