- Introduction
- Distribution
- Over Time
- Related Surveys
- Data Sources
Basic Information
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (1988) continues several varied streams of Lutheran church life introduced to America during the Colonial era. The ELCA was formally constituted in 1988 as a merger of the Lutheran Church in America, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and the American Lutheran Church.
History
Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches |
merged intoEvangelical Lutheran Church in America (1988) |
Snapshot
| 1990 | 2000 | Growth/Decline | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Congregations | 10,912 | 10,739 | -173 (-1.6%) |
| Adherents | 5,226,798 | 5,113,418 | -113,380 (-2.2%) |
Notes
Snapshot data are from Churches and Church Membership in the United States 1990 and Religious Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000. Copyright © 2002, Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB). All rights reserved. Published by Glenmary Research Center, 1312 Fifth Ave., North, Nashville, TN 37208. www.glenmary.org/grc.
History data were taken from the National Council of Churches' Historic Archive CD and recent editions of the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches [More information on history data sources]
