Conservative Laestadianism

In North and South America as well as in Africa this denomination is known as the Laestadian Lutheran Movement.

Laestadius met a Sami woman named Milla Clementsdotter of Föllinge, during an 1844 inspection tour of Åsele.

His sermons underwent a marked transformation, and the movement began to spread from Sweden to Finland and Norway.

Conservative Laestadians often have large families due to their belief that contraception is a sin.

[9] Conservative Laestadianism does mission work in 16 countries: Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Canada, Kenya, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo and the United States.

[7][10] Congregations in North America are located in the following provinces and states: Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan.

[11] United States: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.

[11] In 2011, the Finnish news media reported widespread child sexual abuse and coverup within Finnish Conservative Laestadianism occurring over at least 30 years that eventually led to many criminal cases including against several Laestadian lay preachers, resulting in lengthy prison terms.

[12][13][14][15][16][17] An article by Jani Kaaro from July 2015 entitled "Laestadians – A Modern Witchhunt" in the Finnish publication Rapport, questions the methods used to build the cases against the church leaders by the Finnish criminal justice system, in particular alleging the possible planting of the false ideas in children's minds.

There is also a book which describes Conservative Laestadian doctrine, The Treasure Hidden in a Field.