Lutheran World Federation

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LWF logo

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches 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 now has 145 member church bodies in 79 countries representing 70.3 million of the world's 73.9 million Lutherans.^[1] However, some Lutherans disagree with the way the Lutheran World Federation arrives at these numbers, because millions of them are actually non-Lutherans inside bodies that are mostly Reformed, but include some Lutherans as part of an absorption of a smaller Lutheran church body into a larger Protestant body. These larger Protestant bodies belong to the LWF on the basis of a Lutheran component rather than on the basis of being a Lutheran church body. ^[2] 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 (DWS) is the LWF's humanitarian arm. It has programs in 35 countries. The LWF is a member of ACT Alliance.

On October 31, 1999, in Augsburg, Germany, the Lutheran World Federation signed the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification with the Roman Catholic Church. 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.

The largest member churches are (with number of members in millions; 2010 statistics):

1. Church of Sweden (6.7)
2. Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (5.6)
3. Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (5.57)
4. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (4.5)
5. Church of Denmark (4.47)
6. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (4.38)
7. Protestant Christian Batak Church, North Sumatera Indonesia (4.17)
8. Church of Norway (3.99)
9. Malagasy Lutheran Church (3.0)
10. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover, Germany (2.8)

Federation Officials

• Bishop Dr Munib Younan, President
• Rev. Martin Junge, General Secretary

President

The President is the Federation's chief official representative and spokesperson. He/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.^[3]

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 a Cabinet, comprising department and unit heads appointed by the Council, and carries out the decisions of the Assembly and Council.^[4]

Members

Sorted by country in alphabetical order

• Angola

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Angola

• Argentina

Evangelical Church of the River Plate

United Evangelical Lutheran Church

• Australia

Lutheran Church of Australia - associate member church

• 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

• Brazil

Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil

• Cameroon

Church of the Lutheran Brethren of Cameroon

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon

• Canada

Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad

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

• Czech Republic

Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren

Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession

• Denmark

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark

• 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

• Finland

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

• France

Church of the Augsburg Confession of Alsace and Lorraine

Evangelical Lutheran Church of France

Malagasy Protestant Church in France

• Ghana

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana

• Georgia

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States

• Germany

Church of Lippe (Lutheran Section)

Evangelical Church in Central Germany

Evangelical Church of Pomerania

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Baden

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg

Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schaumburg-Lippe

Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad

North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church

• 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 Sheperd Evangelical Church

Good Samaritan Evangelical Lutheran Church

Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam

India Evangelical Lutheran Church

Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church

Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church

North Western Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam

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

The Indonesian Christian Church

Indonesian Christian Lutheran Church

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

• Ireland

The Lutheran Church in Ireland

• Italy

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy

• Japan

Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church

Japan Lutheran Church - associate member church

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

Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church

• Korea, Republic

Lutheran Church in Korea

• Kyrgyztan

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

• 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

The Mara Evagelical 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

• Philippines

Lutheran Church in the Philippines

• 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

• 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)

Moravian Church in South Africa

• Sri Lanka

Lanka Lutheran Church

• 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

• 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

Presidents of LWF

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Category:Lutheran World Federation

• World Council of Churches
• Asia Lutheran Communion and Asia Lutheran News (ALN)
• Africa Lutheran Communion

References

1. ^ Hanson, Mark S. (September 2006). "Why LWF matters". The Lutheran ((The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)): p. 58. http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article_buy.cfm?article_id=6071. 
2. ^ For more information on this, see William Schumacher, "Theological Observer: How Many Lutherans?", Concordia Journal April 2005, http://www.csl.edu/CJApril05.pdf/
3. ^ http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/index.php/who-we-are/organization/council/president
4. ^ http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/index.php/who-we-are/central-offices/general-secretariat/general-secretary

External links

• Official website