Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North

America
The Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America
(ELDoNA) is a confessional Lutheran church body in the United
Evangelical Lutheran
States. There are twenty-eight pastors in the diocese, serving Diocese of North America
congregations in Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Abbreviation ELDoNA
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Classification Protestant
Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin plus
Colombia and the Philippines.[1][2] Orientation Confessional
Lutheran
The ELDoNA was founded June 6, 2006 at a meeting held at Structure Episcopal
Salem Lutheran Church, Malone, Texas. A second diocesan synod
Region United States
was held August 28 and 29, 2007.[3] The third diocesan synod
was held at Christ Lutheran Church in Richmond, Missouri on Congregations 28
May 22, 2008,[4] and the fourth in the same location, May 14–15, Official website eldona.org (htt
2009.[5] For the fifth Colloquium and Synod, the diocese returned p://eldona.org)
to Malone, Texas, May 12–15, 2010,[6] and met there again for the
sixth Colloquium and Synod May 11–13, 2011. The sixth Colloquium and Synod was the first in which all
but one of the pastors of the diocese and the entire clergy of the Association of Confessional Lutheran
Churches (ACLC) were in attendance. Among the significant decisions of the 2011 synod was the
resolution to open a diocesan seminary in September 2012; the 2012 synod chose to delay that planned
opening to 2014. The 2012 synod took place at Salem Lutheran Church in Malone, Texas the week of
April 23–27, 2012, and the 2013 synod took place April 29–May 3, 2013.

In August 2013 the ACLC broke fellowship with the ELDoNA due to the latter's stand on the doctrine of
Objective Justification.[7]

In 2006, James Heiser was called to serve as the diocesan bishop. Heiser has published a volume of essays
on the doctrine of the holy ministry entitled Stewards of the Mysteries of God.[8] He is also the author of a
study of the neo-Platonic revival which took place during the Italian Renaissance, entitled Prisci Theologi
and the Hermetic Reformation in the Fifteenth Century.[9]

In 2013, Repristination Press published a volume of essays by Pastor John Rutowicz which sets forth the
diocesan understanding of the episcopal office: Holding Fast the Faithful Word: Episcopacy and the Office
of the Holy Ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America.[10]

The diocese produces The Lutheran Herald, a monthly devotional journal that also includes diocesan
news.[11]

References
1. "Find A Parish" (https://eldona.org/find-a-parish/). eldona.org. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
2. "Clergy of the ELDoNA, affi liated congregations and missions, and sister churches" (http://el
dona.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/LHJuly2021.pdf) (PDF). The Lutheran Herald: 32.
July 4, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
 3. Colloquium & Synod (http://web.mac.com/hunnius/ELDoNA/2007_Colloquium_and_Synod.
html), ELDoNA, 2007.
4. Colloquium & Synod (https://web.archive.org/web/20081005022730/http://web.mac.com/hun
nius/ELDoNA/2008_Synod.html), ELDoNA, 2008, archived from the original (http://web.mac.
com/hunnius/ELDoNA/2008_Synod.html) on October 5, 2008, retrieved December 17, 2010.
5. Colloquium & Synod (http://web.mac.com/hunnius/ELDoNA/2009_Synod_%26_Colloquiu
m.html), ELDoNA, 2009.
6. Colloquium & Synod (http://web.mac.com/hunnius/ELDoNA/2010_Colloquium_%26_Syno
d.html), ELDoNA, 2010.
7. "History of the ACLC" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160923085128/http://theaclc.org/Infor
mative/history_of_the_aclc.htm). Association of Confessional Lutheran Churches. Archived
from the original (http://theaclc.org/Informative/history_of_the_aclc.htm) on September 23,
2016. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
8. Rutowicz, John (2011). Stewards of the Mysteries of God. Texas: Repristination Press.
ISBN 978-1-891469-41-1.
9. Rutowicz, John (2011). Prisci Theologi and the Hermetic Reformation in the Fifteenth
Century. Texas: Repristination Press. ISBN 978-1-4610-9382-4.
10. Rutowicz, John (2013). Holding Fast the Faithful Word: Episcopacy and the Office of the
Holy Ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North American. Texas: Repristination
Press. ISBN 978-1891469466.
11. Lutheran Herald (http://eldona.org/the-lutheran-herald), ELDoNA.

External links
Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America Website (http://www.eldona.org/)
News of Fellowship Between the ELDoNA and the ACLC (https://web.archive.org/web/2011
0728091649/http://theaclc.org/news.htm)
ELDoNA responds to the Actions of the ELCA 2009 Churchwide Assembly (http://steadfastlu
therans.org/?p=6726)
Wittenberg Door commentary (http://thewittenbergdoor.blogspot.com/2006/08/some-thoughts
-on-eldonaorg.html)
Mars Society Bio of Bp. Heiser (https://web.archive.org/web/20081119103707/http://www.ma
rssociety.org/portal/author/rheiser)
American Lutheran Publicity Bureau Discussion of the ELDoNA (http://www.alpb.org/forum/i
ndex.php?topic=719.0)
[1] (http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/2013/06/impressions-from-my-visit-with-eldona.html)

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