I have encountered it with some LCMS folk. And I've encountered it more with Masons than with GLOs. I think GLOs perhaps suffer guilt by association.

One has to consider, too, that the "Lutheran landscape" was quite different in 1925, when Beta Sigma Psi was founded, than it is today. There was no ELCA then -- the American Lutheran world was much more, I'll say "disjointed," for want of a better word, then it is now. There were quite a few synods and groups, usually with specific ethnic or linguistic backgrounds, that over time both become less German/Swedish/Norwegian etc. and more American and have coalesced into what is now the ELCA or remained somewhat seperate and attracted like-minded Lutherans, like the LCMS or WELS. In 1925, a specifically Lutheran fraternity apparently met a need, and apparently it still does for some.

That's news to me, considering my dad and many of the male members of our ELCA church are Masons.

The LCMS governing body doesn't prohibit membership in GLOs as it does with other fraternal organziations (mainly Shriners and Masons, I believe), but it's not like you're going to be kicked out of the church if you did belong.

I present the Lutheran Slide Rule:

Conservative-----------------------------------------------------Liberal

WELS ..............................LCMS ............................................... ELCA

WELS are extremely conservative, to the point where I'm not even positive they let women hold congregational offices, or if they do they're lower-position ones.

LCMS are still fairly conservative, but are a little more forward thinking than WELS. Women can hold office and vote in church matters, but cannot be Pastors.

ELCA are the most liberal (but still fairly conservative in the grand scheme of things). They allow open communion with other select denominations and women can be Pastors.

And even within those braches individual churches can be conservative or liberal. There could be an LCMS church that seems more liberal than a conservative ELCA church.

Here ends my short lesson on the Lutheran faith and the complete hijacking of the thread.

ELCA communion is open to anyone, not just select denominations.

There's another branch too, that's even more liberal then ELCA, but I don't remember the name.

My bad -- I wasn't clear. By "both of these groups," I meant LCMS and WELS, not ELCA. Sorry for the confusion. I will correct.

Perhaps ISUKappa was thinking of "full communion" agreements with other denominations, such as mine.

Not a complete highjacking, since the thread is on a Lutheran fraternity. :)

And as I said, perhaps the situation to consider is what the feeling on masonic and GLO membership would have been in 1925 more than now.

Yes, thank you. I know ELCA communion is open compared to WELS or LCMS, but that they also have specific communal agreements wither denominations.

Most likely correct, my grandparents were WELS. They still spoke German in their services up till the '80's.

One question: what do the letters mean? NOt Beta Sig Psi, I mean the english one.

LCMS- Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
ECLA- :confused:
WELS- :confused:

ELCA - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
WELS - Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Beta Sigs were at Illinois State while I was in school.

They were stand up guys.

I wish them the best:)

I'd like to take this opportunity to enlighten the world about what Lutherans have done for society.
It was Lutherans and not Mormons that brought you Davey and Goliath.
http://www.thrivent.com/magazine/fal...andgoliath.jpg
Which is insanely parodied by the Cartoon Network's Moral Orel. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...orel_image.jpg