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Laestadianism in America |
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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:
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