Editing Confessing Movement (section)

===Lutheran===
{{see also|Confessional Lutheranism}}
The [[Communion of Nordic Lutheran Dioceses]] are non-territorial Lutheran dioceses that entered into [[schism]] with their [[national church]]es in 2003 due to what they perceived as "the secularization of the national/state churches in their respective countries involving matters of both Christian doctrine and ethics".<ref name="Ross2016">{{cite web |last1=Ross |first1=Paula Schlueter |title=Nordic Lutheran churches seek ILC membership |url=https://reporter.lcms.org/2016/nordic-lutheran-churches/ |publisher=[[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]] |access-date=7 May 2021 |language=English |date=28 January 2016}}</ref> These dioceses are members of the [[International Lutheran Council]], a body of [[Confessional Lutheran]]s; they are in [[full communion]] with one another and include the [[Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland]], [[Missionsprovinsen|Mission Province of the Church of Sweden]], and the [[Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Norway]].<ref name="Block2019">{{cite web |last1=Block |first1=Mathew |title=Swedish Lutherans consecrate new bishop |url=https://ilc-online.org/tag/mission-province-in-sweden/ |publisher=[[International Lutheran Council]] |access-date=7 May 2021 |language=English |date=13 June 2019}}</ref>

Conservative traditions have always been strong in the [[Lutheran church|Lutheran]] synods of North America. Over the last two centuries, most of the many new synods were started by members who felt their synod was straying from Christian orthodoxy. There are several reform movements that have been founded in recent years to effect change within existing Lutheran denominations. The largest of these organizations is the [[WordAlone]] Network, organized in 2000 in opposition to the Concordat/[[Called to Common Mission]] agreement with the [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church USA]]. Under that agreement, the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] (ELCA) agreed to undertake the Episcopal practice of being governed by bishops in the historic episcopate. Many Lutherans saw this as contrary to Lutheran theology and organized in opposition to it. While the WordAlone Network has worked to reform church governance, sometimes with little visible reward for their effort, they succeeded at the 2005 Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA in slowing the efforts of those who sought to revise the understanding of homosexuality within the ELCA. This was accomplished in cooperation with others who did not oppose the historic episcopate through the [[Solid Rock Lutherans]] organization. WordAlone has also been an incubator for launching related groups working to reform the church. They include a new publisher of a Lutheran hymnal (Reclaim Lutheran Worship), LC3, and [[Lutheran CORE]]. The most successful WordAlone outgrowth is [[Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ]] (LCMC), a post-denominational association of 724 congregations in ten countries, with 656 of them in the United States.

The Evangelical Lutheran Confessing Fellowship (ELCF) is one of the more recent of these "reform" movements, inspired by the other Protestant "confessing movements" described in this article. The ELCF was organized in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in February, 2002 by about 60 [[pastor]]s and laypersons who belonged to the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]]. The goal of the movement is to remain faithful to the orthodox or traditional teachings of the church, especially with regard to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the unique Lordship of Jesus Christ, the authority of scripture, and human sexual intimacy. Its efforts have been to persuade the ELCA to return to orthodox positions with regard to its theology and teachings, rather than separation from the ELCA. According to their initial press release, a primary goal is to head off apparent movement toward formal recognition and ordination of [[homosexual]] clergy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.elcf.net/news_061802.html |title=Lutherans Organize Confessing Movement |date=June 18, 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041112013432/http://www.elcf.net/news_061802.html |archive-date=November 12, 2004 |access-date=March 16, 2021}}</ref> In 2005, the proposals to allow ordination of homosexual clergy and blessing of homosexual relationships were defeated at the ELCA's national convention.

In 2005 the Lutheran Coalition for Reform ([[Lutheran CORE]]) was formed to organize groups and individuals within the ELCA to uphold the traditional church teachings on the scriptures, marriage, and sexuality.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mcsletstalk.org/other-ways-to-do-and-be-the-church/lutheran-core-a-free-standing-what/ |last=Wolf |first=Erma |title=Lutheran CORE: A Free-Standing What??? |date=February 11, 2015 |website=Let's Talk |access-date=March 16, 2021}}</ref> The decisions of the [[2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly]] to allow pastors to be in same-sex relationships and still preach the ministry caused Lutheran CORE to begin working towards focusing on helping alternative confessing fellowships for Lutherans no matter what church affiliations. Lutheran CORE still maintains membership within the ELCA and the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada]] though they also have affiliations with LCMC and the [[Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod]], among others; Lutheran CORE was also instrumental in the formation of the [[North American Lutheran Church]] in 2010 by Lutheran CORE congregations that no longer wished to be part of the ELCA or ELCiC.

Still working within the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]]  (ELCA) is the Society of Orthodox Lutheran Advocates (SOLA), which aims to restore what it sees as theological orthodoxy in the denomination.<ref name="Wingfield2023"/>