Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada |
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| Église évangélique luthérienne au Canada | |
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| Abbreviation | ELCIC |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Mainline Lutheran |
| Theology | Moderate to Liberal |
| Polity | Modified episcopal polity |
| National Bishop | Susan Johnson |
| Headquarters | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Origin | 1986 Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Merger of |
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| Congregations | 519 |
| Members | 95,000 |
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) is the biggest Lutheran church group in Canada. It is also known as the Église évangélique luthérienne au Canada in French. This church has about 95,000 members who are baptized. They meet in 519 different churches across the country.
The ELCIC is one of three main Lutheran groups in Canada. It works with other churches around the world. These include the Lutheran World Federation and the World Council of Churches. It also partners with the Anglican Church of Canada through a group called Churches Beyond Borders. Many Canadians identify as Lutheran, with over 328,000 people in 2021.
Contents
The ELCIC's Story: How It Began
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada started in 1986. It was formed when two older church groups joined together. These groups were the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada and the Canada Section of the Lutheran Church in America.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada began in 1966. It was made up of Canadian churches that were part of the American Lutheran Church. The Canada Section came from the Lutheran Church in America. These two American church bodies later merged in 1988. They formed the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The ELCA is like a sister church to the ELCIC in the United States.
What Lutherans Believe: Core Teachings
The ELCIC gets its teachings from the Bible. They also follow the Book of Concord. This book contains important statements of faith. It includes three ancient Christian statements called creeds. These are the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.
The ELCIC works closely with other Christian churches. It is in full communion with the Anglican Church of Canada. This means they share many beliefs and practices. They also have a special connection with the Northern Province of the Moravian Church in North America. The church also owns two schools. These are Martin Luther University College and Lutheran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon. These schools help train future church leaders.
How the ELCIC Is Organized: Church Structure
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is set up into five main areas. These areas are called synods. A synod is like a diocese in the Anglican church. It covers a specific geographic region.
Each synod has a leader called a bishop. The bishop is the main pastor for that area. The five synods are:
- The British Columbia Synod
- The Synod of Alberta and the Territories
- The Saskatchewan Synod
- The Manitoba/Northwestern Ontario Synod
- The Eastern Synod
This way of organizing is similar to the ELCA in the United States. However, ELCIC synods cover whole provinces or territories. The ELCIC also has a leader for the entire church. This leader is called the "National Bishop." Even though the church has bishops, it does not have large cathedrals. Instead, the biggest local church in a city might serve a similar role for special services.
Leaders of the ELCIC: National Bishops
The National Bishop is the main leader of the entire ELCIC. Here are the people who have served in this important role:
- The Rev. Donald Sjoberg, from 1986 to 1993
- The Rev. Telmor Sartison, from 1993 to 2001
- The Rev. Raymond Schultz, from 2001 to 2007
- The Rev. Canon Susan Johnson, from 2007 to 2025
On July 12, 2025, Bishop Larry Kochendorfer was elected. He was the former bishop of Alberta and the Territories. Bishop Kochendorfer will become the next National Bishop, succeeding Bishop Johnson.
