March 11, 2010

GENEVA – The total number of members in churches belonging to the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) last year rose by 1,589,225 to just over 70 million (70,053,316). While membership of Lutheran churches in Africa and Asia increased, churches in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as North America once again experienced a slight decline.

Extension of LWF membership to the newly formed Evangelical Church in Central Germany, resulting from the January 2009 merger of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia and the Evangelical Church of the Church Province of Saxony, led to a slight increase in the membership of LWF churches in Europe also.

According to the 2009 annual statistical survey conducted by the LWF Office for Communication Services (OCS), the Federation's 140 member churches, 10 recognized congregations and one recognized council in 79 countries, had a combined membership increase of approximately 2.3 percent in 2009. In 2008, LWF affiliated churches had some 68.5 million members worldwide, up from 68.3 million in 2007.

The total membership of Lutheran churches worldwide rose over the past year by 1,784,556 to just under 73.8 million (73,758,126), representing an increase of 2.5 percent. In 2008, all Lutheran churches worldwide counted some 72 million members, compared to 71.8 million in 2007. The number of Lutherans belonging to non-LWF Lutheran churches rose by 195,331 to reach 3,704,810, an increase of 5.6 percent. This increase is principally due to the inclusion of Lutheran churches worldwide that had not previously been taken into account. The OCS survey identified an additional seven Lutheran churches in Africa and one in Europe.

Africa: Tanzanian Church Ranked Second Among Lutherans Globally

Membership in churches belonging to the LWF in Africa over the past year rose by 1,233,413 or 7.1 percent to a total of 18,520,690. The membership of non-LWF Lutheran churches on the continent was 196,989, an increase of around 142,774 due to the inclusion of data from the seven churches.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) is now the largest LWF member church on the continent with an increase of around 670,247 members (14.5 percent) recorded last year bringing the current total to 5,302,727. The ELCT thus becomes the second largest Lutheran church in the world after Church of Sweden, which has 6.75 million members.

The third largest LWF member church is the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, whose figures increased by 267,336 or 5.3 percent to 5,279,822.

The highest percentage increase among non-LWF Lutheran churches in Africa was reported by the Church of the Lutheran Brethren of Chad, up by 92,379 or approximately 434 percent, to a total of 113,684.

Other LWF member churches reporting substantial increases included the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mozambique (up by 6,124 or 94.5 percent to 12,606 total), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Angola (up by 11,000 or around 38 percent to 40,000) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN), which added 70,000 new members for a present total of 420,000, an increase of 20 percent.

The fourth largest Lutheran church in Africa, the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, drew 154,950 new members, representing a growth of 8.9 percent for a total of 1.9 million. The other Lutheran church in the country, the Lutheran Church of Nigeria, reported 150,000 members, an increase of 15,000 or 11.1 percent.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon expanded its membership by 30,020 (13.6 percent) to attain a total of 250,035. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia, meanwhile, suffered a sharp decrease in membership of around 64.2 percent or 3,650 persons, to reach 2,033.

With its unchanged membership of 3 million people, the Malagasy Lutheran Church remains the third largest LWF member church in Africa.

Asia: Number of Lutherans Up by 200,000

The total number of Lutherans in Asia rose by 200,955 in 2009 to 8,746,434, representing an increase of 2.35 percent. Lutheran churches in Asia that do not belong to the LWF reported 189,653 new members, corresponding to an increase of 6,732 or 3.68 percent.

The continent's largest Lutheran church, the Protestant Christian Batak Church (Indonesia), reported 4,178,256 members last year, an increase of 178,256 or approximately 4.5 percent.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia reported the proportionately largest membership increase in Asia over the past year, with some 650 new members pushing the total by 21.7 percent, to the current figure of 3,650.

Other Asian churches reporting significant increases were the Arcot Lutheran Church (India), with an additional 5,000 members or 14.3 percent to reach 40,000, the Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church (India) with 16,500 new members, an increase of 12.4 percent for a total of 150,000, and the Christian Communion of Indonesia Church in Nias (Gereja AMIN), up by 1,564 members or 8.4 percent to 20,125.

The Lutheran Church in Singapore reported a membership decrease of 351 or 10.1 to reach 3,134.

Europe: Membership Increase of 250,000

Last year the total membership of LWF member churches in Europe increased slightly, by 250,062, or approximately 0.7 percent, to a current total of 37,164,411. Inclusion in the data of the 40,450 members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church on the Faroe Islands, which formerly belonged to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, doubled the membership figure of non-LWF member churches in Europe, which now stands at 79,778.

