I've been , and studied, them quite a bit in my lifetime. I was raised in a Methodist-Episcopal church, that was pretty formal. Great-grandparents from Prussia to Texas were Lutheran, but went to the Episcopalian church when the Lutheran church burned. Some of their children remained in the Episcopalian church, but, the ones who had children, joined the Methodist church. Then, when I married, I joined the Lutheran church because my husband insisted he was Lutheran. Turned out he had never been to any church. His parents were Catholic, and lived way out in the country. When his mother wanted my husband to be christened, she had a ride to the Lutheran church, but not to the Catholic Church. So, that's where he was christened and the only time he ever went to a church. I went through all that studying to become Lutheran, then found out later! After the divorce, the new Lutheran minister came to me and told me to not come back to his church. I didn't have a job, and they wanted my ex to come as he would be giving money to the church, and I couldn't. I had to drag the man to church to make him go, so I don't know how that worked out. I am still astonished by that incident. After that, every time I went into a Lutheran church, I became physically ill and had to leave. Then, I became interested in the Catholic church, so I studied that and converted. I had been interested for a while as I liked services that were formal and mysterious and beautiful, classical music. I was disappointed in all the changes that made it more like the Lutheran church and the Methodist-Episcopal church. After my son was killed, I moved in with my parents, where there was no Catholic church. So, I ended up going back to the Methodist church. Now that should really fool future researchers! My children and I are in so many different church records across Texas! I found very little difference in the Lutheran and Methodist-Episcopal churches. The only difference I noticed was that the Luterhans would kneel and Methodists don't. There were many similarities in both churches to the Catholic church, as well. I'm sure that ancestors in other countries didn't move around and change lives like I have, but I would imagine that some did. That might help some people as they search. Be open to various possibilities. Cecelia in Texas > GOSH - I almost hate to get involved here - but think some explanations > are due. > > Thru the years the Lutheran church has changed - just as have many of the > other churches. Some for the better, some for the worst. > > ELCA - EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF AMERICA - is just one type of > Lutheran Church and probably least like the Catholic church. There are > many different Lutheran churches, Wisconsin Lutheran Church, Lutheran > Church Missouri Synod - American Lutheran Church - and these are just in > the US - other countries have their own - just like there are many > different Baptist and Methodist churches. ELCA is just one type of > Lutheran church. > > > > chances are if you have Lutherans in your family, you probably have > Catholics also. Many of the more traditional Lutherans are more > comfortable in a Catholic church than in many of our more modern > denominations. > > just my thoughts - only been Lutheran for half a century. > > > > Don't be surprised to find both Catholic and Lutherans in your family. Be > safe and look at both! > > Brigitte >