The Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC) is an international conference of Confessional Lutheran national churches. The CELC is headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Founded in 1993 with thirteen church bodies as members, the Conference has grown to twenty members today. Plenary sessions are held every three years. To date there have been seven plenary meetings (1993, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011), with regional meetings held in the intervening years.
The organization rejects the 1999 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification signed between the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church.
Member church bodies confess "the canonical books of the Old and New Testament as the verbally inspired and inerrant Word of God and submit to this Word of God as the only infallible rule and authority in all matters of doctrine, faith, and life." They also accept "the Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church contained in the Book of Concord of 1580, not in so far as, but because they are a correct exposition of the pure doctrine of the Word of God."
Members cannot be in fellowship with church bodies whose doctrine or practice deviate from the confessional standard of the CELC.
Member church bodies sorted by country in alphabetical order:
Albania
Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Church of Albania (Associate Member)
Australia
Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Australia
Bulgaria
Bulgarian Lutheran Church
Cameroon
Lutheran Church of Cameroon
Canada
WELS-Canada (Part of Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod)
Chile
Christian Church of the Lutheran Reformation (Associate Member)
Czech Republic
Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church
Finland
Evangelical Lutheran Confessional Church
St. John's Lutheran Congregation in Finland (Associate Member)
Germany
Evangelical Lutheran Free Church
India
Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Ministries--India (Associate Member)
Lutheran Mission of Salvation India (Associate Member)
Indonesia
Geraja Lutheran Indonesia
Japan
Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church
Korea
East Seoul Canaan Church (Associate Member)
Latvia
Confessional Lutheran Church in Latvia
Malawi
Lutheran Church of Central Africa
Mexico
Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Church
Nigeria
Christ the King Lutheran Church
All Saints Lutheran Church of Nigeria
Norway
Lutheran Confessional Church
Peru
Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Portugal
Lutheran Church of Portugal (Associate member)
Puerto Rico
Evangelical Lutheran Confessional Church
Russia
Evangelical Lutheran Church - "Concord"
South Korea
East Seoul Canaan Church
Sweden
Lutheran Confessional Church
Ukraine
Ukrainian Lutheran Church
United States of America
Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Zambia
Lutheran Church of Central Africa
