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 144 member church bodies in 79 countries representing over 72 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 32 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.
Largest churches
The largest member churches are (with number of members in millions; 2010 statistics):
- Church of Sweden (6.7)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (5.6)
- Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (5.57)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (4.5)
- Church of Denmark (4.47)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (4.38)
- Protestant Christian Batak Church, North Sumatera Indonesia (4.17)
- Church of Norway (3.99)
- Malagasy Lutheran Church (3.0)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover, Germany (2.8)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Germany (2.5)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany (2.4)
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 the Communion Office Leadership Team, comprising department and unit heads appointed by the Council, and carries out the decisions of the Assembly and Council.[4]
Members
Lutheranism by country in 2013
More than 10 million
More than 5 million
More than 1 million
More than 500 thousand
More than 100 thousand
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
- 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
- Brazil
- Cameroon
- Church of the Lutheran Brethren of Cameroon
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon
- Canada
- Central African Republic
- Lutheran Church of the 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
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Costa Rica
- Lutheran Costarican Church
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- 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
- El Salvador
- Eritrea
- Evangelical Church of Eritrea
- Estonia
- Ethiopia
- Finland
- France
- Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine
- United Protestant Church of France
- Malagasy Protestant Church in France
- Ghana
- 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
- Hungary
- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary
- Honduras
- 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
- 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 Evangelical Church in Minahasa
- Christian Protestant Church in Indonesia
- Christian Protestant Angkola Church
- Evangelical Church in Kalimantan
- 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
- 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
- Korea, Republic
- Kyrgyztan
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States
- Latvia
- Liberia
- Lutheran Church in Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Madagascar
- 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
- Myanmar
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Myanmar
- Lutheran Church of Myanmar
- Myanmar Lutheran Church
- 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
- Nicaragua
- Nigeria
- Lutheran Church in Nigeria
- The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria
- Norway
- Palestine
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan & the Holy Land
- Peru
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Peru
- Peruvian Lutheran Evangelical Church
- Papua New Guinea
- 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
- Senegal
- Lutheran Church of 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
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (Cape Church)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (N-T)
- Moravian Church in South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan (Republic of China)
- Lutheran Church of Taiwan
- Taiwan Lutheran Church
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Ukraine
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States
- United Kingdom
- United States of 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
- Zimbabwe
Presidents of LWF
| From | Until | Name | Sending Church |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | 1952 | Anders Nygren | Church of Sweden |
| 1952 | 1957 | Hanns Lilje | Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover |
| 1957 | 1963 | Franklin Clark Fry | United Lutheran Church in America; after 1962, Lutheran Church in America |
| 1963 | 1970 | Fredrik A. Schiotz | American Lutheran Church |
| 1970 | 1977 | Mikko Juva | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
| 1977 | 1984 | Josiah M. Kibira | Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania |
| 1984 | 1987 | Zoltán Káldy | Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary |
| 1987 | 1990 | Johannes Hanselmann | Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria |
| 1990 | 1997 | Gottfried Brakemeier | Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil |
| 1997 | 2003 | Christian Krause | Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick |
| 2003 | 2010 | Mark Hanson | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
| 2010 | present | Munib Younan | Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land |
See also
- World Council of Churches
- Lutheran Church of Australia
- Asia Lutheran Communion and Asia Lutheran News (ALN)
- Africa Lutheran Communion
References
- ↑ "About the LWF". The Lutheran World Federation. June 2013.
- ↑ For more information on this, see William Schumacher, "Theological Observer: How Many Lutherans?", Concordia Journal April 2005, http://www.csl.edu/CJApril05.pdf/
- ↑ http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/index.php/who-we-are/organization/council/president
- ↑ http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/index.php/who-we-are/central-offices/general-secretariat/general-secretary
External links
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