Luther Study Center

The Luther Study Center is an independent confessional Lutheran organization formed with a group of people both clergy and laity that are committed to and concerned of Lutheran Confessions from different Lutheran Church bodies existed in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh is the fourth largest state in India by area and fifth largest by population, 75,727,000 according to 2001 census. It is the largest and most populous state in Southern India. It is also considered the rice bowl of India. According to the Church statistics 16 to 18% of the population are Christians and out of them 35% (that is 6% of the general population) are Lutherans.

Constituient Bodies

The Lutheran Church was established in 1842 by a missionary from Pennsylvania Rev. Father John Frederic Heyer at ;;Guntur". Now 12 Lutheran Church bodies are serving the people with the Word and Sacrament throughout the state. These are:-
*Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC),
*South Andhra Evangelical Lutheran church (SALC),
*Good Samaritan Evangelical Lutheran Church (GSELC),
*Bible Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church (BFLC),
*Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church (CELC),
*Lutheran Fellowship of India (LFI),
*Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Cross (ELCC),
*Deccan Evangelical Lutheran Church (DELC),
*Church of Lutheran Confessions in India (CLCI),
*Assciation of Free Lutheran Churches (AFLC),
*Crishtu Sudha Communications & Ministries (CSCM) and
*Bharat Evangelical Lutheran Church (BELC).

In otherwords the Lutheran Church at large in the state of Andhra Pradesh is the largest Lutheran Church in Asia.

The Purpose

The main purpose of the Luther Study Center is to promote Lutheran Literature in the peoples’ languages, particularly in Telugu the common language of the state.

Though the Lutheran Church in Andhra Pradesh is the largest one in Asia very little Lutheran literature is available in Telugu. Frederick O Neil’s Martin Luther’s biography is the only book that has been translated and published into that language. Even the Book of Christian Family the Small Catechism is out of print and most of the children (elders too) have never heard of it.

Believing that the print media is still the most effective means to reach and teach the people, the Luther Study Center has designed several programs to promote Lutheran Literature in Peoples’ Language such as:-
*Luther Library
*Publications
*Seminars on Lutheran Confessions
*Luther Study Groups