Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia
Lutheran denomination in Latvia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (Latvian: Latvijas Evaņģēliski luteriskā baznīca, or LELB) is a Lutheran Protestant church in Latvia. Latvia's Lutheran heritage dates back to the Reformation. Both the Nazi and communist regimes persecuted the church harshly before religious freedom returned to Latvia in 1988. In contrast to Estonia, where state atheism reduced the once 80% Lutheran majority to barely 10% by 2011, the Latvian Lutheran church saw its membership drop to around 20% but has recovered and now includes approximately 30% of the population. The church reports having 250,000 members according to the Lutheran World Federation.[1]
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia | |
---|---|
Classification | Protestant |
Orientation | Lutheran |
Scripture | Bible |
Theology | Evangelical Catholic, High Church Lutheranism; Confessional Lutheranism |
Polity | Episcopal |
Primate | Jānis Vanags, Archbishop of Riga |
Altar and pulpit fellowship | Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod |
Associations | |
Region | Latvia |
Origin | 1517 |
Separated from | Roman Catholic Church |
Congregations | 293 |
Members | 250,000 |
Official website | http://www.lelb.lv/ |