ELCA Quick Facts

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America resulted from a union of three North American Lutheran church bodies: The American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and the Lutheran Church in America.

The three churches agreed to unite in 1982. They formed a 70-member Commission for a New Lutheran Church, which planned the merger. The plan was approved by church conventions in 1986, and the ELCA constituting convention was held April 30-May 3, 1987, with the church actually beginning operations on January 1, 1988.

The ELCA meets in assembly every two years; at its 2001 Churchwide Assembly it elected its third bishop, The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, who was re-elected at the 2007 Churchwide Assembly held August 6-12 in Chicago.

MEMBERS:

• Baptized Members: 4,774,203
• Communing and Contributing Members: 2,256,700
• Congregations: 10,470
• Synods: 65 in nine geographic regions
• Members of Color
     African-American/Black: 54,354
     American Indian/Alaska Native: 7,095
     Arab/Middle Eastern: 1,779
     Asian/Pacific Islander: 21,950
     Latino/Hispanic: 39,157
     Multiethnic: 12,261
     Other: 11,096

LEADERS:

• Clergy: 17,655
• Associates in Ministry: 1,082 (867 female; 215 male; 18 people of color)
• Diaconal Ministers: 105
• Deaconesses: 62
• Missionaries: approx. 270 adult missionaries serving in over 48 countries, of which 79 are self-funded volunteers
• Campus Pastors and Ministries: 185 campus ministry sites supported by synod and/or churchwide funds
• Federal Chaplains: Approximately 706
  (383 Retired Military, 96 Armed Forces Active Duty, 183 Reservists,
  37 Veterans Affairs, 7 Federal Bureau of Prisons)
• Chaplaincy, Pastoral Counseling and Clinical Education: Approximately 965 ecclesiastically endorsed ordained and lay rostered people serve in the areas such as general health care, correctional, substance abuse, long term care chaplaincy and clinical education ministry.

INSTITUTIONS:

• Theological Seminaries and Deaconess Community:
  8 Seminaries
  2 Seminary Extension Centers
  1 Deaconess Community
• Colleges and Universities: 28
• Schools:
  14 High Schools
  296 Elementary Schools
  1573 Early Childhood Programs
• Social Ministry Organizations:
  280 parent corporations, providing service to 6 million people in 3,000 communities, and serving one in 50 Americans every year
• Camps and Retreat Centers: 145, serving 450,000 yearly
  (summer programs 175,000, retreats and conferences 275,000)

FINANCES:

• ELCA Churchwide Current Fund Results:
  2005 Revenue $81,791,720
  Total 2006 Income of Congregations: $2,748,068,336
• Average Giving Per Confirmed Member: $626.47

Statistics as of December 31, 2006