The Apostolic Lutheran Church of America is a Lutheran church established by Finnish-Americans in the early 20th century. The Finns came principally from northern Norway and were identified under the State Church. However, there were a number belonging to a party founded by Provost Lars Levi Laestadius, of Pajala, Sweden. Eventually, there were too many arguments between these and the other Lutherans and some of the followers of Laestadius were excluded from the Sacrament. Under the lead of Salomon Korteniemi the excluded formed a congregation of their own in December, 1872, under the name of the Salomon Korteniemi Lutheran Society. In 1879 this name was changed to the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Congregation. As other congregations of Finns in Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and Oregon were organized on the same basis, they came into fellowship with this body under the name of the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church, or, as it is usually called, the Apostolic Lutheran Church. In 1995, membership in the denomination was estimated to include 7,700 members in 60 congregations. By 2009, it shrank to about 6,000 baptized members. Its ministers are mostly lay preachers. It has sizable congregations in Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, New Hampshire and in various other countries, such as Canada and Finland.