ELCA

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 will be eligible for re-election at the 2007 Churchwide Assembly, to be held August 6-12 in Chicago.

MEMBERS:

  • Baptized Members: 4,850,776
  • Communing and Contributing Members: 2,256,700
  • Congregations: 10,549
  • Synods: 65 in nine geographic regions
  • Members of Color
       African-American/Black: 54,354
           American Indian/Alaska Native: 7,095
       Arab/Middle Eastern: 1,779
       Asian/Pacific Islander: 21,950
           Latino/Hispanic: 39,157
           Multiethnic: 12,261
       Other: 11,096

LEADERS:

  • Clergy: 17,694 (3,140 female; 570 people of color)
  • Associates in Ministry: 1,082 (867 female; 215 male; 18 people of color)
  • Diaconal Ministers: 105
  • Deaconesses: 62
  • Missionaries: approx. 270 adult missionaries, of which some 79 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 706
    (    383 Retired Military, 96 Armed Forces Active Duty, 183 Reservists,
    37 Veterans Affairs, 7 Federal Bureau of Prisons)
  • Chaplaincy, Pastoral Counseling and Clinical Education: Approximately 965 ecclesiastically endorsed ordained and lay rostered people serve in the areas such as general health care, correctional, substance abuse, long term care chaplaincy and clinical education ministry.

INSTITUTIONS:

  • Theological Seminaries and Deaconess Community:
    8 Seminaries
    2 Seminary Extension Centers
    1 Deaconess Community
  • Colleges and Universities: 28
  • Schools:
    14 High Schools
    296 Elementary Schools
    1573 Early Childhood Programs
  • Social Ministry Organizations:
    280 parent corporations, providing service to 6 million people 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)

FINANCES:

  • ELCA Churchwide Current Fund Results:
    2005 Revenue $81,791,720
    2004 Expense $78,317,968 (plus Church Council Designated funds of $4,000,000)
  • Total 2005 Income of Congregations: $2,676,901,588
  • Average Giving Per Confirmed Member: $598.75
    Statistics as of December 31, 2006
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