Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg (German: Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Mecklenburgs; abbreviated ELLM) was a Lutheran church in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, serving the citizens living in Mecklenburg. The seat of the Landesbischof (state bishop) was the state capital Schwerin, with Schwerin Cathedral as the principal church. It is the most important Protestant denomination in this area.

In May 2012 the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg merged with North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church and Pomeranian Evangelical Church into Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany.[1]

History

The Lutheran church in Mecklenburg dates to the Reformation in the duchies of Mecklenburg, starting with single protagonists in 1523. In 1549 John Albert I, Duke of Mecklenburg gained a majority of deputies of the united Landtag of the separate duchies of Mecklenburg (Mecklenburg-Güstrow, -Schwerin and -Strelitz) to officially introduce Lutheran confession as state religion in the duchies. Since then the dukes of the branch duchies served as supreme governors of the separate Lutheran churches in the duchies, which later had merged to two duchies, Schwerin and Strelitz.

When the grand dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz abdicated in 1918, the Lutheran state churches became independent. They adapted their new church orders, providing for a function called state bishop. In 1934 the regional churches merged into today's Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Mecklenburg.

Today (until May 2012)

It was a full member of the Evangelical Church in Germany, the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD), the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe and the Lutheran World Federation. The church is based on the teachings brought forward by Martin Luther and others during the Reformation.

The Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Mecklenburg was on the way to form a new church unit with the Pomeranian Evangelical Church and the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany.

State bishops
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References
  1. Nordkirche.de (german)


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