| Main classification | Protestant |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Lutheran |
| Theology | Lutheran theology |
| Scripture | Protestant Bible |
| President | Henrik Stubkjær |
| General Secretary (CEO) | Anne Burghardt |
| Founded date | 1947 |
| Headquarters | [Chemin du Pavillon 2,1218] Le Grand-Saconnex (Geneva, Switzerland) |
| Members | 78,431,111 (2023)[1] |
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.
The LWF has 154 member church bodies in 99 countries representing over 78 million Lutherans;[1][2] 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.[3] 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.[4][5]
As of 2016, 119 of the LWF's (then) 145 member churches (80%) ordained women as ministers.[6]
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.[7]
Largest churches
The 20 largest member churches are ( 2023 statistics):
| Member Church | Reported Members |
|---|---|
| Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus | 15,000,000 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania | 8,500,000 |
| Batak Christian Protestant Church | 6,333,000 |
| Church of Sweden | 5,484,000 |
| Church of Denmark | 4,253,575 |
| Malagasy Lutheran Church | 5.356.456 |
| Church of Norway | 3,611,670 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland | 3,579,616 |
| Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church | 3,500,000 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | 2,904,686 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hanover | 2,302,547 |
| The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria | 2,200,000 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria | 2,143,233 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg | 1,821,266 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany | 1,772,953 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea | 1,500,000 |
| Protestant Church in the Netherlands | 1,425,000 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia | 853,522 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cameroon | 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.[8]
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.[9] 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.[10]
| No. | Name | Term | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sylvester Michelfelder | 1947–1951 | United States |
| 2 | Carl Lund-Quist | 1951–1960 | United States |
| 3 | Kurt Schmidt-Clausen | 1960–1965 | Germany |
| 4 | André Appel | 1965–1974 | France |
| 5 | Carl Henning Mau Jr. | 1974–1985 | United States |
| 6 | Gunnar Stålsett | 1985–1994 | Norway |
| 7 | Ishmael Noko | 1994–2010 | Zimbabwe |
| 8 | Martin Junge | 2010–2021 | Chile |
| 9 | Anne Burghardt | 2021- | Estonia |
Members
This map shows the global distribution of Lutheranism based on The LWF 2019 membership data.[11][a]
Statistics
| Year | Number of denominations | Number of individual members | % of global population[12] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009[13] | 140 | 70,053,316 | 1.01% |
| 2013[14] | 142 | 72,268,329 | 0.99% |
| 2015[15] | 145 | 74,261,862 | 0.99% |
| 2019[16] | 148 | 77,493,989 | 0.99% |
| 2023[1] | 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.[13][1] This represents a growth of 11.95% in 14 years. In the same period, the global population grew by 18.22%.[12]
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.[13][14][1] The Lutheran World Federation reports the membership of each member church as illustrated in the following chart:[17]
List
Sorted by country in alphabetical order
- 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
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Central African Republic
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Guyana
- Hungary
- Honduras
- 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
- 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
- Kazakhstan
- 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
- Latvia
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
- Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Madagascar
- Malagasy Lutheran Church (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Basel Christian Church of Malaysia
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia
- Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore
- The Protestant Church in Sabah
- Mexico
- 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
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- Nigeria
- Norway
- Palestine
- Peru
- 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
- 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
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovak Republic
- 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 (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- 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
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.[18]
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.[19]
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.[20]
See also
- Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference
- Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum
- International Lutheran Council
- List of the largest Protestant denominations
- Porvoo Communion
- World Council of Churches
Notes
- ^ 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
- ^ "2023 Lutheran World Federation Statistics". Archived December 5, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- ^ "About the LWF". The Lutheran World Federation. 2013-05-19. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
- ^ "World Christian Database | Brill". worldchristiandatabase.com. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
- ^ "The Lutheran World Federation". The Lutheran World Federation. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
- ^ "Pope Francis to visit Sweden for Reformation commemoration". Catholicherald.co.uk. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
- ^ "More than 80 percent of LWF churches ordain women". The Lutheran World Federation. 2 June 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ Schjørring, Kumari & Hjelm 1997; Wentz 1965.
- ^ "President". Archived from the original on 2011-12-24. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
- ^ "Office of the General Secretary". Archived from the original on 2010-08-22. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
- ^ "LWF elects Estonian Anne Burghardt as new General Secretary". The Lutheran World Federation. 2021-06-19. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
- ^ "The Lutheran World Federation 2019 Membership Figures". Lutheranworld.org. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Global Population by Year". Retrieved May 26, 2025.
- ^ "Lutheran World Federation Statistics 2009". Archived August 21, 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
- ^ "Lutheran World Federation Statistics 2013". Archived May 5, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
- ^ "Lutheran World Federation 2015 Statistics". Archived May 7, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
- ^ "Lutheran World Federation Statistics 2019". Archived March 28, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ "Member Churches | The Lutheran World Federation". lutheranworld.org. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ^ "Gay Marriage Around the World". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. 26 June 2015. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "Ethiopian Church Severs Ties With Lutherans Over Homosexuality". Christian Post. 8 February 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "Posicionamento sobre homoafetividade". Portal Luteranos. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
Bibliography
- From Federation to Communion: The History of the Lutheran World Federation. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress Press. 1997. ISBN 978-0-8006-3110-9.
- Wentz, Abdel Ross (1965). "The Lutheran World Federation". The Encyclopedia of the Lutheran Church. Vol. 2. Bodensieck, Julius (ed.). Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House. pp. 1422–1432.