Lutheran Membership Increases Internationally, Decreases Domestically

Most of the increase in LWF membership came from the admission of two new multi-million member denominations to the Federation

By Pauline J. Chang, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, February 15, 2005

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) reported an increase of 3.63 million members over the last year, bringing the total number of LWF members to nearly 6.6 million. The rise in LWF membership is also reflective of the overall increase among Lutheran churches – including those that are not part of the LWF – which grew by 5.4 percent (3.57 million) over the last year.

According to the statistical figures released in February, most of the increase in LWF membership came from the admission of two new multi-million member denominations to the Federation.

“Membership among LWF member churches rose to 38,594,553 people. This is largely due to the PCN admission in the LWF last year. Between 2001 and 2003, a 1.75 percent decrease pushed down Lutheran membership to 36 million Christians,” the LWF reported.

Some churches, including the Church of Sweden – the largest Lutheran church worldwide – there was a natural increase in membership. However, in most parts of Europe, church membership declined over the 2003-2004 period.

Lutheran churches in Africa, meanwhile, recorded a natural membership increase of almost 1.1 million – a rise of 8.2 percent.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mozambique registered the largest increase, with an almost fivefold rise in membership from 1,250 to 5,987. With 500,000 new members, representing a 20 percent increase, the Malagasy Lutheran Church and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania now each have 3 million members.

However, several churches in South Africa recorded decreasing membership. One such church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa lost almost 180,000 members, a 23.4 percent decline, bringing the new total to 589,502. A slight decrease in membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (Cape Church) brings down the total to 4,099 members, whereas the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (N-T) recorded a 10 percent decrease resulting in 9,900 members.

Lutheran churches in Asia reported a one percent increase in membership while Lutheran churches in Latin America and the Caribbean recorded a slight fall of .6 percent.

North America meanwhile recorded a 2.2 percent loss in membership, largely due to the fall of membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – the second largest LWF member church with nearly 5 million members. A 40 percent decline in membership in the Lithuanian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Diaspora (USA) pushed down the membership to 3,000.

The membership statistics are based on information received from the LWF member churches, the recognized congregations and council, as well as from other Lutheran churches, organizations, mission bodies and congregations. The figures recorded for the year ending 2003 were used for churches that did not indicate any change in statistics by the end of January 2005.