The Lutheran World Federation (LWF; german: Lutherischer Weltbund) is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran denominations headquartered in the

Ecumenical Centre The Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland, is located in the vicinity of the International Labour Organization, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and the World Health Organization and serves as the base for the following church ...

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of

Lund Lund (, , ) is a city in the southern Swedish provinces of Sweden, province of Scania, across the Øresund, Öresund strait from Copenhagen. The town had 91,940 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 121,510 . It is the seat of Lund Municipali ...

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 opposin ...

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 Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...

and

interfaith relations Interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels. It is ...

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 the ...

humanitarian assistance Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help. It is usually short-term help until the long-term help by the government and other institutions replaces it. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and ...

human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, 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 ce ...

, communication, and the various aspects of

mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

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 The ''Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification'' (JDDJ) is a document created and agreed to by the Catholic Church's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) and the Lutheran World Federation in 1999 as a result of exte ...

'' 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 Lund Cathedral ( sv, Lunds domkyrka) is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Sweden in Lund, Scania, Sweden. It is the seat of the Bishop of Lund and the main church of the Diocese of Lund. It was built as the Catholic cathedral of the archiepi ...

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 of Sweden, provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conte ...

, Sweden's southernmost province that originally was

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

. 119 of the 145 member churches (80%) ordain women as ministers.

History

The LWF was founded at

, Sweden, in 1947. Based in

, Switzerland, it replaced the more informal

Lutheran World Convention 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 ...

, 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 The American Lutheran Church (TALC) was a Christian Protestant denomination in the United States and Canada that existed from 1960 to 1987. Its headquarters were in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Upon its formation in 1960, The ALC designated Augsburg ...

. 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 The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY; also called Mekane Yesus Church) is a Lutheran denomination in Ethiopia. It is the largest individual member church of the Lutheran World Federation. It is a Lutheran denomination with some ...

(10.4) #

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) is the federation of Lutheran churches in Tanzania and one of the largest Lutheran denominations in the world, with more than 6 million members, or 13% of the Tanzanian population. It is the secon ...

(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 The Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (''HKBP''), which translates in English as ''Batak Christian Protestant Church'', is a Lutheran church that is oriented towards Protestant among the Batak people, generally the Toba Batak in Indonesia. With a ...

(4.5) #

Church of Denmark The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark or National Church, sometimes called the Church of Denmark ( da, Folkekirken, literally: "The People's Church" or unofficially da, Den danske folkekirke, literally: "The Danish People's Church"; kl, ...

(4.3) #

Malagasy Lutheran Church The Malagasy Lutheran Church (in Malagasy it is known as FLM: ''Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy'') is one of the most important Christian churches in Madagascar, established in 1950 by the unification of 1,800 Lutheran congregations in central and so ...

(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 positio ...

(3.8) #

Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church b ...

(3.7) #

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant Lutheran church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. , it has approxim ...

(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 The Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover (german: Evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche Hannovers) is a Lutheran church body ''(Landeskirche)'' in the northern German state of Lower Saxony and the city of Bremerhaven covering the territory of th ...

, Germany (2.6) #

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria (german: Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern) is a Lutheran member church of the Evangelical Church in Germany in the German state of Bavaria. The seat of the church is in Munich. The '' Landesbischo ...

, Germany (2.3) #

The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) is a major Lutheran denomination in Nigeria, a member of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). It was established as an independent church in 1913 from the Sudan United Mission, Danish Branch (SUM ...

(2.2) #

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany (Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Norddeutschland) is a Lutheran member church of the Evangelical Church in Germany (Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, EKD). It was established on 27 May 2012 ...

(2.1) # Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg (2.0) #

Protestant Church in the Netherlands The Protestant Church in the Netherlands ( nl, de Protestantse Kerk in Nederland, abbreviated PKN) is the largest Protestant denomination in the Netherlands, being both Calvinist and Lutheran. It was founded on 1 May 2004 as the merger of the ...

(1.7) #

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) is a Lutheran denomination based in Namibia. It has a total membership of over 772,398, mainly in Northern Namibia. Formerly known as the Evangelical Lutheran Ovambo-Kavango Church (ELOC), it pla ...

(0.9) #

Evangelical Church in Central Germany The Evangelical Church in Central Germany (German: ''Evangelische Kirche in Mitteldeutschland''; ''EKM'') is a United church body covering most of the German states of Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia and some adjacent areas in Brandenburg and Saxony. ...

(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 The Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (Igreja Evangélica de Confissão Luterana no Brasil) is a Lutheran denomination in Brazil. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, which it joined in 1952. It is a member of the ...

(0.6) #

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa is a Lutheran church in South Africa. The church has 580,000 baptized members in seven dioceses in South Africa, Botswana, and Eswatini, and is (by a wide margin) the largest Lutheran church in th ...

