Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina

The IELA had its beginnings in November 1905 in Aldea San Juan, Entre Ríos Province in northeastern Argentina, when missionaries from the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) began mission work among the Russian-German immigrants there.

In the 1920s, additional work was undertaken in Chaco Province among Russian-German immigrants from the Volga region of Russia.

[2] The work in Argentina was originally part of the Brazilian District of the LCMS, which later became the independent Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil.

[3] Seminary training was conducted at Porto Alegre, Brazil, until 1942, when what is now known as Seminario Concordia was established in Villa Ballester.

[4] Pre-seminary training was originally given at Colegio Concordia, which was established in 1926 in Crespo, Entre Ríos.