Czech Republic

Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession

Who is the Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession and what are its ministries?

The Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession (SECAC), a member of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), consists of about 49,000 members in 21 churches, 36 congregation extensions, and many preaching points. The congregations are located in an area 100 km in length and 40 km in width. Within the SECAC, members worship in Czech, Polish, and Slovak.

The SECAC emphasizes mission outreach, education, and many forms of social ministry. The SECAC reaches out to all age groups with the Gospel. Congregations offer Bible studies, small group meetings and Sunday School. Various choirs invite others to praise God. The SECAC also supports several social ministry programs. For example, the Silesian Diaconia is a non profit faith-based organization providing services for elderly people, people with disabilities, homeless people, victims of domestic violence, and at-risk children and youth. Fifty percent of the clients are children and young people under the age of 30 years. The Silesian Diaconia is one of the most important social service providers in the Czech Republic. The SECAC also provides chaplains serving in health care institutions and prisons.

How do the Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America accompany one another in ministry?


Through the churchwide ELCA Global Mission unit, the ELCA relates to and is in bilateral relationship with over 80 companion churches and institutions. The ELCA Global Mission unit stewards a church-to-church relationship with the Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession.

This relationship is deepened and extended by the SECAC's relationship, through the ELCA Companion Synods program, with the Slovak Zion Synod.

Czech Republic: The context in which the Silesian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession serves

The Czech Republic is a parliamentary democracy that gained its independence in January of 1993 when Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Approximately 10.3 million people live in the Czech Republic. Czech is the official language. Religions practiced in the Czech Republic are: 40% atheist; 39.2 % Roman Catholic; 4.6% Protestant; 3% Orthodox Church; and 13.4% others.

Between 1993 and 2006 the Czech economy experienced a decrease in the proportion of agriculture and industry to that of the service sector in the country’s GDP. The Czech Republic currently has the fastest growing economy in the European Union and has established its economic position on the international stage. The Czech Republic has a long tradition especially in a heavy industry—in metallurgy and mechanical engineering related to the raw materials resources. The auto, rubber making, armament, energy and consumer goods industries are very important, as are traditional industries such as glass-making. However, unemployment fluctuates around 10% and is preconditioned by the education level of Czech workers. Tendencies of long-term unemployment are increasing for the physically challenged and older age groups.