| Lutheran World Federation | |
| Type: | Communion |
| Main Classification: | Protestant |
| Orientation: | Lutheran |
| Scripture: | Protestant Bible |
| Leader Title1: | President |
| Leader Name1: | Henrik Stubkjær |
| Leader Title2: | General Secretary |
| Leader Name2: | Anne Burghardt |
| Founded Date: | 1947 |
| Headquarters: | Ecumenical Centre (Geneva, Switzerland) |
| Members: | 77 million |
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 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 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 Catholic church and Lutheranism no longer apply. A similar event took place in Lund Cathedral at the 499th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation when Pope Francis visited Scania, Sweden's southernmost province that originally was Danish.[2] [3]
119 of the 145 member churches (80%) ordain women as ministers.[4]
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.
The 20 largest member churches are (with number of members in millions; 2021 statistics):
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.[21]
| No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Church | Nationality | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anders Nygren | 1947–1952 | Church of Sweden |  Sweden | ||
| 2 | Hanns Lilje | 1952–1957 | Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover |  Germany | ||
| 3 | Franklin Clark Fry | 1957–1963 |  United States | |||
| 4 | Fredrik A. Schiotz | 1963–1970 | American Lutheran Church | United States | ||
| 5 | Mikko Juva | 1970–1977 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |  Finland | ||
| 6 | Josiah Kibira | 1977–1984 | Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania | |||
| 7 | 1984–1987 | Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary |  Hungary | |||
| 8 | 1987–1990 | Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria | Germany | |||
| 9 | 1990–1997 | Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil |  Brazil | |||
| 10 | 1997–2003 | Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick | Germany | |||
| 11 | Mark Hanson | 2003–2010 | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | United States | ||
| 12 | Munib Younan | 2010–2017 | Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land | |||
| 13 | Musa Filibus | 2017–2023 | The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria |  Nigeria | ||
| 14 | Henrik Stubkjær | 2023–present | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark |  Denmark |
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.[22] 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.[23]
| No. | Name | Term | Nationality | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sylvester Michelfelder | 1947–1951 | United States | |
| 2 | 1951–1960 | United States | ||
| 3 | 1960–1965 | Germany | ||
| 4 | 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 | 2010–2021 |  Chile | ||
| 9 | Anne Burghardt | 2021- |  Estonia |
This map shows the global distribution of Lutheranism based on The LWF 2019 membership data.[24]
Sorted by country in alphabetical order
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Angola
Evangelical Church of the River Plate (includes Paraguay and Uruguay)
United Evangelical Lutheran Church
Lutheran Church of Australia (includes New Zealand) – associate member church (also an associate member of the International Lutheran Council)
Protestant Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria
Bangladesh Lutheran Church
Bangladesh Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States
Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church
German-Speaking Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Bolivia
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana
Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil
Church of the Lutheran Brethren of Cameroon
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile
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
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia
St Matthew's Lutheran Congregation
St. Martin's Lutheran Congregation
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Costa Rica
Lutheran Costarican Church
Evangelical Church in the Republic of Croatia
Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren
Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark (includes Church of Greenland, but not the Church of the Faroe Islands)
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ecuador
Evangelical Church of Eritrea
Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church
Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (also a member of the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum)
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine
United Protestant Church of France
Malagasy Protestant Church in France
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States
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
Evangelical Lutheran Congregation "La Epifania"
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Guyana
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary
Christian Lutheran Church of Honduras
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland
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
The Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church
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
The Lutheran Church in Ireland
Lutheran Evangelical Church in Italy
Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church
Japan Lutheran Church – associate member church (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Kinki Evangelical Lutheran Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan & the Holy Land
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States
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
Lutheran Church in Korea (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia
Lutheran Church in Liberia
Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania
Malagasy Lutheran Church (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi
Basel Christian Church of Malaysia
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia
Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore
The Protestant Church in Sabah
German-Speaking Evangelical Congregation in Mexico
Mexican Lutheran Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mozambique
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
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN)
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN – GELC)
Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN)
Nepal Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church
Protestant Church in the Netherlands
Nicaraguan Lutheran Church of Faith and Hope
Lutheran Church in Nigeria
The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria
Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan & the Holy Land
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Peru
Peruvian Lutheran Evangelical Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea
Gutnius Lutheran Church (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Lutheran Church in the Philippines (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession in Poland
Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Romania
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Lutheran Church of Senegal
Slovak Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Serbia
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone
Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovak Republic
Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovenia
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (Cape Church)
Moravian Church in South Africa
Lanka Lutheran Church (also a full member of the International Lutheran Council)
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Suriname
Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein
Lutheran Church of Taiwan
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (also a member of the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum)
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States
Lutheran Church in Great Britain
The Lutheran Council of Great Britain
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Church of the River Plate
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Uruguay
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Venezuela
Lutheran Church of Venezuela
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe
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.[25]
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.[26]
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.[27]
Encyclopedia: Wentz. Abdel Ross. 1965. The Lutheran World Federation. Bodensieck. Julius. The Encyclopedia of the Lutheran Church. 2. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Augsburg Publishing House. 1422–1432.