Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania | |
|---|---|
Logo of the ELCT
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| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Lutheran |
| Leader | Fredrick Onael Shoo |
| Associations | LWF, AACC, WCC, CCT |
| Region | Tanzania |
| Origin | 1963 |
| Branched from | Federation of Lutheran Churches in Tanganyika |
| Separations | Early 1990's church leaders failed to reform from their authoritarian behaviour and break the church in two parts. The great reforming champion was, the big follower of the Luther's principles Rev. Pastor Bumija Y. Mshana Msc. The new reforming lutheran baised, African Mission Evangelical Church (AMEC) established as a separate lutheran wing from the main stream ELCT. |
| Congregations | 1,104 |
| Members | 6,531,336 (2015) |
| Ministers | 1,500 |
| Official website | http://www.elct.org/ |
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) is the federation of Lutheran churches in Tanzania and one of the largest Lutheran denomination in the world with more than 6 million members.
In 1938, seven Lutheran churches founded a federation known as the Federation of Lutheran Churches in Tanganyika. On June 19, 1963, the churches merged to become a single church known as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.
The church is led by a presiding bishop and twenty-five diocesan bishops, representing 25 dioceses, and has a membership of more than 6.5 million. The Head Office of the Church is in Arusha, where it has owned the New Safari Hotel since 1967. The church is affiliated with the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), the Christian Council of Tanzania, and the Lutheran World Federation.
The ELCT is an organization which reaches out to the people of Tanzania offering worship opportunities, Christian education, and numerous social services.
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