Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania ( Engl: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, ELCT; Swahili: Kanisa la la Kiinjili Kilutheri Tanzania, KKKT ) is a Lutheran church in Tanzania. The headquarters of the church is located in Arusha. The ELCT is the largest Lutheran church in Africa, its membership was in 2012 at about 6.1 million. Noteworthy is the growth of the Church, which is located at about 8% annually. Activities of the church are the health and education of the country which they mitträgt crucial.

The ELCT is led by a senior bishop and twenty diocesan bishops, who preside over the twenty dioceses. The Azania Front Cathedral in the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam is the cathedral of the Diocese of Dar es Salaam.

History

The roots of the Lutheran churches in Tanganyika lie in the activities of German, American and Swedish missionary societies in the 19th century, including the Berlin Missionary Society, which was active since 1891 in the former German East Africa. During the British Mandate passed in Tanganyika Territory seven Lutheran churches: the Lutheran Church of Northern Tanganyika, the Usambara / Digo Lutheran Church in the Northeast, the Uzaramo / Uluguru Lutheran Church in the East, the Augustana Lutheran Church of Irimba / Turu in the center of the country, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the North West Tanganyika, the Iraqw Lutheran Church and the Ubena / Konde Lutheran Church in the southern highlands. They teamed up in 1938 for the Federation of Lutheran Churches in Tanganyika together. On June 19, 1963, these churches merged to ELCT.

Ecumenical Relations

The ELCT belongs to the organizations All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC ), the Christian Council of Tanzania, the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).