Find a Lutheran church near you
Use your location to see Lutheran congregations in your area. Most are in London and the larger cities, so widen your search radius if needed.
Lutheran bodies in Britain
- Lutheran Church in Great Britain.An English-language church with congregations in London and several other cities, part of the worldwide Lutheran World Federation. St Anne's Lutheran Church, worshipping in the City of London, is among its best-known congregations, with a strong musical tradition including Bach cantatas.
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of England. A smaller, confessional church linked to the international Lutheran bodies that hold closely to the historic Lutheran confessions. It trains pastors at Westfield House in Cambridge.
- Chaplaincies and national congregations. German-speaking congregations in London and other cities, the Swedish and Norwegian churches with their landmark buildings in London and ports such as Liverpool, plus Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Latvian, Estonian and Polish congregations. Many combine worship with a lively cultural and social programme.
The Lutheran Council of Great Britain links most of these bodies and congregations together.
What Lutheran worship is like
Lutheran worship is liturgical, closer in feel to a quiet Anglican communion service than to free-church worship. Expect a set order: confession and absolution, readings, a sermon that is central and carefully prepared, the creed, and Holy Communion, which Lutherans understand as Christ truly present in the bread and wine. Hymns matter greatly; Luther himself wrote some of the most famous, and the tradition's musical inheritance runs from chorales to Bach. Services usually last about an hour, and dress is unremarkable.
Lutheran belief in brief
- Justification by grace through faith. The heart of Lutheran teaching: we are put right with God by what Christ has done, received by faith alone.
- Word and sacrament. God works through preaching, baptism and the Lord's Supper. Infants are baptised.
- The confessions. Lutheran teaching is summarised in the Augsburg Confession of 1530 and the Book of Concord.
- Vocation. Ordinary work and family life are callings from God, not second best to religious life.
For how this differs from Roman Catholic teaching, see Lutheran vs Catholic.
If there is no Lutheran church nearby
Outside the big cities you may find the nearest congregation is an hour away. Two suggestions: several congregations stream their services, and the closest liturgical cousins are easy to find locally. The Church of Englandshares Lutheranism's liturgical shape and weekly communion, and through the Porvoo agreement the British Anglican churches are in communion with most Nordic and Baltic Lutheran churches, so Lutherans are welcome at Anglican altars and vice versa. Our county pages will show you what is within reach.
Frequently asked questions
Can I receive communion in a Lutheran church?
Most congregations of the Lutheran Church in Great Britain welcome baptised Christians from other traditions. Confessional congregations may ask visitors to speak to the pastor first. When in doubt, ask; Lutheran pastors expect the question.
What language will the service be in?
Check the listing. English-language services are the norm in the Lutheran Church in Great Britain, while national congregations worship in German, Swedish, Latvian, Polish and other languages, often with occasional English services.
Are Lutherans Protestant?
Yes, the original Protestants. The name itself comes from the protest of Luther's supporters in 1529, and the Reformation he began in 1517 shaped every Protestant church that followed.