(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 The Evangelical Church of the River Plate ( or IERP) is a United, Protestant denomination with congregations in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It is named after the Río de la Plata Basin, where the majority of its congregations are located. ...

(includes Paraguay and Uruguay) :

United Evangelical Lutheran Church The United Evangelical Lutheran Church (commonly known as the United Church) was one of the many denominations formed when Lutherans came to the United States from Europe. Originally known as the United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Uni ...

* Australia :

Lutheran Church of Australia The Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) is the major Lutheran denomination in Australia and New Zealand. It counts 540 congregations and 30,026 members according to official statistics. It was created from a merger of the Evangelical Lutheran Chu ...

(includes New Zealand) – associate member church (''also an associate member of 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 ...

'') * Austria :

Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria (Evangelische Kirche Augsburgischen Bekenntnisses in Österreich) is a Lutheran denomination in Austria. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, which it joined in 1947. It is a ...

* Bangladesh :

Bangladesh Lutheran Church Christians in Bangladesh account for 0.30% (roughly 500,000 believers) of the nation's population as of 2022 census. Together with Judaism and Buddhism (plus other minority religious groups such as Atheism, Sikhism, the Bahá’í Faith and ot ...

: Bangladesh Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church * Belarus :

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Central Asia (russian: Евангелическо-лютеранская церковь в России, Украине, в Казахстане и Средней Азии), also ...

* Belgium : Lutheran Church of Belgium: Arlon and Christian Mission * Bolivia :

Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church The Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church (Spanish: Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Boliviana (IELB) is a Protestant Church denomination located in Bolivia that professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity. Formed in 1972 by Lutheran missionaries from ...

: 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 L ...

* Brazil :

* Cameroon :

Church of the Lutheran Brethren of Cameroon Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon (EELC) (french: L’Eglise Evangélique Luthérienne au Cameroun) is a Lutheranism, Lutheran denomination in Cameroon. The EELC was registered as a religious body in Cameroon in 1965 and currently has ap ...

* Canada :

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC; french: Église évangélique luthérienne au Canada) is Canada's largest Lutheran denomination, with 95,000 baptized members in 519 congregations, with the second largest, the Lutheran Church–C ...

* Central African Republic : Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic * Chile :

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile (IELCH : Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en Chile) is a Lutheran denomination in Chile. The church has 2,500 members in 13 parishes.

Lutheran Church in Chile The Lutheran Church in Chile (''Iglesia Luterana en Chile'', ILCH) is one of the two denominations of Lutheranism in Chile. It separated from the historical Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile (IELCH) in 1975 due to differences in political perce ...

* China (Hong Kong SAR) :The

Chinese Rhenish Church Hong Kong Synod The Chinese Rhenish Church Hong Kong Synod () is a Lutheran denomination in Hong Kong. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, which it joined in 1974. It is affiliated with the Hong Kong Lutheran Federation Ltd. See also * Lutheran Chu ...

:The

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong (; Abbreviated as ELCHK) is a Lutheran denomination in Hong Kong. History On 27 February 1954, its establishing ceremony was held at Tao Fong Shan, Sha Tin with representatives from all Lutheran congr ...

: 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 c ...

* Colombia :

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana de Colombia) is a Lutheran denomination in Colombia. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation The Lutheran World Federation (LWF; german: Lutherischer Weltbund) i ...

: St Matthew's Lutheran Congregation : St. Martin's Lutheran Congregation * Congo, Democratic Republic of :

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo (; ELCCo) is a Lutheran denomination in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, which it joined in 1986. It is also a member of the All Africa Conference of Churches ...

* Costa Rica :

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Costa Rica The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Costa Rica (''Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Costa Rica'' in German, ''Iglesia Evangélica Luterana de Costa Rica'' in Spanish) is a German-speaking parish of Lutheran faith in Costa Rica. It is a member of the ...

: Lutheran Costarican Church * Croatia :

Evangelical Church in the Republic of Croatia The Evangelical Church in the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Evangelička (luteranska) crkva u Hrvatskoj or ECRH) is a Lutheran denomination in Croatia. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, which it joined in 1951. It is also a member of t ...

* Czechia :

Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB) ( cs, Českobratrská církev evangelická; ČCE) is the largest Czech Protestant church and the second-largest church in the Czech Republic after the Catholic Church. It was formed in 1918 in C ...

Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession The Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession (SECAC) ( cs, Slezská církev evangelická augsburského vyznání (SCEAV), pl, Śląski Kościół Ewangelicki Wyznania Augsburskiego) is the biggest Lutheran Church in the Czech Rep ...

