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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 Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...
, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the many differing Lutheran churches. Since 1984, the member churches are in pulpit and altar fellowship, with common doctrine as the basis of membership and mission activity. The LWF now has 148 member church bodies in 99 countries representing over 77 million Lutherans; as of 2020, it is the sixth-largest Christian communion (see list of denominations by membership). The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations,
theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...
, humanitarian assistance,
human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. The Department for World Service is the LWF's humanitarian and development arm. It has programmes in 24 countries and is the UNHCR ninth largest implementing partner. The LWF is a member of ACT Alliance. On 31 October 1999 in
Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...
, Germany, the Lutheran World Federation signed the '' Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification'' with the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. The statement is an attempt to narrow the theological divide between the two faiths. The declaration also states that the mutual condemnations between 16th-century Lutherans and the Roman Catholic Church no longer apply. A similar event took place in Lund Cathedral at the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
when
Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013 ...
visited
Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skån ...
, Sweden's southernmost province that originally was Danish. 119 of the 145 member churches (80%) ordain women as ministers.


History

The LWF was founded at Lund, Sweden, in 1947. Based in
Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...
, Switzerland, it replaced the more informal Lutheran World Convention, which had been founded in 1924. The goal was to coordinate international activities of the many Lutheran churches, to provide a forum for discussions on theological and organizational issues, and to assist in philanthropy, missionary activity, and exchange of students and professors. A key leader was Executive Secretary Sylvester C. Michelfelder (1889–1951), representing the American Lutheran Church. He had been a leader in organizing $45 million in American help for the rebuilding of Protestant churches in Germany after 1945. By the time of his death in 1951, the federation represented 52 churches in 25 countries.


Largest churches

The 20 largest member churches are (with number of members in millions; 2021 statistics): # Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (10.4) # Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (7.9) #
Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sw ...
(5.9) # Batak Christian Protestant Church (4.5) # Church of Denmark (4.3) # Malagasy Lutheran Church (4.0) #
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland ( fi, Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; sv, Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan i Finland) is a national church of Finland. It is part of the Lutheran branch of Christianity. The church has a legal positi ...
(3.8) # Church of Norway (3.7) # Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (3.6) #
Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
(3.0) # Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover, Germany (2.6) # Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Germany (2.3) # The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (2.2) # Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany (2.1) # Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg (2.0) # Protestant Church in the Netherlands (1.7) # Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (0.9) # Evangelical Church in Central Germany (0.7) #
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony The Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony (''Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Sachsens'') is one of 20 member Churches of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), covering most of the state of Saxony. Its headquarters are in Dresden, and its b ...
(0.7) # Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (0.6) # Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (0.6)


Federation officials


President

The President is the federation's chief official representative and spokesperson. He or she presides at meetings of the Assembly, Council and Meeting of Officers, and oversees the life and work of the federation in consultation with the General Secretary.


General Secretary

The Lutheran World Federation Council elects the General Secretary, who is appointed for a seven-year term. The person appointed is eligible for re-election. The General Secretary conducts the business of the federation assisted by the Communion Office Leadership Team, comprising department and unit heads appointed by the council, and carries out the decisions of the Assembly and Council. On 19 June the LWF Council elected Estonian theologian Rev. Anne Burghardt as the next General Secretary. She is the first woman to serve in this role. Rev. Burghardt will assume office on 1 November.


Members

This map shows the global distribution of Lutheranism based on The LWF 2013 membership data. ''Sorted by country in alphabetical order'' * Angola : Evangelical Lutheran Church of Angola * Argentina : Evangelical Church of the River Plate (includes Paraguay and Uruguay) : United Evangelical Lutheran Church * Australia : Lutheran Church of Australia (includes New Zealand) – associate member church (''also an associate member of the International Lutheran Council'') * Austria : Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria * Bangladesh : Bangladesh Lutheran Church : Bangladesh Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church * Belarus : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States * Belgium : Lutheran Church of Belgium: Arlon and Christian Mission * Bolivia : Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church : German-Speaking Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Bolivia * Botswana :
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana is an Evangelical Lutheran church in Botswana. It has a membership of 22,000, and has been a member of the Lutheran World Federation since 1986. It is also affiliated with its regional expression, the ...
* Brazil : Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil * Cameroon : Church of the Lutheran Brethren of Cameroon : Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon * Canada : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada * Central African Republic : Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic * Chile : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile : Lutheran Church in Chile * China (Hong Kong SAR) :The Chinese Rhenish Church Hong Kong Synod :The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong : Hong Kong and Macau Lutheran Church :
Tsung Tsin Mission of Hong Kong The Tsung Tsin Mission of Hong Kong or TTMHK () is one of the eight Lutheran bodies in Hong Kong. It currently has approximately 10,600 members. The current president of TTMHK is Elder Wong Fook Yee. History The TTMHK was established in its ...
* Colombia : Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia : St Matthew's Lutheran Congregation : St. Martin's Lutheran Congregation * Congo, Democratic Republic of : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo * Costa Rica : Evangelical Lutheran Church of Costa Rica : Lutheran Costarican Church * Croatia : Evangelical Church in the Republic of Croatia * Czechia : Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren : Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession * Denmark : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark (includes Church of Greenland, but not the Church of the Faroe Islands) * Ecuador : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ecuador * El Salvador : Salvadoran Lutheran Church * Eritrea :
Evangelical Church of Eritrea Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "born again", in which an individual experi ...
* Estonia : Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church * Ethiopia : Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (''also 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 Lutheran churches. The forum was founded in Dallas, Texas by invitation of the North American Lutheran Church in 2015 to bring togeth ...
'') * Finland :
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland ( fi, Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; sv, Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan i Finland) is a national church of Finland. It is part of the Lutheran branch of Christianity. The church has a legal positi ...
* France :
Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine The Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine (french: Union des Églises protestantes d'Alsace et de Lorraine, UEPAL; german: Die Union der Protestantischen Kirchen von Elsass und Lothringen; gsw-FR, D' Union vu da Protäschtàntischa ...
: United Protestant Church of France :
Malagasy Protestant Church in France The Malagasy Protestant Church in France (french: Église protestante malagache en France; mg, Fiangonana Protestanta Malagasy aty Andafy) (FPMA) was founded in 1959 by Malagasy students in France with the agreement of the Federation of Protestan ...
* Ghana : Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana (''also a full member of the International Lutheran Council'') * Georgia : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States * Germany :
Church of Lippe The Church of Lippe (german: link=no, Lippische Landeskirche) is a Reformed (Calvinist) member church of the Evangelical Church in Germany that covers what used to be the Principality of Lippe. Seat of the church administration is Detmold. The ...
, Lutheran Classis : Evangelical Church in Central Germany : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Baden : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg : Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg : Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover :
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony The Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony (''Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Sachsens'') is one of 20 member Churches of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), covering most of the state of Saxony. Its headquarters are in Dresden, and its b ...
:
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schaumburg-Lippe The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schaumburg-Lippe (german: Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Schaumburg-Lippe) is a Lutheran member church ( Landeskirche) of the Evangelical Church in Germany. It covers the former principality of Schaumburg- ...
:
Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad The Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad (LELCA) ( lv, Latvijas Evaņģēliski luteriskā baznīca ārpus Latvijas (LELBĀL); german: link=no, Lettische Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche im Ausland) is a Lutheran denomination with a presence in ...
* Guatemala : Evangelical Lutheran Congregation "La Epifania" * Guyana : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Guyana * Hungary :The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary * Honduras : Christian Lutheran Church of Honduras * Iceland :The
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland ( is, Hin evangelíska lúterska kirkja), also called the National Church ( is, Þjóðkirkjan), is the officially established Christian church in Iceland. The church professes the Lutheran faith an ...
* India :
Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
:
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madhya Pradesh Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madhya Pradesh is a Church belonging to the Lutheran denomination in India. It has about 22,000 members. The head office is situated in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. It is affiliated with United Evangelical Lutheran Chu ...
:
Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Himalayan States Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Himalayan States is a Christian denomination in India. It has about 25,000 members. It belongs to the Lutheran World Federation. Its president is Godwin Nag. The other churches belonging to the United Evangelical ...
: Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church :
Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam (GELC) is a major Christian Protestant denomination in India. It has hundreds of thousands of members. It was established on 2 November 1845. It belongs to National Council of Churche ...
:
India Evangelical Lutheran Church India Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELC) is a Christian denomination in India. Its headquarters is in Tamil Nadu. It belongs to the International Lutheran Council and the Lutheran World Federation. It has four synods named Ambur Synod, Nagerc ...
(''also a full member of the International Lutheran Council'') :
Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church is a major Lutheran Christian denomination in India. It was established in 1882. At that time, the founder of The Schleswig Holstein Evangelical Lutheran Mission Society of Germany (SHELM) in Germany was Pasto ...
:
Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church (NELC) is a multi-lingual Lutheran Christian church that is centred mainly in four states of North India - Jharkhand, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Bengal. The reach of the Church extends into Nepal and the ...
:
South Andhra Lutheran Church South Andhra Lutheran Church is a Christian denomination in India. It is Telugu-speaking. It is led by Bishop Rev.E.Vijayabhasker, who elected by an election It has tens of thousands of members. It belongs to the Lutheran World Federation. Sever ...
:The
Arcot Lutheran Church Arcot Lutheran Church is a Christian denomination in India. It has about 40,000 members. It belongs to National Council of Churches in India, United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India, Lutheran World Federation and World Council of Churches. The ...
:The Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church * Indonesia :
Batak Christian Community Church The Batak Christian Community Church () is a Lutheran denomination in Indonesia. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, which it joined in 1972. It is affiliated with the Christian Conference of Asia, the Communion of Churches in Indone ...
: Christian Communion of Indonesia Church in Nias :
Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa The Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa (Gereja Masehi Injii di Minahasa) is a Protestant, Calvinist and Reformed church in Indonesia. It was founded in North Sulawesi on 30 September 1934. Christianity was introduced to Minahasa by Johann Fr ...
:
Christian Protestant Church in Indonesia Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ� ...
: Christian Protestant Angkola Church :
Evangelical Church in Kalimantan The Rheinische Missiongesellschaft zu Bremen (RMG) started missions in Kalimantan, now known as Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southea ...
: Indonesian Christian Lutheran Church (''also 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 Lutheran churches. The forum was founded in Dallas, Texas by invitation of the North American Lutheran Church in 2015 to bring togeth ...
'') : Pakpak Dairi Christian Protestant Church : Protestant Christian Batak Church :The Protestant Christian Church : Protestant Christian Church in Mentawai :
Simalungun Protestant Christian Church Gereja Kristen Protestan Simalungun (GKPS - Simalungun Protestant Christian Church) is a Lutheran and Reformed Protestant church formally founded to spread Christianity among the Simalungun people, a tribe living in Simalungun, North Sumatra, Indo ...
:The
United Protestant Church A united church, also called a uniting church, is a church formed from the merger or other form of church union of two or more different Protestant Christian denominations. Historically, unions of Protestant churches were enforced by the state ...
* Ireland :The
Lutheran Church in Ireland The Lutheran Church in Ireland ( ga, An Eaglais Liútarach in Éirinn, german: Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Irland) is a Lutheran church, operating across the island of Ireland. In 1955 the Lutheran church was re-established in Dublin and m ...
* Italy : Lutheran Evangelical Church in Italy * Japan : Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church :
Japan Lutheran Church The or NRK (based on its Romaji initials) is a confessional Lutheran denomination in Japan. It currently has approximately 766 baptized members in 35 congregations nationwide. The current chairman of the NRK is Rev. Shin SHIMIZU. History Dur ...
– associate member church (''also a full member of the International Lutheran Council'') : Kinki Evangelical Lutheran Church * Jordan : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan & the Holy Land * Kazakhstan : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States * Kenya : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (''also a full member of the International Lutheran Council and 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 Lutheran churches. The forum was founded in Dallas, Texas by invitation of the North American Lutheran Church in 2015 to bring togeth ...
'') : Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church * Korea, Republic : Lutheran Church in Korea (''also a full member of the International Lutheran Council'') * Kyrgyzstan : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States * Latvia : Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia * Liberia : Lutheran Church in Liberia * Liechtenstein :
Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein The Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and Liechtenstein (''In German'': Bund Evangelisch-Lutherischer Kirchen in der Schweiz und im Fürstentum Liechtenstein; and ''in French'': Fédération des Eglises évangéliques luthé ...
* Lithuania : Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania * Madagascar : Malagasy Lutheran Church (''also a full member of the International Lutheran Council'') * Malawi : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi * Malaysia : Basel Christian Church of Malaysia :
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia or ELCM is one of the four Lutheran bodies in Malaysia. It currently has 21 congregations nationwide with a total of 3,650 members.Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore :The Protestant Church in Sabah * Mexico : German-Speaking Evangelical Congregation in Mexico : Mexican Lutheran Church * Mozambique : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mozambique * Myanmar : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Myanmar : Lutheran Church of Myanmar : Myanmar Lutheran Church (''also an associate member of the International Lutheran Council'') : The Mara Evangelical Church * Namibia : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN – GELC) : Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN) * Nepal : Nepal Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church * Netherlands : Protestant Church in the Netherlands * Nicaragua : Nicaraguan Lutheran Church of Faith and Hope * Nigeria : Lutheran Church in Nigeria : The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria * Norway : Church of Norway :
Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway The Evangelical Lutheran Free Church, or the Free Church as it is commonly known ( no, Den Evangelisk Lutherske Frikirke, shortened ''Frikirken''), is a nationwide Lutheran church in Norway, consisting of 83 congregations and 21,817 baptised memb ...
* Palestine : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan & the Holy Land * Peru : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Peru : Peruvian Lutheran Evangelical Church * Papua New Guinea :
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea is a Protestant church denomination located in Papua New Guinea that professes the Lutheran branch of the Christian faith. The Church is incorporated by a 1991 Act of the Parliament of Papua New ...
: Gutnius Lutheran Church (''also a full member of the International Lutheran Council'') * Philippines :
Lutheran Church in the Philippines The Lutheran Church in the Philippines is a Lutheran denomination in the Philippines. It was founded by Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod missionaries in 1957. The Lutheran Church in the Philippines is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, ...
(''also a full member of the International Lutheran Council'') * Poland : Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession in Poland * Romania :
Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania (german: Evangelische Kirche A.B. ugsburgischen Bekenntnissesin Rumänien, ro, Biserica Evanghelică de Confesiune Augustană în România) is a German-speaking Lutheran church in ...
: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Romania * Russia : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States : Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia (''also a full member of the International Lutheran Council'') * Rwanda : Lutheran Church of Rwanda * Senegal : Lutheran Church of Senegal * Serbia : Slovak Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Serbia * Sierra Leone : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone * Singapore : Lutheran Church in Singapore * Slovak Republic : Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovak Republic * Slovenia :
Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovenia The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovenia ( sl, Evangeličanska cerkev augsburške veroizpovedi v Sloveniji) is a Lutheran denomination in Slovenia. It is led by Bishop Leon Novak. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federat ...
* South Africa : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (Cape Church) : : Moravian Church in South Africa * Sri Lanka : Lanka Lutheran Church (''also a full member of the International Lutheran Council'') * Suriname : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Suriname * Sweden :
Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sw ...
* Switzerland :
Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein The Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and Liechtenstein (''In German'': Bund Evangelisch-Lutherischer Kirchen in der Schweiz und im Fürstentum Liechtenstein; and ''in French'': Fédération des Eglises évangéliques luthé ...
* Taiwan (Republic of China) : Lutheran Church of Taiwan :
Taiwan Lutheran Church The Taiwan Lutheran Church (TLC; ) is one of the six Lutheran bodies in Taiwan. It currently has 80 mission sites nationwide (including 40 local congregations, 30 church plants and 10 parachurch organizations) with a total of 11,422 baptized m ...
* Tanzania : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (''also 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 Lutheran churches. The forum was founded in Dallas, Texas by invitation of the North American Lutheran Church in 2015 to bring togeth ...
'') * Thailand : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand * Ukraine : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States * United Kingdom :
Lutheran Church in Great Britain The Lutheran Church in Great Britain (LCiGB) is a small Protestant Christian church in the United Kingdom. The LCiGB is a member church of the Lutheran World Federation and of The Lutheran Council of Great Britain, the umbrella organisation f ...
: The Lutheran Council of Great Britain * United States of America : Evangelical Lutheran Church in America * Uruguay : Evangelical Church of the River Plate : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Uruguay * Uzbekistan : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States * Venezuela : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Venezuela : Lutheran Church of Venezuela * Zambia : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia * Zimbabwe : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe


