Although the origin of the Lutheran custom is in the Reformation of sixteenth century Europe, Lutherans at this time are discovered worldwide. Starting as a church reform motion beneath the management of Martin Luther in Germany and spreading to different European lands, Lutheranism is at this time greatest understood as a household of various although associated denominational our bodies. Although sharing a standard heritage and possessing many similarities, these our bodies every have distinct histories, practices, and emphases, and all of them declare to be devoted expressions of the Lutheran custom.
This text will focus on briefly the assorted Lutheran denominations in the US in descending order of dimension by variety of congregations, and concludes with some reflection on the state of American and world Lutheranism. Although there are definitely different, smaller Lutheran teams in the US, the next record considers solely the most important.
1. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
The most important Lutheran physique in the US is called the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Organized in 1987, the ELCA was a merger of three predecessor our bodies. Two of those had been fashioned from mergers of their very own predecessors within the Sixties: the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) and the American Lutheran Church (TALC). The third contributor to the ELCA was the a lot smaller Affiliation of Evangelical Lutheran Church buildings (AELC), which separated from the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS, mentioned beneath) in 1976. The LCA was a product of mergers that united older German immigrant congregations with a big Swedish Lutheran physique, with smaller numbers of Finnish, Danish, Icelandic, and Slovak congregations included, as properly. TALC was a product of mergers that united later German immigrant congregations with a bigger Norwegian physique and a a lot smaller Danish group.
At its starting, the ELCA had roughly 5.2 million members and 11 thousand congregations. Controversies within the ELCA over time, particularly relating to the necessities for an ecumenical relationship with the Episcopal Church USA and the difficulty of the acceptance of gay exercise, led to the departure of many members and congregations. From these controversies, Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC, mentioned beneath) was organized in 2001, and the North American Lutheran Church (NALC, mentioned beneath) was organized in 2010.
As its predecessor our bodies did as of 1970, the ELCA permits the ordination of ladies as pastors, has targeted on ecumenical relationships with like-minded Protestant church our bodies, and is commonly described as “liberal” in its understanding of religion and social values.
As of 2025, it studies roughly 2.8 million members in over 8 thousand congregations.
2. Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS)
The second largest Lutheran physique in the US is the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). As its identify suggests, its origin and present headquarters are within the state of Missouri, although its congregations are discovered throughout the nation.
The LCMS started with the Saxon German immigration of the early nineteenth century, which settled in Perry County, Missouri. Organized formally in 1847, it has had a steady historical past since its founding, avoiding mergers with different teams. The LCMS did, nevertheless, be part of a cooperative federation of like-minded Lutherans referred to as the Synodical Convention in 1872, which dissolved within the early Sixties. Over time, two smaller teams of Slovak and Finnish Lutherans had been absorbed into the LCMS.
Those that based the LCMS expressed concern for sustaining a definite Lutheran witness within the face of strain to evolve to non-Lutheran views. They allow solely the ordination of males, and although there may be some range among the many LCMS in follow, they’re typically thought of conservative of their doctrine, requiring what they regard as full doctrinal settlement for “altar and pulpit fellowship,” that means the trade of pastors and the sharing of Holy Communion. They regard themselves as strongly rooted in the “inerrancy” of the Bible and within the theology of the Lutheran confessional writings of the Ebook of Harmony of 1580.
As of 2025, the LCMS studies round 2 million members in roughly 6 thousand congregations.
3. Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)
Relying on one’s perspective, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) is both the “greatest of the small” or the “smallest of the massive” Lutheran denominations in the US.
The roots of the WELS, just like the LCMS, are in German immigration of the early nineteenth century, with particular power within the state of Wisconsin. The WELS studies, nevertheless, congregations in almost all fifty US states. Initially based in 1850, the Michigan and Minnesota Synods joined with the Wisconsin Synod in 1892.
As with the LCMS, the WELS was for a lot of its historical past a member of the group referred to as the Synodical Convention, based in 1872. The WELS ultimately broke fellowship with the LCMS over sure factors of doctrine and what they perceived as encroaching liberal tendencies in that physique. Due to this fact, the WELS is mostly thought of extra conservative than the LCMS, requiring full doctrinal settlement not just for the sharing of pastors and Holy Communion, but in addition for joint prayer with different Christians. The WELS additionally prohibits the suffrage of ladies in congregational choices.
