Full of Joy Podcast - Lutheran Stories: Lutheranism in America

March 23, 2026

Pastor Eric Ohrtman

Did you know there are over 30,000 Christian denominations in the United States? Don’t worry, we’re only going to focus on the Lutheran ones today (and, more specifically, the ELCA). Pastor Eric Ohrtman gives us a brief history of Lutheranism in America, including some things the ELCA emphasizes—i.e. education and the social gospel. For more information, check out these webpages mentioned in the podcast: 1) https://medium.com/migration-issues/a-very-brief-history-of-american-lutheranism-be8b7a26fd59 2) https://www.elca.org/about-the-elca/who-we-are/history