Views on same-sex unions

Some member denominations have recognized same-gender unions through marriage, a blessing rite, or special prayers. These include the Church of Denmark, Church of Iceland, Church of Norway,
Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sw ...
, Evangelical Church in Austria, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Chile,
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland ( fi, Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; sv, Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan i Finland) is a national church of Finland. It is part of the Lutheran branch of Christianity. The church has a legal positi ...
, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Geneva,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy The Lutheran Evangelical Church in Italy ( it, Chiesa Evangelica Luterana in Italia, german: Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Italien, abbreviated CELI or ELKI) is a Protestantism, Protestant denomination in the Lutheranism, Lutheran tradition in ...
, a majority of the churches within the Evangelical Church in Germany, Evangelical Church of the River Plate, Protestant Church in the Netherlands, and the United Protestant Church of France. On the other side, several churches, including the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, the Malagasy Lutheran Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania, which recognize marriage as solely the union between a man and a woman, have broken ties with many of the churches supporting same-gender unions. The Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil supports civil same-sex marriage, but does not allow its ministers to celebrate same-gender unions, neither does it ordain ministers who are living in same-gender unions.


See also

* Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference *
Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum The Global Confessional & Missional Lutheran Forum (Global Forum) is a global gathering of national and regional Lutheran churches. The forum was founded in Dallas, Texas by invitation of the North American Lutheran Church in 2015 to bring togeth ...
* International Lutheran Council *
List of the largest Protestant denominations This is a list of the largest Protestant denominations. It aims to include sizable Protestant communions, federations, alliances, councils, fellowships, and other denominational organisations in the world and provides information regarding the me ...
*
Porvoo Communion The Porvoo Communion is a communion of 15 predominantly northern European Anglican and Evangelical Lutheran churches, with a couple of far-southwestern European (in the Iberian Peninsula) church bodies of the same denomination. It was establish ...
* World Council of Churches


Notes


References


Bibliography

* :


External links

* {{Authority control International bodies of Lutheran denominations Christian organizations established in 1947 International bodies of Lutheran denominations (currently existing)