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, to be held August 6-12 in Chicago.
MEMBERS:
- Baptized Members: 4,850,776
- Communing and Contributing Members: 2,256,700
- Congregations: 10,549
- Synods: 65 in nine geographic regions
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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: 17,694 (3,140 female; 570 people of color)
- Associates in Ministry: 1,082 (867 female; 215 male; 18 people of color)
- Diaconal Ministers: 105
- Deaconesses: 62
- Missionaries: approx. 270 adult missionaries, of which some 79 self-funded volunteers, serving in over 48 countries
- Campus Pastors and Ministries: 185 campus ministry sites supported by synod and/or churchwide funds
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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:
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Theological Seminaries and Deaconess Community:
8 Seminaries
2 Seminary Extension Centers
1 Deaconess Community - Colleges and Universities: 28
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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:
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ELCA Churchwide Current Fund Results:
2005 Revenue $81,791,720
2004 Expense $78,317,968 (plus Church Council Designated funds of
$4,000,000) - Total 2005 Income of Congregations : $2,676,901,588
- Average Giving Per Confirmed Member : $598.75
