The 148 member churches of the Lutheran World Federation have more than 77 million Lutherans
The Lutheran World Federation (hereinafter – LWF) unites more than 77 million church members in 148 member churches across seven regions. The statistics provided by the churches for 2019 show a total growth of almost 2 million members per year since 2017, when statistics for the previous period were compiled.
The average growth of 2.5 percent is linked to a general increase in the number of church members in the southern hemisphere. In the northern hemisphere, a general decline in the number of church members can be observed. The total number of church members in LWF churches at the end of 2019 was 77,493,989, while in 2017 the LWF united 145 churches with 75,561,552 church members.
This time the statistical data were divided according to the seven LWF regions. The Ethiopian Evangelical Church “Mekane Yesus” continues to be the numerically largest LWF member church, with 10.4 million church members. Since 2017, the membership of the Ethiopian church has grown by more than 18%, from 8.7 to 10.4 million people. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania is the second-largest church, with 7.9 million church members, having grown by 3%. The Church of Sweden has 5.9 million church members, and since 2017 it has experienced a decline from the previous 6.1 million. The eleven LWF member churches in Germany together have 10.8 million church members, which makes Germany the country with the largest number of Lutherans.
Regional trends
The largest regional growth has been in Asia, where 55 LWF member churches in 19 different countries grew by 9% and make up 12.4 million church members. In 2017, the Asia region had 11.4 million church members.
In twenty-three African countries there are 31 LWF member churches, which unite 28.1 million church members, representing a 7.6% increase since the previous period (in 2017 Africa had 26.1 million church members).
Latin America and the Caribbean are home to 19 LWF member churches in 18 different countries. Since 2017 the churches have experienced a 1% decline and now unite 755,924 church members.
A similar situation exists in North America, where a slight decline has occurred in the two LWF member churches in Canada and the United States of America. At the end of 2017, North America had 3.57 million church members. At the end of 2019 – 3.65 million.
The three LWF regions in Europe together unite 32.5 million Lutherans in 41 churches. Since 2017 a 3.2% decline can be observed, when the number of church members was 33.6 million. Twenty-one Central and Eastern European countries have 16 LWF member churches. In 2017 these churches had 1.2 million Lutherans, but in 2019 – 1.1 million. The region also includes the Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Russia and Other States, which unites regional churches and congregations in 10 countries.
In Central Western Europe, where 19 churches are located in eight countries, there were 14 million church members in 2017. In 2019 there was a decrease to 13.4 million people.
“Counting on one another”
Six LWF member churches in six countries of the Nordic region make up the proportionally largest number of Lutherans in the region, ranging from 58 to 75%. According to the 2017 statistics, the number of believers in the Nordic region was 18.4 million. In 2019 a decline of 2.2% occurred, and the number of Lutherans has shrunk to 18 million church members.
We carry out the count in order to understand in this way where we need to count on one another, to support one another in God’s all-encompassing mission in our different contexts. LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr. Martin Junge
Reflecting on these statistics, LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr. Martin Junge gave thanks for the countless workers in the communion’s churches, lay and ordained, who proclaim the gospel message of liberation by grace alone through Jesus Christ. “The Reformation is indeed a global citizen,” he added. “We carry out the count in order to understand in this way where we need to count on one another, to support one another in God’s all-encompassing mission in our different contexts.”
The LWF also includes 10 recognized congregations and churches, as well as two councils in the European and Latin American and Caribbean regions. The Lutheran communion is present in 99 countries, seven geographic regions, and the most diverse local-level contexts.
Geneva, Switzerland
22 July 2020
Source: The Lutheran World Federation