The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Evangelikų Liuteronų Bažnyčia, ELCL) is a Lutheran church body comprising congregations in Lithuania. The ELCL is a member of the Porvoo Communion and the Lutheran World Federation.
Reflecting its conservative confessional Lutheran stance, in 2000, the ELCL declared itself in full fellowship with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (U.S.). In 2006 the ELCL reported having 21,000 active members, 52 congregations, and 15 pastors. The current Bishop (Lithuanian: Vyskupas) of the church is the Rt Revd Mindaugas Sabutis.
Around 0.56% of the population of Lithuania are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania.
The abbreviated name for the church is in Latin, Unitas Lithuaniae or in Polish, Jednota Litewska (Lithuanian church provincial union).
Famous quotes containing the words evangelical and/or church:
“Chastity is a monkish and evangelical superstition, a greater foe to natural temperance even than unintellectual sensuality.”
—Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822)
“Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior. Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...”
—Bible: New Testament, Ephesians 5:21-25.