Who are lutheran leaders?

Answer 1

There is no "leader" of the Lutheran church in the world because there is no worldwide Lutheran church. There are approximately 150 Lutheran denominations throughout the world. Each of these churches has its own leader, and the authority of these leaders within their denominations differs considerably from church to church because the ecclesiastical structure of these churches varies tremendously, from episcopal to synodical to congregational.

Lutheranism is the only major branch of Christianity that lacks a standardized form of church government. Martin Luther did not regard church organization as particularly important. He contended that the Church is found wherever the Gospel is correctly preached and the Sacraments are properly administered. Lutherans therefore believe that the Church is defined by its theology rather than by its organizational structure. All Lutheran churches accept as their authority The Bible, and the three ecumenical creeds (the Apostle's Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed), and nearly all accept the authority of the Augsburg Confession of 1530. Most Lutheran churches also accept the Formula of Concord of 1580, which summarized Lutheran theology. Lutheranism's highly sophisticated and systematic theology has been one of its great strengths, and Lutherans have tended to regard theologians as their "leaders." The absence of a unified global church or at least a consistent form of government within individual churches arguably has been a weakness of Lutheranism.

Although Lutherans have a high level of theological unity, the independence of Lutheran denominations creates at least some theological differences among the Lutheran churches of the world. While Lutherans tend to embrace a highly liturgical and "catholic" liturgy, each separate denomination is completely free to adopt its own form of worship, and liturgical practices vary among churches. Similarly, each church is free to make is own pronouncements about political and moral issues (e.g., abortion).

In Scandinavia, where Lutheranism until recently embraced virtually the entire population, each nation has its own church (the Church of Sweden, the Church of Norway, the Church of Denmark, the Church of Finland, and the Church of Iceland). These Lutheran churches have largely preserved the episcopal structure of the pre-Reformation era. All of these churches are divided into dioceses led by bishops. The churches of Sweden and Finland maintain that their bishops have remained in the line of apostolic succession. Since the Scandinavian churches have been state churches, the government of those countries have been the ultimate source of authority in the churches.

In Germany, the structure of the Lutheran church has been extremely complex and has undergone frequent changes. Throughout German history since the Reformation, each political entity has tended to have its own separate Lutheran church. Although a majority of Germans until recent times were at least nominally Lutheran, there has never been a central Lutheran church in Germany. At the present time, the Lutheran churches are organized geographically into several separate denominations (e.g., the Lutheran Church of Hanover, the Lutheran Church of Bavaria, the North Elbian Lutheran Church). These churches are led by bishops and are part of a confederation of German Protestant churches that also include Reformed and United (Lutheran and Reformed) churches, the Evangelical Church of Germany, which is led by a president.

In the United States, Lutherans are organized into several denominations. The largest, the Evangelical Church in America (ELCA), has regional bishops who have been brought into the apostolic succession through the ELCA's formal relationship with the Episcopal Church. The ELCA has a presiding bishop, presently (2012) Mark Hanson. The second largest American Lutheran church, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, is organized into regional synods that have presidents. The denomination itself has a president.

The large majority of Lutheran churches, presently 143, are members of the Lutheran World Federation, which calls itself a "communion" of churches. The LWF has no authority over its member churches, but it has an important role in coordinating various Lutheran activities, including mission work and enormous global relief efforts. The LWF has its headquarters in Geneva. Its chief officer is a president, presently (2012) Munib Younan, who is bishop of Palestine and Jordan in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. The Lutheran World Federation includes denominations that represent approximately 70 million of the 75 million persons who are formally members of Lutheran churches. The number of practicing Lutherans probably is less than 75 million, while the number of persons who are at least nominally Lutheran could range as high as 120 million.

Answer 2

I believe there were three of the Lutheran Leaders.They were - Jack Mccock,Frost Delighte,and Prostesimat Rogers.I am positive these are it.

Answer 3

Martin Luther