Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church

The Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church (ALCC) was founded in November, 1997 as the Evangelical Community Church-Lutheran (ECCL) by former members of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. It began as a single independent congregation, St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Kansas City Missouri. The first pastor of St. Michael's Lutheran Church was the Rev. Irl A. Gladfelter.
The Constitution and Canon Law of the ALCC require all clergy to be ordained (or re-ordained) into the historic apostolic succession upon their entry into the ALCC. Those already ordained in the historic apostolic succession in lineages considered technically valid by the Catholic Church are not re-ordained.
The ALCC officially changed its name to "Anglo- Lutheran Catholic Church" in October, 2007. The term, "Anglo" in the name reflects the fact that from its founding, this Church has been considerably influenced by the Anglo-Catholic ("high church") faction within Anglicanism.
Consistent with its ecumenical goal of eventual incorporation into the Catholic Church in whichever form is felt to be the most appropriate by the Vatican, through the years, the Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church (ALCC) modified its theology, polity, worship, and spirituality to the point where it now rejects all aspects of Lutheran and Anglican faith, polity, worship, and spirituality which are not in full agreement with the faith, polity, worship, and spirituality of the Catholic Church and the teachings of the Catholic Magesterium.
The ecclesiastical government of the Anglo-Lutheran Catholic is hierarchal and episcopal (governed by bishops.) The structure of this Church at the international, national, diocesan, and parish levels, and the role of the laity is the same as that of the Catholic Church. The code of doctrine and discipline are contained in the ALCC's Constitution, Canon Law Code, Church Regulations, and in areas not covered by those documents, by the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church (Vatican Library Edition, 1989.) In July of 2008 it began requiring all clergy to sign the Mandatum, which is a vow in the form of a legal contract to not teach, preach, write, or publish nothing contrary to the Catholic Magisterium. Compliance with the Mandatum is enforced.
At this time, the ALCC has five (5) archdioceses, three (3) dioceses, and two (2) ethnic non-geographic archdioceses in the United States. It has a vicar general in Kenya, a priest in Germany, a significant presence in Sudan and South Sudan, and also has a presence in Canada, Northwest Uganda, and Northeast Congo. The ALCC has Archbishops with jurisdiction as Minor Metropolitans for Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, North America, and Southeast Asia (though it has no Asian presence at this time.)
The ALCC is in Full Communion with the following "Continuing Anglican" Churches: Anglican Church of the Americas, Traditional Church of England, Anglican Church-Traditional Rite, Traditional Episcopal Church in Scotland, Traditional Church in Wales, Traditional English Church, and the Traditional Anglo-Catholic Communion. It is also in full communion with the Evangelical Marian Catholic Church.
The ALCC filed a formal petition to enter the Roman Catholic Church as a unified body in May of 2009, and in October of 2010 was directed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to enter the Catholic Church through the U.S. Anglican Ordinariate. The ALCC has officially accepted that instruction in writing. All ALCC clergy and parishes have applied to enter the U.S. Ordinariate.