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Church and State

A Series of Statements of the United Lutheran Church in America, 1924, 1961

In 1924 the Fourth Biennial Convention of the ULCA authorized the appointment of a committee to prepare a statement on "the relationship of Church and State." (Minutes, 4th Biennial Convention, ULCA, p. 273.) After a sixteen-year history the committee requested that it be discharged on the ground that ii was inadvisable for the Church to make a pronouncement: on this question at a time when many changes were taking place "in the forms of government in states where the Church is now established...." (1940: Minutes, 12th Biennial Convention, ULCA, pp. 396-97.) The committee was respectfully discharged.

In July 1961 the Executive Board of the Church authorized the Board of Social Missions to appoint a commission "to undertake a study on church and state relations in a pluralistic society." (Executive Board Minutes, July 13-14, 1961, pp. 346.47.)

Please note
The document(s) on this page were voted on by a church body which preceded the founding of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Any such statement has the status of a "historical document." These documents may guide the ELCA and inform the work of the Office of the Presiding Bishop and act as policy when sufficient agreement exists and the ELCA has not adopted another statement on the same subject. However, social statements of predecessor church bodies to not constitute ELCA policy, as they have not been voted on by a Churchwide Assembly. When quoting or referring to these documents, please take care to make the non-binding nature of this relationship clear.

For current social policy of the ELCA, click here.