Cumulative Data and Comparisons

Developments within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America do not take place immediately or in isolation from the ecnumenical and global Lutheran context. The figures and maps in this section allow comparison within the ELCA over time and geographically, between the ELCA and other American Protestant denominations, and among Lutheran churches worldwide.

Figure 16 shows the growing number of ordained women. Early on the number each year was small, but the rate of increase in the total large. Only in 1984 were more than 100 women ordained in a single year. Five years later, in 2008, the percentage of increase first dipped below 20%. Since 1984 the number per year has averaged just under 140, with a high of 167 in  2008. In 2018 it was again less than 100 for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century. Increase in the cumulative total appears steady in part because these data do not reflect retirements or deaths, only the number who have been ordained.

Map 1: This map shows the distribution of women pastors across synods and the growth over time. It is based on actual numbers rather than percentages. Thus although a small number of women in a synod with relatively few pastors could be a larger percentage than a larger number of women in a larger synod, the color for the smaller synod will still be lighter.

Please note: This figure may take some time to load due to the amount of data. Use the white arrows on the orange line to navigate, or press the triangle button to start. Click on individual synods for data.

Figure 17 compares the percentage of women clergy in several American Protestant denominations. In the earliest year shown, Lutherans had only recently begun to ordain women. Lutheran percentages track most closely with Episcopalians.

Map 2: This map shows which Lutheran churches ordain women and which do not. It is based on information collected by the Lutheran World Federation in 2016; not all churches responded. The pop-ups give the date when the decision to ordain women was taken, the ordination year and name of the first pastors. In summer 2015 Lutheran women gathered in Wittenberg for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation sent a visual message in support of women’s ordination.

Figure 18 shows the number of women elected as synodical bishop by year and women as a percentage of the Council of Bishops (a total of 65). It does not show the total number of women in office though that tracks closely with the percentage.

Map 3: This map shows which synods have elected a woman as bishop. The size of the star indicates the number of times. Pop-ups include the bishop’s names and terms.