Evangelical Lutheran Church In America

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a religious organization that resulted from a union of three North American churches, the American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and the Lutheran Church in America. The three churches merged in 1982, forming a 70-member commission for a New Lutheran Church. The church plan was approved by church conventions in 1986, and the ELCA began operations in 1988. The ELCA is active in youth ministry, Christian education, evangelism, global hunger, and men and women ministry. Collectively, it has more than 10,000 congregations with more than 4 million baptized members. Its Theological and Deaconess Community includes seminary extension centers, colleges and universities, high schools, elementary schools, early childhood programs and social service institutions. The ELCA church-wide office is located in Chicago, Ill.