Lutheran membership grows in Third World

GENEVA — Lutheran church membership soared in Africa and Asia between 2005 and 2006 but continued its steady decline in the modern West, according to the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), an international communion of Lutheran churches. Global membership rose by 467,511, an increase of .71 percent, to just under 66.7 million, according to LWF figures released March 6.

Countries in Asia saw the largest growth, adding 900,000 Lutherans and bringing the total there to 8.2 million. European nations experienced the deepest drop in membership, where the number of Lutherans fell by more than 566,000 to 37.4 million.

Membership in North American churches fell by 115,293, a drop of about 1.4 percent to just over 5 million. On the other hand, Africa’s Lutheran churches grew by 221,000 members and now total 15.2 million.