The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America


Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

ELCA Quick Facts

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America resulted from a union of three North American Lutheran church bodies: The American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and the Lutheran Church in America.

The three churches agreed to unite in 1982. They formed a 70-member Commission for a New Lutheran Church, which planned the merger. The plan was approved by church conventions in 1986, and the ELCA constituting convention was held April 30-May 3, 1987, with the church actually beginning operations on January 1, 1988.

The ELCA meets in assembly every two years; at its 2001 Churchwide Assembly it elected its third bishop, The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, who was re-elected at the 2007 Churchwide Assembly. 

MEMBERS:

  • Baptized Members: 4,930,429
  • Communing and Contributing Members: 2,304,976
  • Congregations: 10,585
  • Synods: 65 in nine geographic regions
  • Members of Color:
       African-American/Black: 54,241
       Latino/Hispanic: 38,255
       Asian/Pacific Islander: 22,395
       Multiethnic: 11,036
       American Indian/Alaska Native: 6,780
       Arab/Middle Eastern: 1,638
       Other: 12,440

LEADERS:

  • Clergy: 17,694 (3,140 female; 570 people of color)
  • Associates in Ministry: 1,249
    (1,019 female, 230 male; 18 people of color)
  • Diaconal Ministers: 98
  • Deaconesses: 65
  • Missionaries: approx. 280 adult missionaries, of which some 78 self-funded volunteers, serving in over 48 countries
  • Campus Pastors and Ministries: 185 campus ministry sites supported by synod and/or churchwide funds
  • Federal Chaplains: Approximately 770
    (Retired Military, Armed Forces Active Duty, Reservists,
    Veterans Affairs, Civil Air Patrol, Federal Bureau of Prisons)
  • Chaplaincy, Counseling and Clinical Education: Approximately 980 ordained and lay rostered people serving in 12 specialized ministries such as correctional, health care, CPE, substance abuse, police, etc.

INSTITUTIONS:

  • Theological Seminaries and Deaconess Community:
    8 Seminaries
    2 Seminary Extension Centers
    1 Deaconess Community
  • Colleges and Universities: 28
  • Schools:
    16 High Schools
    210 Elementary Schools
    1526 Early Childhood Programs
  • Social Ministry Organizations:
    280 parent corporations, providing service in 3,000 communities, and serving one in 50 Americans every year
  • Camps and Retreat Centers: 145, serving 450,000 yearly
    (summer programs 175,000, retreats and conferences 275,000)