The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (Finnish: Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; Swedish: Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan i Finland) is a national church of Finland. A member of the Porvoo Communion, the Church professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity, and is actively involved in ecumenical relations. It is a member of the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church is Finland's largest religious body. By the end of 2010, 78.2% of Finns were members of the Church a decrease of 1.7% from the previous year. With 4.2 million members, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is one of the largest Lutheran churches in the world. The head of the Church is the current Archbishop of Turku Kari Mäkinen, who succeeded Jukka Paarma on 1 June 2010.
Read more about Evangelical Lutheran Church Of Finland: Position in Finnish Society, Teachings, Organisation
Famous quotes containing the words evangelical and/or church:
“Chastity is a monkish and evangelical superstition, a greater foe to natural temperance even than unintellectual sensuality.”
—Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822)
“If Jesus, or his likeness, should now visit the earth, what church of the many which now go by his name would he enter? Or, if tempted by curiosity, he should incline to look into all, which do you think would not shut the door in his face?... It seems to me ... that as one who loved peace, taught industry, equality, union, and love, one towards another, Jesus were he alive at this day, would recommend you to come out of your churches of faith, and to gather into schools of knowledge.”
—Frances Wright (1795–1852)