The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya ( sw, Kanisa la Kiinjili la Kilutheri Katika Kenya) is a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

denomination in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

. It is a member of the

Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum The Global Confessional & Missional Lutheran Forum (Global Forum) is a global gathering of national and regional Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The forum was founded in Dallas, Dallas, Texas by invitation of the North American Lutheran Church in ...

, the

Lutheran World Federation The Lutheran World Federation (LWF; german: Lutherischer Weltbund) is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran denominations headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish ...

(which it joined in 1970), the

International Lutheran Council The International Lutheran Council (ILC) is a worldwide association of confessional Lutheran denominations. Member bodies of the ILC hold "an unconditional commitment to the Holy Scriptures as the inspired and infallible Word of God and to the Lu ...

, and the

National Council of Churches of Kenya The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), (in Swahili, ''Baraza kuu la makanisa nchini Kenya'') is a fellowship of Protestant churches and Christian organisations registered in Kenya. It is currently Chaired by the Africa Brotherhood Chur ...

. Its current archbishop is the Most Reverend Joseph Ochola Omolo.

History

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK) was born out of the missionary work of the Swedish Lutheran Mission in 1948 under the name Swedish Lutheran Mission (SLM). In 1963, the name of the church was changed and registered as the Lutheran Church of Kenya (LCK). In 1973, the name was changed again to ELCK with three districts, namely North District, Kisii District, and Nyanza District. In 1996, the church adopted episcopal polity, after the pattern of the Church of Sweden from which it had derived much early influence. The first bishop of the ELCK, Francis Nyamwaro, was elected that year. In 2002, the church was restructured into four dioceses (Central, Lake, South-West, and North-West). The first archbishop was elected and each diocese elected a diocesan bishop.

Structure

Archdiocese

Uhuru Highway Lutheran Church (Nairobi) was founded in 1964, with the present building consecrated in 1980. In 2005, it was elevated to the status of a cathedral by the archbishop of ELCK. Following the example of the

Anglican Church of Kenya The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) is a province of the Anglican Communion, and it is composed by 41 dioceses. The current Primate and Archbishop of Kenya is Jackson Ole Sapit. The Anglican Church of Kenya claims 5 million total members. Accordin ...

, the cathedral in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

, together with its precincts, has now been separated into a distinct diocese, styled the Archdiocese of the ELCK, and named Uhuru Highway Cathedral Diocese. The cathedra of the archbishop is located here, with the archbishop heading the staff team of three ordained clergy and assorted lay ministers.

Dioceses

The ELCK is administered from Nairobi, with the cathedral of the archbishop on Uhuru Highway, and the administrative office on University Way. The church consists of six dioceses: * Uhuru Highway Cathedral Diocese * South West Diocese * Lake Diocese * Central Diocese * North West Diocese * Nyamira Diocese

Doctrine

The ELCK is a mainstream Lutheran denomination, with doctrines centred upon the Christian scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired word of God, the catholic creeds (the

Apostles' Creed The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith". The creed most likely originated in 5th-century Ga ...

, the

Nicene Creed The original Nicene Creed (; grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας; la, Symbolum Nicaenum) was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. The amended form is a ...

, and the

Athanasian Creed The Athanasian Creed, also called the Pseudo-Athanasian Creed and sometimes known as ''Quicunque Vult'' (or ''Quicumque Vult''), which is both its Latin name and its opening words, meaning "Whosoever wishes", is a Christian statement of belief ...

), and the text of the Lutheran

Augsburg Confession The Augsburg Confession, also known as the Augustan Confession or the Augustana from its Latin name, ''Confessio Augustana'', is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Protestant Re ...

of 1530 together with Martin Luther's

Large Large means of great size. Large may also refer to: Mathematics * Arbitrarily large, a phrase in mathematics * Large cardinal, a property of certain transfinite numbers * Large category, a category with a proper class of objects and morphisms (or ...

and

Small Catechism ''Luther's Small Catechism'' (german: Der Kleine Katechismus) is a catechism written by Martin Luther and published in 1529 for the training of children. Luther's Small Catechism reviews the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Pra ...

s. The ELCK holds to mainstream Lutheran doctrines of the forgiveness of sins in baptism, and the

real presence of Christ in the Eucharist The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist, not merely symbolically or metaphorically, but in a true, real and substantial way. There are a number of Christian denomina ...

.See statements at the official website of th
archdiocese

Mission and objectives

ELCK exists to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ through the proper administration of the sacraments, providing the confessional Lutheran teachings, and caring for the well being of the whole person. The vision of this Church is to proclaim the good news of the crucified and resurrected Christ, the only way to salvation.

References

External links

*
Lutheran World Federation listingInternational Lutheran Council listing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya 1964 establishments in Kenya International Lutheran Council members Lutheran denominations established in the 20th century Lutheran World Federation members Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum members Lutheranism in Kenya Christian organizations established in 1964