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 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 140 member church bodies in 78 countries representing 66.7 million of the world's 70.2 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 the LWF on the basis of a Lutheran component rather than on the basis of being a Lutheran church body. [2] The state churches of Iceland, Denmark, Norway, and Finland, and the former state church of Sweden, are among its members. 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 agency. It has programs in 37 countries.
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; 2006 statistics):
- Church of Sweden (6.9)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (4.9)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (4.6)
- Church of Denmark (4.5)
- Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (4.5)
- Church of Norway (3.9)
- Protestant Christian Batak Church, Indonesia (3.8)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (3.5)
- Protestant Lutheran Church of Hanover, Germany (3.0)
- Malagasy Lutheran Church (3.0)
Contents |
[edit] Officials
- Ishmael Noko, General Secretary
- Mark Hanson, President
 |
Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
[edit] Members
Sorted by country in alphabetical order
- Angola
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Angola
- Argentina
- Evangelical Church of the Rio de la Plata
- United Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Australia
- Lutheran Church of Australia - associate member
- 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)
- Chinese Rhenish Church Hong Kong Synod
- 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
- Denmark
- Ecuador
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Salvadoran Lutheran Synod
- Eritrea
- Evangelical Church of Eritrea
- Estonia
- Ethiopia
- 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 Lutheran Church in Baden
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg
- Evangelical Church of Pomerania
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schaumburg-Lippe
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia
- Evangelical Church in Württemberg
- Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad
- North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Guatemala
- The Epiphany Lutheran Congregation)
- Guyana
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Guyana
- Hungary
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary
- Honduras
- Christian Lutheran Church of Honduras
- Iceland
- India
- Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Arcot Lutheran Church
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Himalayan States
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madhya Pradesh
- Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam
- India Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church
- South Andhra Lutheran Church
- 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 Church
- Indonesian Christian Lutheran Church
- Pakpak Dairi Christian Protestant Church
- Protestant Christian Batak Church
- Protestant Christian Church
- Protestant Christian Church in Mentawai
- Simalungun Protestant Christian Church
- United Protestant Church
- Ireland
- Lutheran Church in Ireland
- Israel
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan & the Holy Land
- Italy
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy
- Japan
- Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Japan Lutheran Church - associate member
- 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, South
- Lutheran Church in Korea
- Kyrgyztan
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States
- Latvia
- Liberia
- Lutheran Church in Liberia
- 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
- 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
- Namibia
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN - GELC)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- Nicaraguan Lutheran Church of Faith and Hope
- Nigeria
- Lutheran Church in Nigeria
- Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria
- Norway
- Peru
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Peru
- Peruvian Lutheran Evangelical Church
- Papua New Guinea
- Philippines
- Lutheran Church in the Philippines
- 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
- Slovakia
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Lithuanian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Diaspora
- Uzbekistan
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States
- Venezuela
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Venezuela
- Zambia
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe
[edit] Presidents of LWF
- 1947 - 1952 Anders Nygren (Sweden)
- 1952 - 1957 Hanns Lilje (Federal Republic of Germany)
- 1957 - 1963 Franklin Clark Fry (United States)
- 1963 - 1970 Fredrik A. Schiotz (United States)
- 1970 - 1977 Mikko E. Juva (Finland)
- 1977 - 1984 Josiah M. Kibira (Tanzania)
- 1984 - 1987 Zoltán Káldy (Hungary)
- 1987 - 1990 Johannes Hanselmann (Federal Republic of Germany)
- 1990 - 1997 Gottfried Brakemeier (Brazil)
- 1997 - 2003 Christian Krause (Germany)
- 2003 - present Mark S. Hanson (United States)
[edit] See also
- World Council of Churches
- Asia Lutheran Communion and Asia Lutheran News (ALN)
- Africa Lutheran Communion
[edit] References
- ^ Hanson, Mark S.. "Why LWF matters", The Lutheran, (The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), September 2006, p. 58.
- ^ For more information on this, see William Schumacher, "Theological Observer: How Many Lutherans?", Concordia Journal April 2005, http://www.csl.edu/CJApril05.pdf/
