Is LCC now the largest Lutheran church body in Canada?

by Mathew Block 

As religious attendance in Canada continues to decrease, we may have reached a point where Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) is now the largest Lutheran church body in Canada—if, that is, a reported massive drop in membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) is correct. 

The ELCIC stopped publishing its own statistics publicly online in 2015, but the Lutheran World Federation (LWF)—of which the ELCIC is a member church—continues to publish regular statistical reports on its member churches. Last year, the LWF reported that the ELCIC had—as of 2023—40,171 members. By contrast, LCC’s statistics for the same year report a baptized membership of 44,790, or a little over 4,600 members more than reported for the ELCIC. 

A membership of just over 40,000 members would be a stunning drop for the ELCIC. In 2019, the LWF reported the ELCIC had 95,000 members. Assuming both numbers were up to date at the time they were published, that would mean the ELCIC has experienced a decline of more than half the church’s total membership in just four years—a 57.8 percent membership loss in total.  

The ELCIC’s own website says the church has “approximately 93,000 baptized members,” but a look at the Wayback Machine reveals the numbers on this page have not been updated in several years. The LWF for its part says its statistics are “based on data received” from member churches “by end of April 2024”—meaning their numbers on the ELCIC would be the most recent information publicly available. 

Assuming the numbers are correct (and an error is certainly possible), they still may not represent the whole picture. For example, the ELCIC has an increasing number of joint congregations with other church bodies, such as the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada. How exactly membership numbers for these joint congregations are counted in denominational statistics is not clear. 

A membership of just over 40,000 members would be a stunning drop for the ELCIC… that would mean the ELCIC has experienced a decline of more than half the church’s total membership in just four years—a 57.8 percent membership loss in total.  

What is clear is that in early 2025 the ELCIC launched a new process entitled “Facing Today, Dreaming for the Future,” which seeks to address the decline in congregations and the church’s resulting financial problems. And the situation is serious. A report from an initial consultation suggests that three of the ELCIC’s five synods may face insolvency within the next three to five years. The national church itself, meanwhile, “also recognizes a significant shortfall and sustainability under current conditions of approximately 4 years.” 

Assuming Lutheran Church–Canada really is now the largest Lutheran church in Canada, then, is that a reason to rejoice? By no means! The fact is, LCC is also experiencing membership loss and decline, though nowhere near as precipitously as the ELCIC. From 2019 to 2023, for example, LCC saw a decline of 13.3 percent—from 51,640 members to 44,790. This ongoing decline has led to our own internal problems: closing congregations; small congregations unable to call a pastor; a shortage of pastors; and reduced congregational remittances to support the national and international work of synod. 

Many of these concerns were raised in a recent survey of LCC congregations, as well as through LCC’s Purpose and Priorities Planning process which began in 2021. The leadership of LCC has been prayerfully reflecting on these issues over the past several years, and actively preparing ways to address them both in the short term as well as in the long term. Some of these initiatives—like the development of New Lay Service Guidelines for vacant congregations and the expansion of the Pastors with Alternate Training program—have already been announced. Other initiatives are still being worked on. 

What can you do to help ensure the church’s continued witness to Jesus Christ? There are many things you can do! You can continue to faithfully attend your local congregation and support its work with your regular gifts. You can share your faith with friends, and invite them to attend church with you. You can make a donation to support LCC’s domestic and international missions. You can bring your children and grandchildren along with you to church, and model the faith for them at home through regular Bible reading and devotions. You can leave a bequest to support the ongoing ministry of your congregation and other LCC ministries through Lutheran Foundation Canada. 

And above all these things, you can pray. Indeed, Jesus encourages us to pray for this very thing! “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few,” He reminds us. “Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:35-38). The success of the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, after all, ultimately God’s work. He asks us merely to be faithful with the resources He has already given us. So, in gratitude for His great gifts of mercy, let us strive to be faithful! 

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Mathew Block is editor of The Canadian Lutheran magazine and communications manager for the International Lutheran Council.  

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