EKD - Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony

Christianity came to the territory of what is today the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony during the second half of the 10th century. In 1539 the family of the duke joined Martin Luther's reformation, after the population had accepted the Lutheran confession already some time before. Essential impulses for the Christianity of the Reformation came from here, especially in the field of music. Musicians like Heinrich Schütz and Johann Sebastian Bach gave shape to the musical life of this church, the effects of which are still felt today. After 1918 the church became juridically autonomous. In 1989 there were Christians and parishes especially in the cities of Dresden and Leipzig that gave important impulses for political change.

The bishop together with members of the head office and the synod lead the church. The most important challenge is at present to get people, who have lost contact with the church during the last years, back to the faith. Besides the pastors there are about 4,000 persons working in the field of music, caring for children and youth and in education and administration of the church. Many Christians are working on a voluntary basis in the parishes. About 16,000 people are working in diaconal organizations. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony and the churches of Mecklenburg and Thuringia are sponsoring together the Evangelical-Lutheran Leipzig Mission. There are partnerships with churches in India, Tanzania and Papua-New Guinea as well as a number of partnerships with Lutheran churches in Latvia, Russia, Czech Republic and with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Ecumenical contacts are maintained with the Roman Catholic Church, the Evangelical-Methodist Church, Orthodox churches and other denominations in Germany.