Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church

Infobox Christian denomination
name = Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church


imagewidth =
caption = Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt
main_classification = Protestant
orientation = Confessional Lutheran
polity = Episcopal
founder =
founded_date = 25. June 1972, (Old Lutherans 1830)
founded_place =
separated_from =
parent = Prussian Lutheran Church
merger =
separations =
fellowships = Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Lutheran Church - Canada
associations = International Lutheran Council, European Lutheran Conference
area = Germany
hospitals =
nursing_homes =
aid =
congregations = 200
members = 36,000
ministers = 131 Reverents
primary_schools =
secondary_schools =
tertiary =
footnotes =

The Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church ("Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche," or SELK) is a confessional Lutheran church body of Germany. It is a member of the European Lutheran Conference and a member of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) (of which the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod of North America is also a member). The SELK synod has about 36,000 members in 200 congregations. The seat of SELK is in Hanover.

History

In 1817, King Frederick William III of Prussia ordered the Lutheran and Reformed churches in his territory to unite, forming the Evangelical Church of the Prussian Union, a predecessor to today's Evangelical Church in Germany. As the uniting of Lutheran and Reformed Christians in Germany proceeded, some Lutheran groups dissented and formed independent churches, especially in Prussia, Saxony, Hanover and Hesse. These traditional Lutherans held that Reformed doctrine and Lutheran doctrine are contradictory on many points (especially on the nature of the Real Presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper), and such doctrinal differences preclude altar fellowship.

The confessional Lutherans were persecuted during the 1800s by the state. Many of them were not allowed to have church services or get their children baptized or confirmed according to the liturgy of the Lutheran Church. In some areas of Germany, it took decades until the Confessional Lutherans were granted religious freedom.

In 1972 most of the Confessional Lutheran Church bodies in West Germany united to form the SELK. In 1991 the East German Evangelisch-Lutherische (altlutherische) Kirche (the Evangelical-Lutheran (Old-Lutheran) Church) joined the SELK.

Doctrine

Basics

SELK's doctrine based on the bible, the old and the new Testament, which is God's inerrant and infallible Word, and on the Book of Concord, because (quia) the Lutheran Confessions are corresponding with the holy scripture. These Confessions are:

* Apostolic Creed
* Nicene Creed
* Athanasian Creed
* The unaltered Augsburg Confession
* The Apology of the unaltered Augsburg Confession
* The Smalcald Articles
* The small Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther
* The Large Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther
* The Formula of Concord

SELK holds to confessional Lutheran doctrine, similar to that of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod in the U.S. SELK has declined to join the Lutheran World Federation, viewing that body as being too liberal theologically. However, the even more conservativ, some mean fundamentalistic, Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (Germany), formerly in communion with SELK, suspended relations in 1987 over perceived doctrinal laxity within SELK itself.

SELK does not ordain women as priests/pastors, and is strictly against blessing gay couples. This is in contrast to the German mainline Protestant churches, which do ordain women to ministry and allow blessing gay couples. The liberal mainline Protestant churches (about 25 million members) are organized in the Evangelical Church in Germany (Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, EKD).

Church Structure

On top there is a bishop. He is elected by the synod. Today's bishop ist Hans-Jörg Voigt. The Headquarter is in Hanover, which is managed by the executive dean Michael Schätzel. The SELK is divided in 4 main districts, with a provost on top. The 4 main districts are divided again in under districts, with a superintendent on top.

* Main district North: Provost Johannes Rehr
** divided in districts: Lower Saxony West, Lower Saxony East, Lower Saxony South.
* Main district East: Provost Gert Kelter
** divided in districts: Berlin-Brandenburg, Saxony-Thuringia, Lausitz
* Main district West: Provost Carsten Voss
** divided in districts: Westphalia, Rhineland
* Main district South: Provost Klaus-Peter Czwikla
** divided in districts: Hesse North, Hesse South, South Germany

Bishops since 1972

* 1972 - 1985: Most Reverent Bishop Dr. theol. Gerhard Rost, LL.D.
* 1985 - 1997: Most Reverent Bishop Dr. theol. Jobst Schöne, D.D.
* 1997 - 2006: Most Reverent Bishop Dr. theol. Diethardt Roth
* since 2006: Most Reverent Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt

Church institutions

Mission

The mission outreach of SELK is led by its mission society in Bleckmar in Lower Saxony near Celle, called Lutherische Kirchenmission (Bleckmarer Mission) e. V. They missionaries and projects in South-Africa, Botswana, Germany and Brasila.

Education

The theological seminary is in Oberursel, near Frankurt/Main. All SELK pastors have to make a part of their studies there. The professors are pastors of SELK. The seminary is accepted by the German state.

Other church institutions

For different aspects of church life SELK has a lot of other institutions like an institution for youth, church music, worship service for children, liturgy commission, commission for church education and lot of more.

Relationsship with other church bodies

Fellowship

Full communion and fellowship has SELK with those confessional Lutheran churches, which have the same teaching and Lutheran doctrine, for example:

# Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
# Lutheran Church - Canada
# Free Evangelical-Lutheran Church in South Africa
# Evangelical Lutheran Church of England

Partnership

With same Lutheran churches in Eastern Europe SELK has a contract about partnership relations:

* Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia
* Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania

See also

*Prussian Union (Evangelical Christian Church)
*Old Lutherans

External links

* [http://www.selk.de/html/body_englisch.html SELK Website (English page)]