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    Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church

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    The Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church (SELK) is a confessional Lutheran denomination in Germany with about 33,000 members in 174 congregations. The SELK was formed in the 1800s by Lutherans who dissented from the Prussian Union, which combined Lutheran and Reformed doctrines. The SELK bases its teachings solely on the Bible and the Book of Concord. It is not part of the Lutheran World Federation and does not ordain women or bless same-sex unions.

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    Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church

    Uploaded by

    scott901
    17 views4 pages
    The Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church (SELK) is a confessional Lutheran denomination in Germany with about 33,000 members in 174 congregations. The SELK was formed in the 1800s by Lutherans who dissented from the Prussian Union, which combined Lutheran and Reformed doctrines. The SELK bases its teachings solely on the Bible and the Book of Concord. It is not part of the Lutheran World Federation and does not ordain women or bless same-sex unions.

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    Independent_Evangelical-Lutheran_Church

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    The Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church (SELK) is a confessional Lutheran denomination in Germany with about 33,000 members in 174 congregations. The SELK was formed in the 1800s by Lutherans who dissented from the Prussian Union, which combined Lutheran and Reformed doctrines. The SELK bases its teachings solely on the Bible and the Book of Concord. It is not part of the Lutheran World Federation and does not ordain women or bless same-sex unions.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    17 views4 pages

    Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church

    Uploaded by

    scott901
    The Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church (SELK) is a confessional Lutheran denomination in Germany with about 33,000 members in 174 congregations. The SELK was formed in the 1800s by Lutherans who dissented from the Prussian Union, which combined Lutheran and Reformed doctrines. The SELK bases its teachings solely on the Bible and the Book of Concord. It is not part of the Lutheran World Federation and does not ordain women or bless same-sex unions.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 4

    Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church

    The Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church (German:


    Independent Evangelical-
    Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche, abbreviated SELK)
    is a confessional Lutheran church body of Germany. It is a Lutheran Church
    member of the European Lutheran Conference and of the
    International Lutheran Council (ILC) (of which the Lutheran
    Church – Missouri Synod of North America is also a member).
    The SELK has about 33,000 members in 174 congregations.[1]
    The seat of SELK is in Hanover.

    History
    In 1817, King Frederick William III of Prussia ordered the
    Lutheran and Reformed churches in his territory to unite, forming
    the Evangelical Church of the Prussian Union, a predecessor to Abbreviation SELK
    today's Union of Evangelical Churches. As the uniting of Lutheran Classification Protestant
    and Reformed Christians in Germany proceeded, some Lutheran
    groups dissented and formed independent churches, especially in Orientation Confessional
    Prussia, Saxony, Hanover, and Hesse. These Lutherans held that Lutheran
    Reformed doctrine and Lutheran doctrine are contradictory on Polity Episcopal
    many points (especially on the nature of the Real Presence of
    Leader Bishop
    Christ in the Lord's Supper), and that such doctrinal differences
    Hans-Jörg
    precluded altar fellowship. So in the 1820s and 1830s Lutherans in
    Prussia and their congregations formed a new Lutheran church, Voigt
    recognised by the king in 1845 as the Evangelisch-Lutherische Distinct fellowships Lutheran
    Kirche in Preußen (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Prussia). It Church –
    was seated in Breslau and presided over by the Missouri
    Oberkirchenkollegium (Supreme Church Collegial Body). Synod,
    The confessional Lutherans were persecuted during the first half of Lutheran
    19th century by the state. Many of them were not allowed to hold Church –
    church services or have their children baptized or confirmed Canada
    according to the liturgy of the Lutheran Church. In some areas of Associations International
    Germany, it took decades until the Confessional Lutherans were Lutheran
    granted religious freedom. Council,
    In 1972, most of the Confessional Lutheran Church bodies in West European
    Germany united to form the SELK. In 1991, the East German Lutheran
    Evangelisch-Lutherische (altlutherische) Kirche (the Evangelical- Conference
    Lutheran (Old-Lutheran) Church) joined the SELK. Region Germany
    Origin 25. June
    Doctrine 1972,
    (Old
    Lutherans
    Basics 1830)
    The SELK bases its teaching on the Bible, consisting of the Old Branched from Prussian
    and New Testaments, which it confesses to be God's inerrant and Lutheran
    infallible Word. The specific doctrines taught in the SELK are Church
    contained in the Book of Concord, to which SELK pastors profess
    a "quia" subscription, meaning that they subscribe to them, "quia" Merger of Evangelical
    (because) they correspond to the Bible. These Confessions are: Lutheran
    Church in
    The Apostles' Creed Prussia and
    The Nicene Creed other
    The Athanasian Creed independent
    The Augsburg Confession (1530) West
    The Apology of the Augsburg Confession German
    The Smalcald Articles Lutheran
    The Small Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther churches
    The Large Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther (1972)
    The Formula of Concord Absorbed Evangelical-
    Lutheran
    The SELK has declined to join the Lutheran World Federation, (Old-
    viewing that body as theologically too liberal. Nevertheless, the Lutheran)
    Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (Germany), formerly in Church of
    communion with the SELK, suspended relations in 1987 over
    East
    perceived doctrinal laxity within SELK.
    Germany
    The SELK does not ordain women as pastors, and is strictly (1991)
    against the blessing of gay couples. This is in contrast to the Congregations 174[1]
    German mainline Protestant churches, which do ordain women to
    ministry and allow the blessing of gay couples. The mainline Members 33,474[1]
    Protestant churches (about 25 million members) are organized as Ministers 111
    the Protestant Church in Germany (Evangelische Kirche in Pastors[1]
    Deutschland, EKD).
    Other name(s) German:
    Selbständige
    Church structure Evangelisch-
    Lutherische
    The bishop of the SELK is elected by the synod. The current Kirche
    bishop is Hans-Jörg Voigt. The main office of the SELK is in
    Official website www.selk.de
    Hannover and is managed by the executive dean Michael Schätzel.
    The SELK is divided in four main districts, with a provost heading (http://www.s
    each one. These four districts are divided again in sub-districts, elk.de/)
    each in turn led by a superintendent.

    North district: Provost Dr. Daniel Schmidt


    Sub-districts: Lower Saxony East and Lower Saxony South
    East district: Provost Gert Kelter
    Sub-districts: Berlin-Brandenburg, Saxony-Thuringia, and Lausitz
    West district: Provost Burkhard Kurz
    Sub-districts: Rhineland-Westphalia and Lower Saxony West
    South district: Provost Manfred Holst
    Sub-districts: Hesse North, Hesse South, and South
    Germany

    Bishops since 1972


    1972–1985: Most Reverend Bishop Dr. theol. Gerhard Rost,
    LL.D.
    1985–1997: Most Reverend Bishop Dr. theol. Jobst Schöne,
    D.D.
    1997–2006: Most Reverend Bishop Dr. theol. Diethardt Roth
    2006–present: Most Reverend Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt, D.D.

    Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt


    Church institutions

    Mission

    The mission outreach of SELK is led by its mission society in


    Bleckmar in Lower Saxony near Celle, called Lutherische
    Kirchenmission (Bleckmarer Mission) e. V. It has missionaries and
    projects in South-Africa, Botswana, Germany, and Brazil.

    Education

    The theological seminary is in Oberursel, near Frankurt/Main. All


    SELK pastors take part of their studies there. The professors are
    pastors of SELK. The seminary is accredited by the German state.

    Other church institutions Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Berlin


    (de)
    For different aspects of church life the SELK has a number of other
    institutions, such as an institution for youth, church music, worship
    service for children, a liturgy commission, and a commission for church education.

    Relationship with other church bodies

    Fellowship

    The SELK has full communion and fellowship with several Lutheran churches that have the same teaching
    and Lutheran doctrine, for example:

    1. Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod


    2. Lutheran Church – Canada
    3. Free Evangelical-Lutheran Synod in South Africa
    4. Evangelical Lutheran Church of England
    5. Lutheran Church in Southern Africa
    6. The Mission province in Sweden

    Partnership

    The SELK has a contract about partnership relations with several Lutheran churches in Eastern Europe:

    Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia


    Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania

    See also
    Christianity portal

    Prussian Union of churches


    Old Lutherans

    References
    1. "Strukturen und Zahlen" (http://www.selk.de/index.php/strukturen-zahlen). Selbständige
    Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche. Retrieved March 5, 2018.

    External links
    Official website (http://www.selk.de/) (in German)

    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Independent_Evangelical-


    Lutheran_Church&oldid=1184700855"

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