Wikipedia / Lutheran World Federation
Wikipedia / Lutheran World Federation
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF; ) 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 city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War 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 has 154 member church bodies in 99 countries representing over 78 million Lutherans; as of 2023, it was the sixth-largest Christian communion (see list of denominations by membership). According to the World Christian Database and World Christian Encyclopedia, published by Edinburgh University Press, excluding the United and Uniting Churches, the LWF reportedly had 82,310,000 members in 2020. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, 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, Germany, the LWF signed the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification with the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic–Lutheran dialogue is a series of discussions that began during July 1964 as an outgrowth of the Second Vatican Council. 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 Catholic church and Lutheranism no longer apply. A similar event took place in Lund Cathedral on 31 October 2016, the 499th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, with the signing of the Statement on the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.
As of 2016, 119 of the LWF's (then) 145 member churches (80%) ordained women as ministers.
History
The LWF was founded at Lund, Sweden, in 1947. It replaced the more informal Lutheran World Convention, which had been founded in 1923 and assembled for conventions in 1923, 1929, and 1935. The headquarters (Communion Office) are based in Geneva, Switzerland. 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 ( 2023 statistics):
Member Church | Reported Members |
12,000,000 | |
8,500,000 | |
6,333,000 | |
5,484,000 | |
4,253,575 | |
5.356.456 | |
3,611,670 | |
3,579,616 | |
3,000,000 | |
2,904,686 | |
2,302,547 | |
2,200,000 | |
2,143,233 | |
1,821,266 | |
1,772,953 | |
1,500,000 | |
1,425,000 | |
853,522 | |
700,000 |
Federation officials and leadership
The Lutheran World Federation has a dual leadership structure. The President serves as the moderator of the Council and the Assembly and as ecclesial leader of the Federation, while the General Secretary is the chief executive officer responsible for its administration and operations. According to the LWF Constitution, both serve as chief spokespersons of the Lutheran World Federation.
President
The president presides at meetings of the Assembly, Council, and Executive Committee, and oversees the life and work of the federation in consultation with the General Secretary.
No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Church | Nationality |
1 | 1947–1952 | ||||
2 | 1952–1957 | ||||
3 | 1957–1963 | ||||
4 | 1963–1970 | ||||
5 | 1970–1977 | ||||
6 | 1977–1984 | ||||
7 | 1984–1987 | ||||
8 | 1987–1990 | ||||
9 | 1990–1997 | ||||
10 | 1997–2003 | ||||
11 | 2003–2010 | ||||
12 | 2010–2017 | ||||
13 | 2017–2023 | ||||
14 | 2023–present |
General Secretary
The Lutheran World Federation Council elects the General Secretary for a seven-year term. The person appointed is eligible for one 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. Together with the President, the General Secretary serves as the chief spokesperson of the Lutheran World Federation. On 19 June 2021, the LWF Council elected Estonian theologian Anne Burghardt as the next General Secretary. She is the first woman and the first person from Central Eastern Europe to serve in this role and assumed office on 1 November of that year.
No. | Name | Term | Nationality |
1 | Sylvester Michelfelder | 1947–1951 | |
2 | 1951–1960 | ||
3 | 1960–1965 | ||
4 | 1965–1974 | ||
5 | Carl Henning Mau Jr. | 1974–1985 | |
6 | 1985–1994 | ||
7 | 1994–2010 | ||
8 | 2010–2021 | ||
9 | 2021- |
Members
This map shows the global distribution of Lutheranism based on The LWF 2019 membership data.
Statistics
Year | Number of denominations | Number of individual members | % of global population |
2009 | 140 | 70,053,316 | 1.01% |
2013 | 142 | 72,268,329 | 0.99% |
2015 | 145 | 74,261,862 | 0.99% |
2019 | 148 | 77,493,989 | 0.99% |
2023 | 150 | 78,431,111 | 0.97% |
Between 2009 and 2023, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) grew from 140 to 150 member denominations. In the same period, individual membership grew from 70,053,316 to 78,431,111 people. This represents a growth of 11.95% in 14 years. In the same period, the global population grew by 18.22%.
