The ELCIC at a Glance

1520
The name Evangelical-“based on the good news of the Gospel”-is applied to the young reformed church developed by Martin Luther in the early Reformation.

1619
The Rev. Rasmus Jensen, the first Lutheran pastor inCanada, arrives with a Danish expedition and conducts a service on theshores of Hudson Bay.

1750s
With the arrival of German immigrants in Halifax, Lutherans become an established presence in Canada.

1976
Pamela McGee becomes the first woman to be ordained in the Canadian Lutheran church.

1983
Following the example of their U.S. counterparts, Lutherans andAnglicans in Canada begin discussions on an interim sharing of theeucharist.

1986
ELCIC is founded through a merger of theEvangelical Lutheran Church of Canada (ELCC) and the Canadian portion ofthe Lutheran Church in America (LCA)

2001
With thesigning of the Waterloo Declaration, the ELCIC and the Anglican Churchof Canada (ACC) enter into full communion and common mission. Theircounterparts in the U.S. cemented a similar partnership that same year.

2007
The ELCIC and the ACC hold some common sessions in Winnipeg duringtheir respective national meetings, National Convention and GeneralSynod.

2011
The Evangelical Lutheran and Episcopal churches of the U.S. and the ELCIC and ACC celebrate 10 years of full communion in quadrilateral cross-border ceremonies in Buffalo, N.Y., and Fort Erie, Ont.

2013
In an ecumenical first, the Winnipeg-based ELCIC and the ACC spend about half of scheduled time at their respective national meetings in Ottawa in joint sessions.