LSM-USA Informational Packet

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A Brief History of LSM

LSM-USA was founded in 1969. Two former Lutheran college organizations, the Lutheran Student Association of America (LSAA, founded in 1922) and Gamma Delta (founded in 1928) merged to create LSM-USA in 1969 while gathered in convention in Boulder, Colorado.

In 1984, the organization Lutherans Concerned/North America (LC/NA) began what is known as the Reconciled in Christ movement. This movement seeks Lutheran bodies that are willing to declare themselves accepting and affirming of all members of the body of Christ, regardless of ethnicity, age, or sexuality. LSM-USA became the first Lutheran organization to declare itself Reconciled in Christ.

Until 1985, LSM-USA was supported and sponsored by the American Lutheran Church (ALC), the Lutheran Church in America (LCA), the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC), and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS).In 1985, LCMS officially withdrew its support for LSM-USA, citing doctrinal differences, primarily LSM-USA's decision to declare itself a Reconciled in Christ organization. In 1988, ALC, LCA, and AELC merged to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), thus reducing the number of official Lutheran churches sponsoring LSM-USA to one.

In 2004, LSM-USA entered into a full ministry partnership with Lutheran Youth Encounter. This partnership provides outreach opportunities for both organizations within each other's events. The ELCA continues to support LSM-USA financial and LSM-USA greatly values and appreciates their relationship with the ELCA.