The Lutheran church bodies of today can trace their roots directly to the Protestant Reformation that took place in Europe in the 16th century. Followers of Martin Luther’s teachings were labeled “Lutherans” by their enemies and adopted the name themselves. Lutheran beliefs became widespread, especially in Germany and the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland), later spreading throughout the world as early explorers took their faith with them on their voyages.
Lutheranism came to the Americas that way; some of the earliest settlers in the Americas were Scandinavian, Dutch, and German Lutherans. As early as the 1620s, there were Lutheran settlers in the states now known as New Jersey and New York.
As people migrated to the New World, they continued to speak and worship in their native languages and use resources from their countries of origin. Europeans from a various regions would migrate to a particular region in America and start their own churches. As the number of these congregations grew, scattered groups would form a “synod” or a church body, and as the nation expanded, so did the number of Lutheran church bodies. (Adapted from elca.org/communication/roots.html)
A significant number of Lutheran church bodies continue to exist throughout the world. The list to the left provides a glimpse into those known to us within North America. While there may still be some current Lutheran church bodies that exist because of cultural backgrounds, today, a number of them are a result of differences in doctrine and practice.
Suggested additions or deletions from this list can be forwarded to debra.albers@valpo.edu in the Church Relations office at Valparaiso University.
Lutheran Church Bodies in North America |
AALC American Association of Lutheran Churches |
ALCA Apostolic Lutheran Church of America |
AFLC Association of Free Lutheran Congregations |
CALC Canadian Association of Lutheran Congregations |
CLA Conservative Lutheran Association (formerly World Confessional Lutheran Association) |
CLBA Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America |
CLBC Church of the Lutheran Brethren Canada |
CLC Church of the Lutheran Confession |
CLC Concordia Lutheran Conference |
ELCA Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
ELCM Evangelical Lutheran Conference & Ministerium of North America |
ELCIC Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada |
ELDONA Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America |
ELS Evangelical Lutheran Synod |
EELK Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church |
GLC General Lutheran Church |
ILC Illinois Lutheran Conference |
LCA Lutheran Church of Australia |
LC-I Lutheran Church-International 8224 S Park Ave. Springfield, IL 62704 |
LLC Laestadian Lutheran Church 217.726.6220 |
LELCA Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 2140 Orkla Drive Golden Valley, MN 55427-3432 612.546.3712 |
LCC Lutheran Church – Canada |
LCCF Lutheran Conference of Confessional Fellowship |
LCMC Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ |
LCMS The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod |
LMS-USA The Lutheran Ministerium and Synod-United States of America |
LCR Lutheran Churches of the Reformation |
MLC Missionary Lutheran Church |
NALC North American Lutheran Church |
RLC Reformation Lutheran Conference |
WELS Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod |
WCLA World Confessional Lutheran Association |