Lutheran denominations are Protestant church bodies that identify, to a greater or lesser extent, with the theology of Martin Luther and with the writings contained in the Book of Concord. Most Lutheran denominations are affiliated with one or more regional, national, or international associations, the largest of which—the Lutheran World Federation—has over 74 million members worldwide. There are also two smaller and more conservative international associations—the International Lutheran Council, with 7.15 million members, and the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, with approximately 500,000 members. Finally, the Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum (Global Forum) is a global gathering of Confessional Lutheran bodies who wish to emphasize missional discipleship as the focal point of ministry in the world.
This list is grouped by affiliation with the four major international Lutheran associations mentioned above. This list does not include groups that have been merged into other groups (e.g. Hauge Synod) nor groups that have become defunct (e.g. Eielsen Synod). Some of the denominations belong to more than one of the four associations.
Lutheran World Federation The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is the largest association of national and regional Lutheran church bodies in the world. Founded in 1947 by 47 church bodies from 26 countries, the LWF has grown to include 145 church bodies in 98 countries. CountryChurch bodyYear foundedMembersRefEvangelical Lutheran Church of Angola--49,500Evangelical Church of the River Plate27,500United Evangelical Lutheran Church--11,000Lutheran Church of Australia196648,760Protestant Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria--302,875Bangladesh Lutheran Church--6,000Bangladesh Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church--10,000Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church197214,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana--18,800Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil1824671,389Church of the Lutheran Brethren of Cameroon1969157,276Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cameroon--350,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada1986114,431Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic--120,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile19063,000Lutheran Church in Chile19751,976Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia--1,701Lutheran Costa Rican Church1988500Evangelical Church in the Republic of Croatia--3,329Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren191878,299Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession--16,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo 1960122,055Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark15364,276,271Salvadoran Lutheran Church--20,000Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eritrea--11,000Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church1917180,000Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus19598,310,129Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland18093,625,007Protestant Church of Augsburg Confession of Alsace and Lorraine2006250,000Malagasy Protestant Church in France--10,000United Protestant Church of France2012330,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Baden18502,906Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria--2,456,140Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brunswick--341,919Evangelical Church in Central Germany2009766,416Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover--2,714,781Church of Lippe (Lutheran section)188828,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany20122,063,904Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg--423,756Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony--701,008Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schaumburg-Lippe--54,159Evangelical Church in Württemberg--2,054,505Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana195829,000Guatemala Lutheran Church--300Evangelical Lutheran Church in Guyana--16,153Christian Lutheran Church of Honduras--1,700Hong Kong and Macau Lutheran Church--2,201Chinese Rhenish Church Hong Kong Synod--13,500Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong195418,351Tsung Tsin Mission of Hong Kong--11,278Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary--179,618Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland--227,266Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church--4,50,000Arcot Lutheran Church--40,000Bodo Evangelical Lutheran Church--11,510Bodo ELC websiteEvangelical Lutheran Church in Madhya Pradesh--20,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Himalayan States--27,345Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church--13,280Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam--382,790India Evangelical Lutheran Church1958125,000Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church--175,000Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church--87,541South Andhra Lutheran Church--60,000Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church--111,587Batak Christian Community Church--25,000Christian Communion of Indonesia Church in Nias (Gereja AMIN)--18,500Christian Protestant Angkola Church--29,455Christian Protestant Church in Indonesia--258,914Communion of Protestant Christian Church--63,274Indonesian Christian Church--355,000Indonesian Christian Lutheran Church--17,305Pakpak Dairi Christian Protestant Church--39,428Protestant Christian Batak Church18614,500,000Protestant Christian Church--456,802Protestant Christian Church in Mentawai--50,000Simalungun Protestant Christian Church--220,586United Protestant Church--12,057Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land19593,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy19497,000Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church194622,000Japan Lutheran Church19682,381Kinki Evangelical Lutheran Church--2,757Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya1948100,000Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church--44,000Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia--250,000Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad--22,172Lutheran Church in Liberia--70,000Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania--20,000Malagasy Lutheran Church--3,000,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi--102,000Basel Christian Church of Malaysia192563,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia19944,145Lutheran Church in