Membership in the world's largest Lutheran church, Church of Sweden, declined further in the course of 2009, falling by 68,209 (1.0 percent) to 6,751,952. The fifth largest LWF member church worldwide, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, experienced a relatively small decline of 2,468 members or 0.05 percent to 4,492,121.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the sixth largest LWF member church with 4,478,994 members, recorded a drop in membership of 35,365 or 0.8 percent. The Church of Norway saw an increase of 122,602 members or 3.2 percent, to reach 3,991,545.

The Lutheran Council of Great Britain reported an increase of 33.5 percent representing 43,700 additional members for a total of 174,300. The Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and in the Principality of Liechtenstein registered a 27 percent increase for 1,448 members making a total of 6,818. The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren, Czech Republic, grew by 12,834 members or 12.6 percent, for a total of 115,000.

The highest percentage of membership loss in Europe was recorded by the Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession, Czech Republic; its membership totaled 15,632, a decline of 14,368 or 47.9 percent. The Protestant Church in the Netherlands also experienced a significant drop of 200,000 members or 8.7 percent, recording a total of 2.1 million in 2009.

Germany: Merger Adds Nearly 400,000 Members

The total number of Lutheran Christians in Germany in 2009 was 12,900,794, reflecting an increase of 394,727 or 3.2 percent. This resulted from the merger of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia and the Evangelical Church of the Church Province of Saxony to form the Evangelical Church in Central Germany (910,527 members). Germany continues to be the country with the largest number of Lutheran Christians in the world. The number of Lutherans belonging to non-LWF member churches there dropped by 496 (1.3 percent) to 36,616.

Membership in Germany's largest Lutheran church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover, remained stable at 2,981,313. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria reported 2.6 millionmembers, reflecting a 1.2 percent decrease or 32,000. The membership of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wuerttemberg remained relatively stable, with 90 new members pushing the total to 2,286,983. Membership in the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church decreased by 26,033 or 1.2 percent to reach 2,050,595.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony recorded 798,930 members, reflecting a decrease of 11,628 or 1.4 percent. Membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg also fell by 835 or 0.4 percent to 200,905, while that of the Evangelical Church of Pomerania remained unchanged at 100,385.

The membership of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick declined by 5,315 or 1.3 percent to 395,000, that of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg by 8,112 or 1.8 percent to 455,336, that of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schaumburg-Lippe by 200 or 0.3 percent to 60,600 and that of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Baden by 300 or 8.6 percent to 3,200.

The membership of the Church of Lippe (Lutheran Section) remained stable at 32,000; similarly for the Germany-based Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad, at 25,020 members.

The Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church, a non-LWF member church, recorded a decrease of 373 or 1.0 percent, to 35,269. Membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church in Germany, likewise a non-LWF church, also dropped by 123 or 8.4 percent to 1,347.

Membership Remains Stable in Latin America

The total membership in LWF member churches in Latin America and the Caribbean decreased by a mere 198 to a total of 837,692. Membership in non-LWF churches in the region counted 285,331, a decline of 49.

Like most Lutheran churches in Latin America and the Caribbean, the region's largest Lutheran church, the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil, reported no change in its total membership, which remains at 717,000.

North America: Nearly 100,000 Fewer Members in LWF Churches

In 2009, total membership in LWF member churches in North American fell by 95,007 or 1.95 percent to 4,784,089. Membership in non-LWF Lutheran churches rose by 5,963 or 0.2 percent to 2,953,059.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the LWF's fourth largest member church, had 4,623,301 members last year, a decrease of 86,653 or 1.8 percent.

The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (USA and Canada), not an LWF member, reported 2.4 million members, an increase of 16,916 or 0.7 percent.

The Lutheran Churches of the Reformation, also LWF non-members, reported a loss of 700 or 35 percent, to the current total of 1,300. The Apostolic Lutheran Church of America lost 1,707 members, or 22.2 percent to a total of 6,000.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada reported a decline of 8,354 or 5.2 percent, recording 152,788 members. Membership in the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad (Canada) remained unchanged at 8,000.

The LWF membership statistics are based on information received from the LWF member churches, recognized churches and congregations and council, as well as from other Lutheran churches, organizations, mission bodies and congregations. The figures recorded for the year ending 2008 were used for churches that did not indicate any changes by the end of February 2010.

A one-page summary of the 2009 LWF statistics is posted in a PDF file at: http://www.lutheranworld.org/LWF_Documents/LWF-Statistics-01-2009.pdf.

Full details can be found at: http://www.lutheranworld.org/LWF_Documents/LWF-Statistics-2009.pdf.

The statistics in detail will be printed in Lutheran World Information (LWI) No. 01/2010.

Lutheran World Information