Lutheran Church of Australia

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The Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) is not only the largest Lutheran church in Australia , but also operates in New Zealand . About 48,760 (as of 2017) people in Australia and New Zealand belong to this church. The LCA is one of the Lutheran churches that represent a conservative direction of Lutheran theology and have around 3.3 million members worldwide. Their theological background roughly corresponds to that of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK) in Germany and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod in the United States. The current president of the LCA is Pastor Dr. Mike Semmler.

history

The first Lutherans who came to Australia in significant numbers were immigrants from Prussia in 1838 under Pastor August Kavel . This period was in Prussia by a persecution of the Old Lutherans , who refused to join the Prussian Union, under King Friedrich Wilhelm III. , marked.

In 1841 a second wave of Prussian immigrants began with the arrival of Pastor Gotthard Daniel Fritzsche . He settled with the migrants in his group in Lobethal and Bethanien . The Protestant church at this time is called the Kavel-Fritzsche Synod.

A split occurred in 1846 within the framework of the South Australian Lutheran congregations, with two separate synods being founded. These two groups reunited as the Lutheran Church of Australia in 1966.

During the First World War, the number of members decreased significantly when the use of the German language was banned and the Australian government interned many Germans.

A significant influx came after World War II and this immigration also brought a number of Lutherans from other European countries.

Current status and issues

The LCA has churches across Australia and New Zealand. Pastors are required to do their ministry wherever their church sends them.

The LCA emphasizes the authority of the Bible as the primary source of revelation and instruction for Christians. This Lutheran teaching is known as Sola scriptura . Although revelation through experience is important, the Sola scriptura principle prevails. Sermon and Lord's Supper are the central elements of Lutheran worship in Australia, which is celebrated in both traditional and modern forms.

Current Synod discussions in Australia and New Zealand are on the ordination of women. There is currently no ordination for women .

The LCA in Australia is suffering from dwindling membership and pressure to modernize without compromising its theological foundation.

education

The Lutheran Church of Australia offers Christian upbringing and education for all ages. The Lutheran school system operates kindergartens, preschools, elementary schools and secondary schools across Australia for more than 35,000 children, pupils and students. There are around thirty church schools in South Australia and Queensland and about fifteen in Victoria, as well as a small number of schools in the other states and territories of Australia. Congregations offer Sunday schools, continuing education courses, and Bible study groups for adults.

The Australian Lutheran College trains u. a. Theologians (parishioners) and teachers for the Lutheran schools.

Church fellowship and memberships

There is church fellowship u. a. with the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK) in Germany.

Lutheran missionaries have served Aboriginal Australians and the people of Papua New Guinea for over 100 years. The church also supports the work of the churches in Southeast Asia.

Publications

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Lutheran Church of Australia ( Memento of the original from May 9, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. The Lutheran World Federation @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.lutheranworld.org
  2. ^ International Lutheran Council . World Council of Churches , archived from the original on February 13, 2008 ; accessed on August 28, 2014 (English, original website no longer available).