LWF statistics from 2009 to 2023 show growth in membership in Africa and Asia. At the same time, membership is declining in Europe and America. The Lutheran World Federation reports the membership of each member church as illustrated in the following chart:
Member Church | Number of Members | Year |
92,051 | 2023 | |
26,023 | ||
700,000 | ||
225,378 | ||
120,000 | ||
98,123 | ||
11,000 | ||
12,000,000 | ||
100,000 | ||
15,000 | ||
118,000 | ||
4,000,000 | ||
150,000 | ||
18,163 | ||
853,522 | ||
4,200 | ||
420,000 | ||
65,000 | ||
2,200,000 | ||
3,908 | ||
7,200 | ||
8,000 | ||
6,565 | ||
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (Cape Church) | 3,950 | |
580,000 | ||
80,000 | ||
9,300 | ||
8,500,000 | ||
5,284 | ||
309,881 | ||
140,000 | ||
6,270 | ||
12,070 | ||
1,080 | ||
2,500 | ||
18,000 | ||
2,399 | ||
13,500 | ||
12,800 | ||
95,000 | ||
20,926 | ||
11,527 | ||
Christ Lutheran Church | 15,900 | |
100,000 | ||
44,689 | ||
Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam | 242,803 | |
23,000 | ||
101,722 | ||
150,000 | ||
12,479 | ||
40,064 | ||
150,000 | ||
3,000,000 | ||
The United Protestant Church | 20,000 | |
39,892 | ||
51,125 | ||
23,000 | ||
37,718 | ||
26,250 | ||
30,128 | ||
42,785 | ||
6,333,000 | ||
42,536 | ||
227,690 | ||
Protestant Christian Church (BNKP) | 464,012 | |
200,893 | ||
274,685 | ||
2,535 | ||
21,558 | ||
694 | ||
65,000 | ||
4,250 | ||
6,736 | ||
34,731 | ||
2,000 | ||
3,830 | ||
21,879 | ||
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Myanmar (Lutheran Bethlehem Church) | 3,395 | |
1,385 | ||
1,500,000 | ||
149,869 | ||
58,000 | ||
2,727 | ||
2,228 | ||
5,324 | ||
9,502 | ||
1,517 | ||
431 | ||
4,000 | ||
Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Russia and Other States | 20,000 | |
3,300 | ||
58,521 | ||
160,000 | ||
1,700 | ||
176,000 | ||
250,000 | ||
4,800 | ||
18,100 | ||
60,244 | ||
23,700 | ||
10,773 | ||
Slovak Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Serbia | 50,000 | |
Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Slovak Republic | 193,995 | |
8,327 | ||
1,000 | ||
247,834 | ||
10,000 | ||
220,000 | ||
25,000 | ||
610,503 | ||
45,764 | ||
Church of Lippe (Lutheran Section) | 22,400 | |
615,855 | ||
2,444 | ||
1,772,953 | ||
371,688 | ||
2,143,233 | ||
1,821,266 | ||
2,302,547 | ||
293,979 | ||
6,000 | ||
Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and in Liechtenstein | 3,150 | |
1,425,000 | ||
1,500 | ||
25,000 | ||
United Evangelical Lutheran Church | 6,000 | |
3,731 | ||
614,555 | ||
2,500 | ||
9,900 | ||
2,100 | ||
500 | ||
1,500 | ||
15,500 | ||
2,892 | ||
950 | ||
15,594 | ||
2,005 | ||
1,200 | ||
10,200 | ||
853 | ||
4,000 | ||
1,250 | ||
4,253,575 | ||
3,579,616 | ||
227,259 | ||
3,611,670 | ||
21,351 | ||
5,484,000 | ||
40,171 | ||
2,904,686 | ||
Total | 78,431,111 |
List
Sorted by country in alphabetical order
Angola
Argentina
Evangelical Church of the River Plate (includes Paraguay and Uruguay)
Australia
Lutheran Church of Australia (includes New Zealand) – associate member church (also an associate member of the International Lutheran Council)
Austria
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bolivia
German-Speaking Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil
Cameroon
Canada
Central African Republic
Chile
China (Hong Kong SAR)
Colombia
Congo, Democratic Republic of
Costa Rica
Croatia
Czechia
Denmark
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark (includes Church of Greenland, but not the Church of the Faroe Islands)
Ecuador
El Salvador
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (also a member of the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum)
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Church of Lippe, Lutheran Classis
Guatemala
Guyana
Hungary
Honduras
Iceland
India
Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam
India Evangelical Lutheran Church (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Indonesia
Indonesian Christian Luther Church (also a member of the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum)
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Japan Lutheran Church – associate member church (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Korea, Republic
Lutheran Church in Korea (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Madagascar
Malagasy Lutheran Church (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Malawi
Malaysia
Mexico
Mozambique
Myanmar
Myanmar Lutheran Church (also an associate member of the International Lutheran Council)
Namibia
Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN)
Nepal
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Nigeria
Norway
Palestine
Peru
Papua New Guinea
Gutnius Lutheran Church (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Philippines
Lutheran Church in the Philippines (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Poland
Romania
Russia
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Rwanda
Senegal
Serbia
Slovak Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovak Republic
Slovenia
South Africa
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (Cape Church)
Sri Lanka
Lanka Lutheran Church (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein
Taiwan (Republic of China)
Tanzania
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (also a member of the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum)
Thailand
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States of America
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Churches in Full Communion
In 2026, the Lutheran World Federation and Anglican Communion reported on progress towards full communion between the two global communions, noting that many of their member churches are already in full communion with each other. The LWF notes that the Scandinavian Lutheran churches in the LWF are in full communion with the Anglican churches in Europe through the Porvoo Communion. In North America, the Episcopal Church and Anglican Church of Canada are in full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada respectively.
Views on same-sex unions
Some member denominations have recognized same-sex unions through marriage, a blessing rite, or special prayers. These include the Church of Denmark, Church of Iceland, Church of Norway, Church of Sweden, Protestant Church A.B. in Austria, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Chile, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Geneva, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy, a majority of the churches within the Protestant 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-sex unions.
The Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil supports civil same-sex marriage, but does not allow its ministers to celebrate same-sex unions, neither does it ordain ministers who are living in same-sex unions.
See also
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links