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 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.

Lutheran World Federation
TypeCommunion
ClassificationProtestant
OrientationLutheran
ScriptureProtestant Bible
PresidentHenrik Stubkjær
General SecretaryAnne Burghardt
HeadquartersEcumenical Centre
(Geneva, Switzerland)
Origin1947
Members77 million
Official websitewww.lutheranworld.org Edit this at Wikidata

The LWF now has 149 member church bodies in 99 countries representing over 77 million Lutherans;[1] as of 2022, 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, 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 with Pope Francis and Bishop Munib Younan in a special Catholic-Lutheran dialogue.[2][3]

119 of the 145 member churches (80%) ordain women as ministers.[4]

History

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The LWF was founded at Lund, Sweden, in 1947. Based in Geneva, 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.[5]

Largest churches

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The 20 largest member churches are (with number of members in millions; 2021 statistics):

Federation officials

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President

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The President is the federation's chief official representative and spokesperson. The president 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.[22]

No. Portrait Name Term Church Nationality
1   Anders Nygren
(1890–1978)
1947–1952 Church of Sweden   Sweden
2   Hanns Lilje
(1899–1977)
1952–1957 Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover   Germany
3 Franklin Clark Fry
(1900–1968)
1957–1963   United States
4 Fredrik A. Schiotz
(1901–1989)
1963–1970 American Lutheran Church   United States
5   Mikko Juva
(1918–2004)
1970–1977 Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland   Finland
6 Josiah Kibira
(1925–1988)
1977–1984 Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania   Tanzania
7 Zoltán Káldy [de]
(1919–1987)
1984–1987 Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary   Hungary
8 Johannes Hanselmann [de]
(1927–1999)
1987–1990 Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria   Germany
9 Gottfried Brakemeier [pt]
(born 1937)
1990–1997 Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil   Brazil
10 Christian Krause [de]
(born 1940)
1997–2003 Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick   Germany
11   Mark Hanson
(born 1946)
2003–2010 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America   United States
12   Munib Younan
(born 1950)
2010–2017 Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land   Palestine
13 Musa Filibus
(born 1960)
2017–2023 The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria   Nigeria
14   Henrik Stubkjær

(born 1961)

2023–present Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark   Denmark

General Secretary

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The Lutheran World Federation Council elects the General Secretary 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.[23] On 19 June 2021, the LWF Council elected Estonian theologian Anne Burghardt as the next General Secretary. She is the first woman to serve in this role and assumed office on 1 November of that year.[24]

No. Name Term Nationality
1 Sylvester Michelfelder
(1889–1951)
1947–1951   United States
2 Carl Lund-Quist [de]
(1908–1965)
1951–1960   United States
3 Kurt Schmidt-Clausen [de]
(1920–1993)
1960–1965   Germany
4 André Appel [fr]
(1921–2007)
1965–1974   France
5 Carl Henning Mau Jr.
(1922–1995)
1974–1985   United States
6 Gunnar Stålsett
(born 1935)
1985–1994   Norway
7 Ishmael Noko
(born 1943)
1994–2010   Zimbabwe
8 Martin Junge [de]
(born 1961)
2010–2021   Chile
9 Anne Burghardt
(born 1975)
2021-   Estonia

Members

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This map shows the global distribution of Lutheranism based on The LWF 2019 membership data.[25][a]

Lutheranism by country in 2019, Lutheran World Federation member churches

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
Protestant 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Estonia
Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church
  • Ethiopia
Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (also a member of the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum)
  • Finland
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
  • France
Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine
United Protestant Church of France
Malagasy Protestant Church in France
  • 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, 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
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schaumburg-Lippe
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
Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madhya Pradesh
Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Himalayan States
Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church
Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam
India Evangelical Lutheran Church (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church
Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church
South Andhra Lutheran Church
The Arcot Lutheran Church
The Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church
  • Indonesia
Batak Christian Community Church
Christian Communion of Indonesia Church in Nias
Christian Protestant Church in Indonesia
Christian Protestant Angkola Church
Indonesian Christian Luther Church (also a member of the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum)
Pakpak Dairi Christian Protestant Church
Protestant Christian Batak Church
Protestant Christian Church
Protestant Christian Church in Mentawai
Simalungun Protestant Christian Church
Indonesian Christian Church
United Protestant Church
  • Ireland
The Lutheran Church in Ireland
  • Italy
Lutheran Evangelical Church in Italy
  • Japan
Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church
Japan Lutheran Church – 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)
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
  • 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
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
  • 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
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
Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession in Poland
  • Romania
Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania
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
  • South Africa
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (Cape Church)
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (N-T) [de]
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
  • Switzerland
Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein
  • Taiwan (Republic of China)
Lutheran Church of Taiwan
Taiwan Lutheran Church
  • Tanzania
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (also a member of the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum)
  • Thailand
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand
  • Ukraine
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States
  • United Kingdom
Lutheran Church in Great Britain
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

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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.[26]

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.[27]

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.[28]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ This map undercounts the number of Lutherans in several countries, notably the United States. The LWF does not include the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and several other Lutheran bodies which together have over 2.5 million members.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "About the LWF". The Lutheran World Federation. 2013-05-19. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  2. ^ "The Lutheran World Federation". The Lutheran World Federation. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Pope Francis to visit Sweden for Reformation commemoration". Catholicherald.co.uk. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  4. ^ "More than 80 percent of LWF churches ordain women". The Lutheran World Federation. 2 June 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  5. ^ Schjørring, Kumari & Hjelm 1997; Wentz 1965.
  6. ^ "Ethiopia | The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Tanzania | The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Sweden | The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Indonesia | The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Denmark | The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Madagascar | The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Finland | The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Norway | The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  14. ^ "United States| The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  15. ^ "India | The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  16. ^ a b c d e f "Germany | The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Nigeria | The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Netherlands | The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  19. ^ "Namibia - The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  20. ^ "Brazil| The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Archived from the original on 9 May 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  21. ^ "South Africa | The Lutheran World Federation". Lutheranworld.org. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  22. ^ "President". Archived from the original on 2011-12-24. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
  23. ^ "Office of the General Secretary". Archived from the original on 2010-08-22. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
  24. ^ "LWF elects Estonian Anne Burghardt as new General Secretary". The Lutheran World Federation. 2021-06-19. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
  25. ^ "The Lutheran World Federation 2019 Membership Figures" (PDF). Lutheranworld.org. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  26. ^ "Gay Marriage Around the World". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  27. ^ "Ethiopian Church Severs Ties With Lutherans Over Homosexuality". Christian Post. 8 February 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  28. ^ "Posicionamento sobre homoafetividade". Portal Luteranos. Retrieved 17 September 2021.

Bibliography

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  • Schjørring, Jens Holger; Kumari, Prasanna; Hjelm, Norman A., eds. (1997). From Federation to Communion: The History of the Lutheran World Federation. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress Press. ISBN 978-0-8006-3110-9.
Wentz, Abdel Ross (1965). "The Lutheran World Federation". In Bodensieck, Julius (ed.). The Encyclopedia of the Lutheran Church. Vol. 2. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House. pp. 1422–1432.
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