* Denmark :

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark or National Church, sometimes called the Church of Denmark ( da, Folkekirken, literally: "The People's Church" or unofficially da, Den danske folkekirke, literally: "The Danish People's Church"; kl, ...

(includes Church of Greenland, but not the Church of the Faroe Islands) * Ecuador : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ecuador * El Salvador :

Salvadoran Lutheran Church The Salvadoran Lutheran Church (Iglesia Luterana Salvadoreña) is a Lutheran denomination in El Salvador. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, which it joined in 1986. It is also a member of the Caribbean Conference of Churches, the Co ...

* 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 exper ...

* Estonia :

Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC; Estonian: ''Eesti Evangeelne Luterlik Kirik'', abbreviated EELK) is a Lutheran church in Estonia. EELC is member of the Lutheran World Federation and belongs to the Community of Protestant Church ...

* Ethiopia :

(''also a member of the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum'') * Finland :

* France : Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine :

United Protestant Church of France The United Protestant Church of France (french: Église protestante unie de France) is the main and largest Protestant church in France, created in 2013 through the unification of the Reformed Church of France and the Evangelical Lutheran Church o ...

: Malagasy Protestant Church in France * Ghana :

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana is a Lutheran denomination in Ghana. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation The Lutheran World Federation (LWF; german: Lutherischer Weltbund) is a global communion of national and regional Lu ...

(''also a full member of the

'') * Georgia :

* 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 Lutheran Church in Baden The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Baden (Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Baden) is a Lutheran denomination in Germany. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, which it joined in 1968. It is also a member of the Conference of European Chu ...

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick (german: Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche in Braunschweig) is a Lutheran church in the German states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. The seat of the Landesbischof (bishop) is Wolfenbüttel. ...

: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg :

Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg (german: Evangelische Landeskirche in Württemberg) is a Lutheran member church of the Evangelical Church in Germany in the German former state of Württemberg, now part of the state of Baden-Württem ...

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-L ...

: Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad * 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 * India :

: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madhya Pradesh :

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 Good Samaritan Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Christian denomination in India. It has about 40,000 members. Its headquarters is in Bhadrachalam, Madhya Pradesh. It has been founded in 1972. It is led by T. Esther Rani. The other churches belongin ...

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, Nagercoil ...

(''also a full member of the

'') :

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 Pastor ...

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 NEL ...

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. Severa ...

: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 The Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Christian denomination in south India, which was established in 1919 and has approximately 200,000 members. Its headquarters is in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. It is one of the prominent mainline Lutheran chu ...

* Indonesia : Batak Christian Community Church : 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 : Christian Protestant Angkola Church :

Evangelical Church in Kalimantan The Rheinische Missiongesellschaft zu Bremen (RMG) started missions in Kalimantan, now known as Borneo, in 1838 among Dayak Ngaju and Maanyan tribes. The work was almost destroyed because of a riot against the Dutch Empire, Dutch rule. The developme ...

: Indonesian Christian Lutheran Church (''also a member of the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum'') : Pakpak Dairi Christian Protestant Church : Protestant Christian Batak Church :The Protestant Christian Church : Protestant Christian Church in Mentawai : Simalungun Protestant Christian Church :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 * Italy :

Lutheran Evangelical 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 Protestant denomination in the Lutheran tradition in Italy. Founded in 1949, th ...

* Japan : Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church : Japan Lutheran Church – associate member church (''also a full member of the

'') : Kinki Evangelical Lutheran Church * Jordan : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan & the Holy Land * Kazakhstan :

* Kenya :

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya ( sw, Kanisa la Kiinjili la Kilutheri Katika Kenya) is a Lutheran denomination in Kenya. It is a member of the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum, the Lutheran World Federation (which it join ...

(''also a full member of the

and a member of the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum'') :

Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church The Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Lutheran denomination in Kenya. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, which it joined in 1992. It is also a member of the National Council of Churches of Kenya The National Council of Churches o ...

* Korea, Republic :

Lutheran Church in Korea The Lutheran Church in Korea or LCK ( ko, 기독교한국루터회) is a Confessional Lutheran, confessional Lutheranism, Lutheran Christian denomination, denomination in the Republic of Korea and the only Lutheranism, Lutheran denomination in Sou ...

(''also a full member of the

'') * Kyrgyzstan :

* Latvia :

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Evaņģēliski luteriskā baznīca, or LELB) is a Lutheran Protestant church in Latvia. Latvia's Lutheran heritage dates back to the Reformation. Both the Nazi and communist regimes pe ...

* Liberia :

Lutheran Church in Liberia 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 ...

* Liechtenstein : Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein * Lithuania :

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Evangelikų Liuteronų Bažnyčia, ELCL) is a Lutheran church body comprising congregations in Lithuania. The ELCL is a member of the Porvoo Communion and the Lutheran World Federation ...

