Mission History

United Evangelical Lutheran Church (Argentina)

Lutheranism came to Argentina during the 19th century. First German and then Danish and Swedish immigrants formed their separate communities. Pastors sent from Europe gathered congregations, most of which were incorporated into three current church bodies, of which the United Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELU) is the smallest.

The IELU resulted from missionary activities of the General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the USA, which made an exploratory trip to Argentina in 1908, organized by its Mission Board and the Women's Missionary Society. In 1919 Pastor Edward H. Muller went to Argentina. He began preaching in Spanish, and the first congregations were established.

Established in 1948, the United Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELU) joined the Lutheran World Federation in 1951. It has served as host for the many strands of Lutheranism that have converged in Argentina since World War II.