Classification Protestant Leader Fredrick Onael Shoo Region Tanzania | Orientation Lutheran Associations LWF, AACC, WCC, CCT Origin 1963 | |
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) is the federation of Lutheran churches in Tanzania and one of the largest Lutheran denomination in the world with more than 6 million members.
In 1938, seven Lutheran churches founded a federation known as the Federation of Lutheran Churches in Tanganyika. On June 19, 1963, the churches merged to become a single church known as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.
The church is led by a presiding bishop and twenty-five diocesan bishops, representing 25 dioceses, and has a membership of more than 6.5 million. The Head Office of the Church is in Arusha, where it has owned the New Safari Hotel since 1967. The church is affiliated with the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), the Christian Council of Tanzania, and the Lutheran World Federation.
The ELCT is an organization which reaches out to the people of Tanzania offering worship opportunities, Christian education, and numerous social services.