Malaysia19628,822Protestant Church in Sabah--52,000Mexican Lutheran Church--1,500Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mozambique--12,606Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN-GELC)19604,434Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia--420,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN)--772,398Nepal Evangelical Lutheran Church--1,196Protestant Church in the Netherlands20041,969,755Nicaraguan Lutheran Church of Faith and Hope--7,050The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria--2,200,000Lutheran Church of Nigeria1936121,000Church of Norway--3,526,133Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway--21,490Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea--1,200,000Gutnius Lutheran Church--149,869Lutheran Church of Peru--496Lutheran Church in the Philippines197155,000Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland71,000Evangelical Lutheran Church of Congo--3,612Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania155012,347Evangelical Lutheran Church in Romania--27,540Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Russia and Other States201124,050Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia--15,000Lutheran Church of Rwanda--6,372The Lutheran Church of Senegal--4,053Slovak Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Serbia--49,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone19885,000Lutheran Church in Singapore19972,964Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Slovak Republic--224,581Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovenia--20,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa1975580,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (Cape Church)--3,994Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (N-T)19819,656Moravian Church in South Africa--50,000Lutheran Church in Korea19714,824Lanka Lutheran Church--5,324Evangelical Lutheran Church in Suriname--4,000Church of Sweden--5,563,351Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein--4,968Lutheran Church of Taiwan (Republic of China)--1,949Lutheran Church of the Republic of China--580Taiwan Lutheran Church--10,481Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania--6,531,336Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand--4,766Lutheran Church in Great Britain--1,500Evangelical Lutheran Church in America19883,765,362Evangelical Lutheran Church in Venezuela--1,950Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia--4,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe1962292,880
International Lutheran Council Founded in 1993, the International Lutheran Council (ILC) is the second largest international association of Lutheran churches after the LWF, representing 7.15 million Lutherans in 54 church bodies as of 2018. Unlike the members of the LWF, not all members of the ILC are in altar and pulpit fellowship with one another. CountryChurch bodyYear foundedMembersRefEvangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina190527,890Lutheran Church of Australia196660,000Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belgium--150Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia--906Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil1904243,520Lutheran Church—Canada198858,216Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile1992135Evangelical Lutheran Free Church in Denmark185590Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland20132,313Evangelical Lutheran Church - Synod of France1927821Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church188833,474Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana195829,000Lutheran Church in Guatemala--4,200Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti--10,000Lutheran Church-Hong Kong Synod--12,355India Evangelical Lutheran Church1958125,000Japan Lutheran Church19682,381Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya1948100,000Lutheran Synod of Mexico--1,211Lutheran Church Synod of Nicaragua20081,800Lutheran Church of Nigeria1936121,000The Lutheran Church in Norway200590Gutnius Lutheran Church--149,869Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay19834,079Evangelical Lutheran Church - Peru--500Lutheran Church in the Philippines197155,000Portuguese Evangelical Lutheran Church195995Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia--15,000Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church20032,100Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa 18922,829Lutheran Church in Southern Africa196720,000Lutheran Church in Korea19714,824Evangelical Lutheran Church of Spain2004--Ceylon Evangelical Lutheran Church--5,324China Evangelical Lutheran Church--2,010Evangelical Lutheran Church of England19541,600American Association of Lutheran Churches198714,000Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod18472,017,834Lutheran Ministerium and Synod – USA1995--Lutheran Church of Venezuela--1,607
Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference The Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC) is the third major international association of Lutheran church bodies, representing approximately 500,000 Lutherans in 32 church bodies. CountryChurch bodyYear founded MembersRefEvangelical Lutheran Synod of Australia----Bulgarian Lutheran Church1994310Lutheran Church of Cameroon--650Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church1991249Lutheran Confessional Church (Finland)200226Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (Germany)18761,300Gereja Lutheran Indonesia--1,362Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church1962375Confessional Lutheran Church in Latvia1999300Lutheran Church of Central Africa Malawi Conference196341,000Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Church (Mexico)--650All Saints Lutheran Church of Nigeria19911,674Christ the King Lutheran Church—Nigeria19693,727Lutheran Confessional Church (Norway)200957Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Peru--970Evangelical Lutheran Confessional Church—Puerto Rico1990216Evangelical Lutheran Church "Concord"1995--Lutheran Confessional Church (Sweden)1974220Ukrainian Lutheran Church19962,500Evangelical Lutheran Synod191819,000Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod1850363,997Lutheran Church of Central Africa Zambia Conference195510,000
Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum The Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum (Global Forum) is the fourth major international association of Lutheran church bodies and organizations, representing Lutherans in church bodies across 15 nations.