The WELS is at present in fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS, mentioned beneath). As of 2025, it studies round 375 thousand members in roughly 1,200 congregations.
4. Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC)
A sizeable group with a more moderen origin is Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC), based in 2001 by twenty-five congregations from the ELCA.
In 1999, the ELCA adopted an ecumenical settlement with the Episcopal Church USA, which required the ELCA to evolve to the ordination requirements of the Anglican Communion for the interchange of clergy. Throughout the ELCA, a gaggle referred to as the Phrase Alone Community opposed this transfer, viewing it as a violation of the Lutheran confessional writings. Some members of the Phrase Alone Community fashioned LCMC instead group.
From the start, LCMC has understood itself as “post-denominational” and an “affiliation” of congregations quite than a conventional denomination. As an affiliation, LCMC typically eschews the idea of church hierarchy and doesn’t make pronouncements on behalf of its member congregations. It did, nevertheless, produce an “admonition” stating that marriage is between a person and a girl.
Comprised largely of small, rural congregations and some megachurches, LCMC is extra socially and theologically conservative than the ELCA, although it differs in character from the LCMS. It permits the ordination of ladies and incorporates a powerful presence of “evangelical renewal,” which is targeted on “up to date model” worship practices.
LCMC has grown progressively since its founding, however a lot of its membership was added after the ELCA in 2009 modified its coverage regarding pastors in same-sex relationships. LCMC has additionally began many mission congregations. LCMC studies as of 2025 roughly eight hundred congregations in the US with round 300 thousand members. It additionally has many worldwide congregations, round 100 of that are dually affiliated with the North American Lutheran Church (NALC, mentioned beneath).
5. North American Lutheran Church (NALC)
One other group that emerged from a schism with the ELCA is the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). The ELCA’s 2009 choice to alter its coverage regarding pastors in same-sex relationships—however, extra considerably, underlying considerations about biblical and theological authority and normal dissatisfaction with the ELCA’s environment—prompted the creation of the NALC.
But in contrast to those that based LCMC almost ten years earlier, people who fashioned the NALC desired a extra historically structured denomination quite than an affiliation of congregations. NALC congregations additionally, on the whole, exhibit extra liturgical formality than is present in LCMC. Nonetheless, over 100 congregations of the NALC have twin affiliation with LCMC.
The NALC exists as a extra theologically and socially conservative expression of the ecumenical Lutheran custom than is discovered within the ELCA, but in distinction to the custom of the previous Synodical Convention our bodies such because the LCMS and WELS. Dedicated to its understanding of biblical, creedal, and confessional faithfulness, it additionally displays cautious cooperation with non-Lutherans comparable to Anglicans, Methodists, and others from the Reformed custom. The NALC permits the ordination of ladies and, although not formally in fellowship with the LCMS, has a historical past of optimistic conversations with the LCMS over problems with widespread curiosity.
As of 2025, it studies round 530 congregations and 175 thousand members within the US and Canada.
6. Affiliation of Free Lutheran Congregations (AFLC)
For a few years, earlier than the emergence of LCMC and the NALC, the excellence of the fourth largest Lutheran denomination within the US fell to the Affiliation of Free Lutheran Congregations (AFLC).
The roots of the AFLC are within the difficult historical past of Norwegian American Lutheranism. In 1890, a merger of three Norwegian American Lutheran teams produced the United Norwegian Lutheran Church (UNLC). Within the curiosity of compromise between the 2 largest of the merging teams, the UNLC determined that Augsburg Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota (from “The Convention”), could be the seminary of the brand new group, and St. Olaf Faculty in Northfield, Minnesota (from “The Anti-Missourian Brotherhood”), could be the faculty of the brand new group. This was unsatisfactory to many who got here from The Convention, who desired a unified school and seminary program, and in 1897 they broke from the UNLC to type the Lutheran Free Church (LFC).
The LFC existed independently for a few years, however ultimately took half in merger negotiations that led to the formation of The American Lutheran Church (TALC) in 1960. When the LFC lastly succeeded in mustering sufficient votes to enter the TALC in 1963, round 20 p.c of its congregations refused to affix the merger, they usually fashioned the AFLC instead.
