Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
History of the ELCA
- The American Lutheran Church
- The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, and
- The Lutheran Church in America.
Beginning January 1, 1988, these churches, with shared beliefs and missions, officially formed the ELCA. Two decades later, this energized church is composed of 4.8 million members and nearly 10,500 congregations across the U.S. and Caribbean. Today, the ELCA reflects the rich and diverse heritage of the people it serves.
However, to understand our heritage fully, one must trace our roots back through the mid-17th century, when early Lutherans came to America from Europe, settling in the Virgin Islands and the area that we now know as New York. Even before that, Martin Luther sought reform for the church in the 16th century, laying the framework for our beliefs.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America first began over 20 years ago comprising of three separate and well-established North American church bodies:
