Statistics

The EKD Ministry Abroad 2007

"... But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts of the Apostles 1:8)

Through its ministry abroad, the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) organizes worship services and provides pastoral care to German-speaking Christians in European countries outside Germany as well as overseas.  At the close of 2007, 113 pastors sent by EKD were serving congregations abroad.  An additional number of approximately 40 retired theologians have been assigned to congregations in foreign countries.  Whenever possible, pastoral care for German speakers abroad is organized in collaboration with, and within the framework of, the local Protestant churches. In certain places, such as Italy, Brazil, Chile, the River Plate countries and Southern Africa, German expatriate communities have constituted autonomous churches which maintain close ties with the EKD. In Argentina und Brazil, congregations have trained their own staff to serve as ministers to their communities. German congregations abroad are a source of cohesion for German-speaking communities in their respective countries.  Within Europe, at the height of the vacation period, 50 ship chaplains and 190 seasonal chaplains are engaged for short-term assignments.

Pastors sent abroad by the EKD 113
Europe 58
Synod of German-speaking Lutheran, Reformed and United congregations in Great Britain 8
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States (ELCROS) 5
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy 9
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland 3
German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Latvia (DELKiL) 1
Individual congregations 32
Asia 16
Individual congregations in the Near East 8
Individual congregations in the Far East 8
Africa 15
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (Natal-Transvaal) 5
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN-GELK) 5
Individual congregations 5
Australia 2
Latin America 18
Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (IECLB) 8
Evangelical Church of the River Plate (IERP) 3
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile 1
Individual congregations 6
North America 4
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) 2
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) 2

German-speaking Congregations Abroad