Introducing the Society
Find out a little of what we're about, how we're organised and where you find us
Find out a little of what we're about, how we're organised and where you find us
The Anglican-Lutheran Society was formed in 1984 by two friends, one British the other American. Both were Christians - one a Lutheran, the other an Anglican. In conversation they quickly realized that neither knew very much about the other's tradition.
Recognizing that there must be many others like them they decided to form a society, and the Anglican Lutheran Society was born. To learn a little more of the story, click here
'Anglicans' belong to a Western Christian tradition which has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation. The word ‘Anglican’ comes from 'Ecclesia Anglicana', a medieval Latin phrase that means ‘the English Church’. Now 85 million members are part of national or regional Churches that call themselves Anglican (or Episcopal in some countries) and together they are known as the Anglican Communion. To learn more click here.
'Lutherans' form one of the largest branches of Christian Protestantism. They identify with the teachings of Martin Luther, a 16th-century German reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church of his day were major factors in launching the Protestant Reformation. Today the Lutheran World Federation comprises some 148 national and regional denominations and churches in the Lutheran tradition with over 75.5 million Christians in 99 countries. To learn more click here.
Paul is Bishop of Whitby in the diocese of York in the Church of England
Jaakko is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki, Finland
Dick is a member of the Church of England and also edits 'The Window'
Patrick is a Chartered Accountant who previously worked in publishing, mining and the not for profit sector
Jana is Bishop Emerita of the Lutheran Church in Great Britain
David is the Suffragan Bishop in the Church of England's Diocese in Europe
The Ven Christine Allsopp (Anglican)
The Very Rev Tom Bruch (Lutheran)
The Rev Jonathan Collis (Anglican)
The Rev Rebecca Daniel (Lutheran)
Mrs Helen Harding (Anglican)
The Rev Lagle Heinla (Lutheran)
Dr Richard Stephenson (Lutheran)
The Very Rev Eliza Zikmane (Lutheran)
Mr David Carter (Methodist)
Fr Phillip Swingler (Roman Catholic)
Find our Constitution by clicking here
Find our Bye-Laws by clicking here
View our Safeguarding Policy here
The Society had its small beginnings in Britain, where Lutherans form a minority among Christian believers, but over the years membership spread into other European countries, where it is the Anglicans who form the minority, and on across the world. Today there are members in about 40 different countries. This growth reflects the remarkable convergence in theological understanding that has taken place in the Anglican and the Lutheran Communions in recent years. Our two traditions have a deep affinity in faith, worship, life and mission and each has much to offer that can enrich the other. Members of the Society find this out for themselves as they meet, worship, study and enjoy fellowship together.
USA
Canada
Brazil
Mexico
Peru
Botswana
Cameroon
Egypt
Ethiopia
Namibia
Nigeria
South Africa
Tanzania
Zimbabwe
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Russia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
India
Philippines
Australia
New Zealand
All over the world Anglicans and Lutherans have been drawing closer together in ways that are significant:
• The Meissen Declaration, 1991, brought closer links between the Church of England and the Protestant Churches in Germany .
• The Porvoo Declaration, 1996, brought four Anglican Churches in Great Britain and Ireland and the Lutheran Churches in Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Lithuania and Estonia into full communion. Since then the Lusitanian Church of Portugal, the Lutheran Churches in Denmark and Great Britain, the Reformed Episcopal Church in Spain and the Latvian Lutheran Church Abroad have also joined the Porvoo Communion. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia has observer status.
• The Reuilly Common Statement, 1999, brought greater cooperation between the British and Irish Anglican churches and French Lutheran and Reformed churches.
• ‘Called to Common Mission', 2000, established full communion between the Episcopal Church in the USA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America .
• The Waterloo Declaration, 2001, brought the Anglican Church of Canada and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada into full communion.
Details of more recent Anglican and Lutheran ecumenical discussions in other places around the world can be found here.
Clearly, the more aware people
of our two traditions are of these discussions and agreements,
and of the possibilities they open up, the better. The Society
keeps members informed by publishing a newsletter called ‘The
Window', by encouraging members to arrange local meetings and
workshops, and by arranging regular conferences.
Some of our members act as Coordinators in their own national context. They maintain contact with the members in their area, anyone interested in knowing more about the Society can approach them, and they keep the wider membership informed about ecumenical events and developments in their countries.
The Rev Susanne Skovhus Denmark sus@km.dk
The Rev Dr Jaakko Rusama Finland jaakko.rusama@helsinki.fi
The Rev Dr Miriam Haar Germany miriam.haar@ki-eb.de
The Rev Fredrik Ulseth Norway fredrik.ulseth@icloud.com
Awaiting new appointment Sweden
Mr Tom VanPoole USA anglicanlutheran@gmail.com
When our Society began to attract members in the USA there was a certain amount of confusion. The 'Anglican' Church there is The Episcopal Church. So the Society changed its name there to the International Lutheran-Episcopal Society - ILES. It's the same Society - just a local name-change! They have their own website linked to this one. A number of our International Conferences have taken place in the USA as well as in Europe.