Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada ( ELCIC ) (French: Eglise Evangelique Lutherienne au Canada) is the largest Lutheran church in Canada. To ELCIC has around 148 863 baptized church members in 624 congregations. It represents a more liberal theology as the Lutheran Church - Canada (English Lutheran Church - Canada (LCC ) ) to the 67 154 baptized church members in 312 congregations (2010) belong.

Church History

The ELCIC was written in 1986 by the merger of two earlier churches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada, which had been established again in 1966 by Canadian municipalities in the American Lutheran Church, and three Synodalbezirken the Lutheran Church in America, which were designated as Canada section. Merged in 1988, the American sister churches for Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ( ELCA ).

Ecumenical Relations

The ELCIC is part of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches. Full communion is made according to the Waterloo Declaration of 2001 on the Anglican Church of Canada.

Teaching

The ELCIC teaches the contents of the Bible and the Christian faith because of the three creeds: the Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed and the Athanasian Creed. It refers to Martin Luther.

In the ELCIC the ordination of women and the ordination of homosexual pastors is approved. The blessing of same-sex couples in 2006, admitted in the Eastern Synod, one of the five Synodalbezirke; This resolution was set by the National Council of Churches under Bishop Raymond Schultz provisionally suspended since the Synod having exceeded its authority. Simultaneously, a design for the Church Assembly in 2007 was presented, which delegated the final decision right on the blessing of same-sex couples to the communities. Although the Eastern Synod insists on the legality of their decision, they decided to stay its execution pending a decision of the council. In July 2011, the council endorsed the blessing of same-sex couples.

To ELCIC include two seminars Waterloo Lutheran Seminary and the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon.

Church organization and management

The ELCIC members in five Synodalbezirke, each headed by a bishop. The individual Synodalbezirke send delegates to the National Convention ( council ), which elects the Council of Churches and the Church Chairman designated as National Bishop.

As National Bishop officiated:

  • Rev. Telmor Sartison, 1993-2001
  • Rev. Raymond Schultz, 2001-2007
  • Rev. Susan Johnson, 2007 -

The five Synodalbezirke are:

  • The British Columbia Synod
  • The Synod of Alberta and the Territories
  • The Saskatchewan Synod
  • The Manitoba / Northwestern Ontario Synod
  • The Eastern Synod
Raymond Schultz (bishop) Susan Johnson (bishop)
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