Ukrainian Lutheran Church
Encyclopedia
The Ukrainian Lutheran Church (Українська Лютеранська Церква) or ULC is a Christian
denomination of the Lutheran tradition based in the eastern European country of Ukraine
. It consists of 25 congregations within Ukraine
, serving over 2500 members and runs Saint Sophia Ukrainian Lutheran Theological Seminary in Ternopil
in Western Ukraine
.
) as accurate presentations of what Scripture teaches. It teaches that Jesus
is the center of Scripture and the only way to eternal salvation, and that the Holy Spirit uses the gospel alone in Word and Sacraments (Baptism
and Holy Communion) to bring people to faith in Jesus as Savior and keep them in that faith, strengthening them in their daily life of sanctification.
.
The ULC was established in 1996 by several Lutheran congregations in Ukraine
after the fall of the Soviet Union
and the loosening of restrictions on religious expression. It grew into existence through active mission work by the Lutheran mission organization of Faith in the 1980s and 90s.
While the ULC is a relatively new denomination, it traces its roots to early Lutheranism
in the 16th century, and more recently, to the Ukrainian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession which was persecuted and eventually destroyed by the Soviet government and KGB
in 1939. The ULC is legally seen as the successor to the Ukrainian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession and has been given the right to reclaim some of the church property once seized by the Soviet government.
The ULC has been officially registered with the government of Ukraine
as a Christian
denomination since 1996.
(CELC) http://www.celc.info/cgi-bin/home.cgi, a worldwide organization of confessional Lutheran church bodies.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denomination of the Lutheran tradition based in the eastern European country of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. It consists of 25 congregations within Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, serving over 2500 members and runs Saint Sophia Ukrainian Lutheran Theological Seminary in Ternopil
Ternopil
Ternopil , is a city in western Ukraine, located on the banks of the Seret River. Ternopil is one of the major cities of Western Ukraine and the historical region of Galicia...
in Western Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
Beliefs
The ULC teaches that the Bible is the only authoritative source for doctrine. It subscribes to the Lutheran Confessions (the Book of ConcordBook of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
) as accurate presentations of what Scripture teaches. It teaches that Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
is the center of Scripture and the only way to eternal salvation, and that the Holy Spirit uses the gospel alone in Word and Sacraments (Baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
and Holy Communion) to bring people to faith in Jesus as Savior and keep them in that faith, strengthening them in their daily life of sanctification.
History
Ukrainian Lutheranism originated in the seventeenth century. In 1933 the Ukrainian Lutheran Liturgy was published, the first Liturgy of Byzantine Rite LutheranismByzantine Rite Lutheranism
Byzantine Rite Lutheranism is the form of Lutheranism native to the nation of Ukraine. It is unique in that it uses the Byzantine Rite of the Eastern Greek Orthodox Church and not the Liturgical formulas of the Western Roman Catholic Church, which are the base text for the Western Lutheran Church...
.
The ULC was established in 1996 by several Lutheran congregations in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
after the fall of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the loosening of restrictions on religious expression. It grew into existence through active mission work by the Lutheran mission organization of Faith in the 1980s and 90s.
While the ULC is a relatively new denomination, it traces its roots to early Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
in the 16th century, and more recently, to the Ukrainian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession which was persecuted and eventually destroyed by the Soviet government and KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
in 1939. The ULC is legally seen as the successor to the Ukrainian Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession and has been given the right to reclaim some of the church property once seized by the Soviet government.
The ULC has been officially registered with the government of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
as a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denomination since 1996.
Affiliations
The ULC is a member of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran ConferenceConfessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference
The Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference is the successor to the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America except that it is international in scope rather than restricted to North America....
(CELC) http://www.celc.info/cgi-bin/home.cgi, a worldwide organization of confessional Lutheran church bodies.