At this time, they worth their heritage within the Scandinavian Lutheran revival custom, have a tendency towards liturgical simplicity in worship, and are theologically and socially conservative. They don’t allow the ordination of ladies.
As of 2025, they report round 43 thousand members in roughly 270 congregations.
7. Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS)
Just like the AFLC, the small Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) additionally has its roots in Norwegian American Lutheranism, although it comes from a a lot totally different a part of that ethnic heritage.
Main as much as 1917, three Norwegian American Lutheran our bodies started merger negotiations that led to the formation of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America (NLCA) that 12 months—the four-hundredth anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation that started in 1517 with Martin Luther’s Ninety-5 Theses. In 1918, a small group of pastors and parts of varied congregations from one of many merging our bodies, referred to as the “Norwegian Synod,” rejected the theological compromise on the difficulty of predestination or “election,” which made the merger doable.
This group, typically referred to as the “Little Norwegians” to differentiate it from the a lot bigger NLCA, is now referred to as the ELS, and considers itself to be the real continuation of the “Norwegian Synod” custom. It’s in fellowship with the WELS, sharing its normal outlook whereas additionally carrying ahead its personal Norwegian heritage. Due to this fact, with the LCMS and the WELS, the ELS is among the present teams that comes from the Synodical Convention heritage of 1872.
As of 2025, it studies round 19 thousand members in roughly 130 congregations.
8. Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America (CLBA)
One other small group of Norwegian heritage is the Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America (CLBA). The CLBA was fashioned within the 12 months 1900 by congregations that got here largely from the United Norwegian Lutheran Church (UNLC).
Just like the AFLC, it has roots within the Norwegian Haugean revival custom. They had been involved for the existence of nominal membership and sought to take care of “pure” congregations by means of the implementation of church self-discipline.
They’ve remained a small although lively group, putting emphasis on international mission. Theologically and socially conservative, the CLBA additionally emphasizes liturgical informality.
As of 2025, they report round 24 thousand members in roughly 120 congregations.
9. Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC)
The Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC) was based in 1960 by congregations primarily from the WELS. Those that fashioned the CLC felt that the WELS and ELS didn’t comply with scriptural ideas in severing ties with the LCMS over what they thought of violation of guidelines of church fellowship on the a part of the LCMS. Due to this fact, the creation of the CLC in 1960 is linked to the eventual dissolution of the Synodical Convention of 1872 later that decade.
The CLC strives to uphold the ideas of the Synodical Convention, putting emphasis on biblical “inerrancy,” Scripture as the premise of doctrine, and the Lutheran confessional writings of 1580 as an correct presentation of what Scripture teaches.
It operates a highschool, school, and seminary in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It studies round 9 thousand members in roughly 80 congregations.
10. American Affiliation of Lutheran Church buildings (AALC)
Previous to the group of the ELCA in 1987, a gaggle of round 100 congregations, largely from The American Lutheran Church (TALC), declined to affix the brand new group over considerations of biblical and theological faithfulness. They’re referred to as the American Affiliation of Lutheran Church buildings (AALC).
This group has remained small all through its existence and at present shares a fellowship association with the LCMS, permitting for interchange of pastors and joint sharing of Holy Communion. It seeks to hold ahead what it understands to be the extra conservative aspect of TALC and shares many of the views of the LCMS.
As of 2025, it studies round 65 congregations and 16 thousand members.
The state of Lutheranism at this time
Although typically described as a complicated “alphabet soup,” the existence of those varied denominations demonstrates the range of the Lutheran custom when it comes to ethnic heritage, kind of piety, worship model, interpretation of the Bible, and ecumenical relations with different church our bodies, each Lutheran and non-Lutheran.
Regardless of the variations in American Lutheranism expressed by these denominations, the one factor all of them have in widespread is decline. For the reason that Sixties, fueled by varied elements, not the least of which is the declining birthrate amongst Lutherans, American Lutheran church our bodies have been progressively hemorrhaging members.
This contrasts with many Lutheran church our bodies in different components of the world, which have seen important progress in current a long time. Lutheran church our bodies such because the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT) are actually the 2 largest Lutheran church our bodies on this planet. Planted within the nineteenth century and supported by Lutheran missionaries from Europe and America, Lutherans within the world south of Africa, Asia, and South America are actually the dominant drive numerically in world Lutheranism.
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