The Lutheran World Federation (LWF; ) 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 has 154 member church bodies in 99 countries representing over 78 million Lutherans; as of 2023, it was the sixth-largest Christian communion (see list of denominations by membership). According to the World Christian Database and World Christian Encyclopedia, published by Edinburgh University Press, excluding the United and Uniting Churches, the LWF reportedly had 82,310,000 members in 2020. 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 LWF signed the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification with the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic–Lutheran dialogue is a series of discussions that began during July 1964 as an outgrowth of the Second Vatican Council. 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 on 31 October 2016, the 499th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, with the signing of the Statement on the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.
As of 2016, 119 of the LWF's (then) 145 member churches (80%) ordained women as ministers.
History The LWF was founded at Lund, Sweden, in 1947. It replaced the more informal Lutheran World Convention, which had been founded in 1923 and assembled for conventions in 1923, 1929, and 1935. The headquarters (Communion Office) are based in Geneva, Switzerland. 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.
Largest churches The 20 largest member churches are ( 2023 statistics): +Member ChurchReported MembersEthiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus12,000,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania8,500,000Batak Christian Protestant Church6,333,000Church of Sweden5,484,000Church of Denmark4,253,575Malagasy Lutheran Church5.356.456Church of Norway3,611,670Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland3,579,616Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church3,000,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in America2,904,686Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hanover2,302,547The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria2,200,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria2,143,233Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg1,821,266Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany1,772,953Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea1,500,000Protestant Church in the Netherlands1,425,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia853,522Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cameroon700,000
Federation officials and leadership The Lutheran World Federation has a dual leadership structure. The President serves as the moderator of the Council and the Assembly and as ecclesial leader of the Federation, while the General Secretary is the chief executive officer responsible for its administration and operations. According to the LWF Constitution, both serve as chief spokespersons of the Lutheran World Federation.
President The president presides at meetings of the Assembly, Council, and Executive Committee, and oversees the life and work of the federation in consultation with the General Secretary.
No. Portrait Name Term Church Nationality 1 Anders Nygren 1947–1952 Church of Sweden 2 Hanns Lilje 1952–1957 Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover 3 Franklin Clark Fry 1957–1963 4 Fredrik A. Schiotz 1963–1970 American Lutheran Church 5 Mikko Juva 1970–1977 Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland 6 Josiah Kibira 1977–1984 Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania 7 1984–1987 Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary 8 1987–1990 Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria 9 1990–1997 Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil 10 1997–2003 Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick 11 Mark Hanson 2003–2010 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 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 14 Henrik Stubkjær 2023–present Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark
General Secretary The Lutheran World Federation Council elects the General Secretary for a seven-year term. The person appointed is eligible for one 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. Together with the President, the General Secretary serves as the chief spokesperson of the Lutheran World Federation. On 19 June 2021, the LWF Council elected Estonian theologian Anne Burghardt as the next General Secretary. She is the first woman and the first person from Central Eastern Europe to serve in this role and assumed office on 1 November of that year.
No. Name Term Nationality 1 Sylvester Michelfelder 1947–1951 2 1951–1960 3 1960–1965 4 1965–1974 5 Carl Henning Mau Jr. 1974–1985 6 Gunnar Stålsett 1985–1994 7 Ishmael Noko 1994–2010 8 2010–2021 9Anne Burghardt2021-
Membership The Lutheran World Federation is the largest global communion of Lutherans though some of its members are United and Uniting Churches, most of which are also members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. There are also many Confessional Lutheran churches, such as the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, which are not in fellowship with the LWF. Some LWF member churches are also members of the International Lutheran Council or the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum, though the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference does not allow its members to be in fellowship with either communion. This map shows the global distribution of Lutheranism based on The LWF 2019 membership data.
Statistics
Year Number of denominations Number of individual members % of global population2009 140 70,053,316 1.01%2013 142 72,268,329 0.99%2015 145 74,261,862 0.99%2019 148 77,493,989 0.99%2023 150 78,431,111 0.97%
Between 2009 and 2023, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) grew from 140 to 150 member denominations. In the same period, individual membership grew from 70,053,316 to 78,431,111 people. This represents a growth of 11.95% in 14 years. In the same period, the global population grew by 18.22%.
LWF statistics from 2009 to 2023 show growth in membership in Africa and Asia. At the same time, membership is declining in Europe and America. The Lutheran World Federation reports the membership of each member church as illustrated in the following chart: