Denominational Profile

Notes

The Evangelical Lutheran Synod was formed at Lake Mills, Iowa, in 1918 by a group of forty pastors and laymen who declined to enter the merger of other Norwegian Lutherans, deciding instead to establish an independent synod. The name Norwegian Synod of the American Evangelical Lutheran Church was adopted. The present name was assumed in 1957.

Membership Data

Year	Clergy	Churches	Members
1925	39	48	4,583
1929	55	70	5,400
1935	47	65	7,917
1939	-	65	8,631
1941	-	65	8,777
1943	-	70	8,853
1946	-	69	9,367
1950	63	69	10,376
1953	68	73	11,625
1955	71	80	12,872
1957	66	80	13,605
1958	63	80	14,004
1959	61	77	14,302
1963	52	75	14,608
1966	54	84	15,798
1967	55	84	15,628
1969	56	88	16,017
1970	60	87	15,663
1971	63	89	16,202
1972	63	89	16,179
1973	67	96	17,321
1974	71	98	17,804
1976	83	106	19,571
1977	88	108	19,634
1978	92	108	19,705
1979	94	110	20,044
1980	98	109	19,885
1981	97	108	19,795
1982	101	110	20,025
1983	106	111	20,556
1984	111	112	20,146
1985	122	116	19,850
1986	128	120	19,938
1987	130	123	21,454
1989	144	125	21,544
1990	148	128	21,630
1991	151	126	21,347
1992	151	126	21,525
1993	155	125	21,493
1994	159	128	25,379
1995	161	135	22,371
1996	166	135	22,046
1997	166	136	22,089
1998	176	139	22,264
2000	178	138	21,729
2001	28	141	21,333
2002	177	138	21,442
2003	166	140	21,047
2004	174	140	20,981
2005	173	138	20,429
2006	168	138	20,559
2007	155	131	19,945
2008	166	130	19,777
2009	170	131	19,868

Data were taken from the National Council of Churches' Historic Archive CD and recent editions of the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. Denomination descriptions provided by Dr. J. Gordon Melton, Director, Institute for the Study of American Religion (ISAR). [More information on data sources]