Lutheranism in North America organized under the leadership of Henry Melchior Mühlenberg (1711-1787). In view of many free spirits and sectarians, Mühlenberg felt the necessity to organize congregations and build a structure. August 26, 1748 saw a special celebration with the completion of the Michaeliskirche in Philadelphia and the ordination of deacon Kurtz. Six pastors and 24 laypeople, representing ten congregations, had assembled. This was not a constituting assembly; however, from that point on we find the expressions Vereinigte Prediger ("United Preachers") and Vereinigte Gemeinden ("United Congregations"). 1781 we find the German Evangelical Lutheran Ministerium of Pennsylvania and Neighbouring States. Since that time, some kind of organization or association of German Lutheran congregations has continually existed. One of the later organized efforts to maintain ministry in word and sacrament in the German language was made 1919 in Philadelphia, PA, and with the assembly of the General German Conference in Buffalo, NY, 1921. In 1962, a merger of several Lutheran church bodies established the Lutheran Church in America as governing body for both the USA and Canada, which resulted in a new count of assemblies of the German Interest Conference Of The Lutheran Church in America. This era ended with the XIII. Assembly in Philadelphia 1987.
In 1986, a Canadian national Lutheran church body (ELCIC) was established by merger, and the Lutherans in the US followed in 1988 by forming the ELCA. These Lutheran church bodies in both countries suggested that the German Interest Conference split and align itself along the national bodies. The assembly in 1989 decided not to split the Special Interest Conference, to rename itself German Evangelical Lutheran Conference in North America (DELKINA), and to adopt a new constitution.