The International Lutheran Council is a worldwide association of confessional Lutheran denominations. It is to be distinguished from the Lutheran World Federation and the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference. The member church bodies of the ILC are not required to be in church-fellowship with one another, though many of them are. The organization was constituted in 1993 at a council held in Antigua, Guatemala, although it traces its roots back to theological conferences held in many locations during the 1950s and 1960s.
Lutheranism is present on all inhabited continents with an estimated 80 million adherents, out of which 74.2 million are affiliated with the Lutheran World Federation. A major movement that first began the Reformation, it constitutes one of the largest Protestant branches claiming around 80 million out of 920 million Protestants. The Lutheran World Federation brings together the vast majority of Lutherans. Apart from it, there are also other organisations such as the International Lutheran Council and the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, as well as multiple independent Lutheran denominations.
The World Reformed Fellowship (WRF) is an ecumenical Christian organization which promotes unity between conservative Reformed churches around the world.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa is a Lutheran church in South Africa. The Church has 580,000 baptized members, in seven Dioceses in South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland, and is the largest Lutheran church in the southern African region.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) is a Lutheran denomination based in Namibia. It has a total membership of over 772,398, mainly in Northern Namibia. Formerly known as the Evangelical Lutheran Ovambo-Kavango Church, it played a significant role in opposition to Apartheid in Namibia and was part of the Namibian independence struggle.
India Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELC) is a Christian denomination in India. Its headquarters is in Tamil Nadu. It belongs to the International Lutheran Council and the Lutheran World Federation. It has three synods named Ambur, Nagercoil, and Trivandrum. The India Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded through the missionary efforts of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), with whom it remains in altar and pulpit fellowship.
Lutheranism was first introduced to Angola in the late 1800s, when Finnish missionaries began working in northern Namibia and southern Angola. Following the Portuguese defeat of Mandume Ya Ndemufayo in 1917, the Lutheran church in Angola was repressed by the Roman Catholic Portuguese authorities. In 1956, Lutheranism was reestablished in Angola, and in 1991, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Angola was organized as an independent church body. In 1997, a smaller group of conservative Lutheran missionaries helped to organize a second Angolan Lutheran church: the Confessional Lutheran Church in Angola.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia is an Evangelical Lutheran church in Zambia. It has a membership of 5,600 in 30 congregations and has been a member of the Lutheran World Federation since 2002. It is also affiliated with its regional expression, the Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa, and with the Christian Council of Zambia. The church's head is Rev. Alfred Chana, senior pastor.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mozambique is an Evangelical Lutheran church in Mozambique. It has a membership of 12,606, and has been a member of the Lutheran World Federation since 1999. It is also affiliated with its regional expression, the Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa, and with the Christian Council of Mozambique. The church's head is Bishop Eduardo Sinalo
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN) is a Lutheran denomination based in Namibia. It has a total membership of about 420,000.
Sierra Leone is officially a secular state, although Islam and Christianity are the two main and dominant religions in the country. The constitution of Sierra Leone provides for freedom of religion and the Sierra Leone Government generally protects it. The Sierra Leone Government is constitutionally forbidden from establishing a state religion, though Muslim and Christian prayers are usually held in the country at the beginning of major political occasions, including presidential inauguration.
Christians in Sierra Leone constitute approximately 10 percent (~574,300) of the country's population. Other sources report that the population of Christians in Sierra Leone may reach 21%.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo is a Lutheran denomination in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, which it joined in 1986. It is also a member of the All Africa Conference of Churches. It was known formerly as the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Zaïre.
The German-speaking Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia is a Lutheran denomination based in Namibia. It was founded in 1960, and has 4,434 members.
