| Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada | |
|---|---|
| Église évangélique luthérienne au Canada | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | ELCIC |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | MainlineLutheran |
| Theology | Moderate to Liberal |
| Polity | Modifiedepiscopal polity |
| National Bishop | Larry Kochendorfer |
| Full communion | |
| Headquarters | Winnipeg,Manitoba |
| Origin | 1986 Winnipeg,Manitoba |
| Merger of |
|
| Congregations | 519 |
| Members | 95,000[1] |
| Official website | www |
TheEvangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC; French:Église évangélique luthérienne au Canada) isCanada's largestLutheran denomination, with 95,000[2] baptized members in 519 congregations,[3] with the second largest, theLutheran Church–Canada, having 47,607 baptized members.[4] Together with the LCC and theCanadian Association of Lutheran Congregations, it is one of only three all-Canadian Lutheran denominations. It is a member of theLutheran World Federation, theCanadian Council of Churches, theWorld Council of Churches, and the Anglican-Lutheran North American groupingChurches Beyond Borders. According to the 2021 Canadian census, a larger number of 328,045 adherents identify as Lutheran.[5]
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada came into being in 1986 through the merger of two predecessor bodies theEvangelical Lutheran Church of Canada (started in 1966 by Canadian congregations of theAmerican Lutheran Church) and threesynods of theLutheran Church in America, called the Canada Section. (In 1988 these two U.S. church bodies ceased to exist as they merged into theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America, the ELCIC's sister denomination in the United States.)
The Church derives its teachings from theBible and theBook of Concord[6] which includes the three ecumenical creeds of the Christian Church—that is, theApostles' Creed, theNicene Creed and theAthanasian Creed. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is in full communion with theAnglican Church of Canada (under theWaterloo Declaration) and theNorthern Province of the Moravian Church in North America.[7]Martin Luther University College andLutheran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon are the seminaries owned by the church.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is composed of five geography-based synods (similar to adiocese inAnglicanpolity). The presiding officer and chief pastor of each synod is a bishop.
This structure is identical to the synod structure of the ELCA, except that the Canadian synods cover one or more entire provinces, whereas some ELCA synods cover the whole or part of a metro area and some cover several states. Like the ELCA apresiding bishop serves as its head, but in the ELCIC, this bishop is known as the "National Bishop". Although episcopal in structure, the church does not have cathedrals as such, though the largest parish church in a city may well have that de facto function with respect to major worship services involving the whole Lutheran community.
In 2006, the Eastern Synod voted to allow individual pastors and congregations to conductblessing of same-sex unions, prompting a dispute between the synod and the national church over which body has the authority to make such a decision. The national church had previously voted against blessings, and the ELCIC's full communion partner, the Anglican Church of Canada, had voted to defer a decision. On June 23, 2007, at its National Convention, the ELCIC voted, by a 200–181 vote margin, against authorizing the Synods to devise individual mission strategies in regard to ministering to people who live in committed same-sex relationships, including the possibility of blessing such unions. The Eastern Synod Council, while affirming its jurisdiction in the matter, agreed to hold its decision in abeyance pending a decision by the national church.
In July 2011, the National Convention of the ELCIC adopted a new social statement on human sexuality and approved a motion allowing pastors whose conscience permits, in consultation with their congregations, to preside at marriages for same-gender couples. Some have claimed that the adoption of "ELCIC Social Statement on Human Sexuality" openly violates Article 2 of the ELCIC constitution, and have challenged the adoption as a violation of the ELCIC's constitution. A challenge was placed before the ELCIC's Court of Adjudication. The Court found that the complainant did not have the status required by the Constitution to press the complaint and declined to hear the complaint. As a result of the 2011 vote and the court's decision, the ELCIC today permits the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of openly gay or lesbian pastors.[9]
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