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 will be eligible for re-election at the 2007 Churchwide Assembly.

MEMBERS:

• Baptized Members: 4,930,429
• Communing and Contributing Members: 2,304,976
• Congregations: 10,585
• Synods: 65 in nine geographic regions
• Members of Color
     African-American/Black: 54,241
     Latino/Hispanic: 38,255
     Asian/Pacific Islander: 22,395
     Multiethnic: 11,036
     American Indian/Alaska Native: 6,780
     Arab/Middle Eastern: 1,638
     Other: 12,440

LEADERS:

• Clergy: 17,694 (3,140 female; 570 people of color)
• Associates in Ministry: 1,249
  (1,019 female, 230 male; 18 people of color)
• Diaconal Ministers: 98
• Deaconesses: 65
• Missionaries: approx. 280 adult missionaries, of which some 78 self-funded volunteers, serving in over 48 countries
• Campus Pastors and Ministries: 185 campus ministry sites supported by synod and/or churchwide funds
• Federal Chaplains: Approximately 770
  (Retired Military, Armed Forces Active Duty, Reservists,
  Veterans Affairs, Civil Air Patrol, Federal Bureau of Prisons)
• Chaplaincy, Counseling and Clinical Education: Approximately 980 ordained and lay rostered people serving in 12 specialized ministries such as correctional, health care, CPE, substance abuse, police, etc.

INSTITUTIONS:

• Theological Seminaries and Deaconess Community:
  8 Seminaries
  2 Seminary Extension Centers
  1 Deaconess Community
• Colleges and Universities: 28
• Schools:
  16 High Schools
  210 Elementary Schools
  1526 Early Childhood Programs
• Social Ministry Organizations:
  280 parent corporations, providing service 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:
  2004 Revenue $81,254,314
  2004 Expense $76,702,432
• Total 2003 Income of Congregations: $2,554,509,414
• Average Giving Per Confirmed Member:
  $550.04 (Regular $467.78; Designated $82.26)