* Madagascar :

(''also a full member of the

'') * Malawi : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi * Malaysia :

Basel Christian Church of Malaysia The Basel Christian Church of Malaysia or BCCM ( ms, Gereja Kristian Basel Malaysia), formerly known as Borneo Basel Self Established Church, is one of the four Lutheran bodies in Malaysia. It currently has 112 congregations nationwide and 63,0 ...

: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia :

Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore The Lutheran Church in Malaysia or LCM ( ms, Gereja Lutheran di Malaysia) is one of four Lutheran bodies in Malaysia. It currently has 52 congregations nationwide with a total of 6,736 baptised members and is the largest entirely Lutheran body ...

: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 Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

: Myanmar Lutheran Church (''also an associate member of the

'') : The Mara Evangelical Church * 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 :

* Nicaragua :

Nicaraguan Lutheran Church of Faith and Hope The Nicaraguan Lutheran Church of Faith and Hope (Iglesia Luterana de Nicaragua Fe y Esperanza) is a Lutheran denomination in Nicaragua. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation The Lutheran World Federation (LWF; german: Lutherischer ...

* Nigeria : Lutheran Church in Nigeria :

* Norway :

: Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway * 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 The Gutnius Lutheran Church, formerly the Wabag Lutheran Church, is a Lutheranism, Lutheran body existing in Papua New Guinea. ''Gutnius'' means "Good News (Christianity), Good News" in Tok Pisin. It was established by the Lutheran Church–Missou ...

(''also a full member of the

'') * Philippines : Lutheran Church in the Philippines (''also a full member of the

'') * 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 Ro ...

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Romania The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Romania ( ro, Biserica Evanghelică-Luterană din România; hu, Romániai Evangélikus-Lutheránus Egyház; german: Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Rumänien) is a Lutheran denomination in Romania. Many acti ...

* Russia :

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria (russian: Евангелическо-лютеранская церковь Ингрии, ''Yevangelichesko-lyuteranskaya tserkov Ingriyi''; fi, Inkerin evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; also the Church of In ...

(''also a full member of the

'') * Rwanda :

Lutheran Church of Rwanda The Lutheran Church of Rwanda (Itorero Ry' Abalutheri Ry' Urwanda, Église luthérienne du Rwanda) is a Lutheran denomination in Rwanda. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation The Lutheran World Federation (LWF; german: Lutherischer We ...

* Senegal :

Lutheran Church of Senegal 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 ...

* Serbia :

Slovak Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Serbia The Slovak Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Serbia (Slovak: Slovenská evanjelická augsburského vyznania cirkev v Srbsku, abbreviated SEAVC) is a Lutheranism, Lutheran church in Serbia. This, the largest Protestant church in form ...

* Sierra Leone :

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone is an Evangelical Lutheran church in Sierra Leone. With a membership of around 3,150, it has been a member of the Lutheran World Federation since 1990. It is also affiliated with the All Africa Confe ...

* Singapore : Lutheran Church in Singapore * Slovak Republic :

Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovak Republic The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovakia (in Slovak ''Evanjelická cirkev augsburského vyznania na Slovensku'', ECAV) is the only Lutheran church in Slovakia. The Church is a member of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in S ...

* 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 Federation ...

* South 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

'') * Suriname : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Suriname * Sweden :

* Switzerland : Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein * 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 mem ...

* Tanzania :

(''also a member of the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum'') * Thailand :

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand is a Lutheran denomination located in Thailand. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, which it joined in 1994. In 2018, this denomination saw its first women ordained into ministry, namely Jongk ...

* Ukraine :

* 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 The Lutheran Council of Great Britain is a Lutheran organization in Great Britain. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, by which it was recognized in 1989. It is affiliated with the Anglican-Lutheran Society, Churches Together in Britai ...

* United States of America :

* Uruguay :

: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Uruguay * Uzbekistan :

* Venezuela :

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Venezuela The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Venezuela (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en Venezuela) is a Lutheran denomination in Venezuela. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, which it joined in 1986. It is a member of the Latin American Council ...

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

* Zambia : Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia * Zimbabwe :

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (formerly the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Southern Rhodesia) is an Evangelical Lutheran church in Zimbabwe, founded in 1903 by Sweden, Swedish and South Africa, South African missionaries. It has a me ...

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 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 ...

, Evangelical Church in Austria,

, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Chile,

, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Geneva, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy, a majority of the churches within the

Evangelical Church in Germany The Evangelical Church in Germany (german: Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, abbreviated EKD) is a federation of twenty Lutheranism, Lutheran, Continental Reformed church, Reformed (Calvinism, Calvinist) and united and uniting churches, United ( ...

, and the

. On the other side, several churches, including the

, the

and the

, 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

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.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* :

External links

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