Mission History

Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil

The Igreja Evangelica de Confissao Luterana no Brasil (IECLB) started with the arrival of the first German immigrants in 1824, two years after Brazil's political independence from Portugal. They settled in Southern Brazil and gathered in congregations led by teachers and other lay people. Later, the German church sent pastors and missionaries and continued to assist the immigrants. Beginning in 1886, four Synods were created, each one relating separately to the "Mother Church" in Germany. After World War II, the Synods began to work toward forming a single church. In 1968, a common constitution and the present name were officially adopted. The IECLB joined the Lutheran World Federation in 1952.