Index| Group | Where | Number of Adherents |
% of total pop. |
Number of congreg./ churches/ units |
Number of countries |
Year | Source | Quote/ Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lutheran | USA | 1,500,000 | - | - | - | 1900 | Carruth, Gorton. The Encyclopedia of American Facts and Dates (10th Edition), HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.: New York (1997); pg. 387. | "A survey of Protestant religious sects in the U.S. at the end of the nineteenth century showed... 6,000,000 Methodists; 5,000,000 Baptists; 1,500,000 Lutherans; 1,500,000 Presbyterians; 350,000 Mormons; and 80,000 Christian Scientists. " |
| Lutheran | USA | 1,500,000 | - | - | - | 1906 | Wuthnow, Robert. The Restructuring of American Religion: Society and Faith Since World War II, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press (1988); pg. 21. | "When the Census of Religious Bodies was conducted in 1906, Methodists still ranked first, with 5.7 million members; Baptists came in second, with 5.6 million; Presbyterians ranked third, with 1.8 million; Lutherans, fourth, with 1.5 million... " |
| Lutheran | USA | 2,500,000 | - | - | - | 1910 | Ahlstrom, Sydney E. A Religious History of the American People; Yale University Press: New Haven & London (1973); pg. 756. | "It is hardly surprising that a communion which numbered a scant half-million in 1870 had almost quintupled by 1910, but which time they were outnumbered only by the Roman Catholics, Methodists, and Baptists. " |
| Lutheran | USA | 2,250,000 | - | - | - | 1910 | Mead, Frank S. (revised by Samuel S. Hill), Handbook of Denominations in the United States (10th Ed.), Abingdon Press: Nashville, Tenn. (1995). | After massive immigration from Europe. |
| Lutheran | USA | 2,250,000 | - | - | - | 1910 | Mead, Frank S. (revised by Samuel S. Hill), Handbook of Denominations in the United States (9th Ed.), Abingdon Press: Nashville, Tenn. (1990); pg. 139. | "...1870 until 1910... Lutheran church membership leaped from less than 500,000 to nearly 2.25 million... " |
| Lutheran | USA | 5,420,115 | - | 19,033 units |
- | 1945 | Ferm, Vergilius (ed). An Encyclopedia of Religion; Westport, CT: Greenwood Press (1976; 1st ed. pub. 1945 by Philosophical Library); pg. 458. | "In 1941 the Lutheran bodies of America had a grand total of 13,565 pastors, 19,033 congregations, and 5,420,115 members, thus being the largest the country's third largest Protestant denomination. " |
| Lutheran | USA | 7,388,176 | - | - | - | 1956 | Spence, Hartzell. The Story of America's Religions; New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston (1960) [1st printing 1957]; pg. 39. | "in 1956, their [Lutheran] total United States membership was 7,388,176 " |
| Lutheran | USA | 7,000,000 | 4.17% | - | - | 1957 | Welles, Sam. The World's Great Religions, New York: Time Incorporated (1957); pg. 204-205. | Table: "Christians, Their Practices "; "Lutherans: Members in... U.S., 7 million children and adults. There are 19 groups in U.S., the largest being the United Lutheran Church in America. Total U.S. assets, over $1 billion. " |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,000,000 | - | - | - | 1959 | Stuber, Stanley I. How We Got Our Denominations: A Primer on Church History. New York: Association Press Revised Ed., 1959); pg. 182. | "Today the communicants of the Lutheran bodies in the United States number about eight million members. " |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,188,289 | - | - | - | 1960 | Rosten, Leo (ed.). Religions in America; New York: Simon & Schuster (1963), 8th ed. [1st pub. in 1952. 8th ed. completely revised]; pg. 120. | "Lutheran membership in the United States at the end of 1960 was 8,188,289. An additional four or five million persons give 'Lutheran' as their church preference when they fill out questionnaires. " |
| Lutheran | USA | 13,000,000 | - | - | - | 1960 | Rosten, Leo (ed.). Religions in America; New York: Simon & Schuster (1963), 8th ed. [1st pub. in 1952. 8th ed. completely revised]; pg. 120. | "Lutheran membership in the United States at the end of 1960 was 8,188,289. An additional four or five million persons give 'Lutheran' as their church preference when they fill out questionnaires. " |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,000,000 | - | - | - | 1975 | Wallechinsky, David & Irving Wallace; The People's Almanac; Garden City, NY: Doubleday (1975); pg. 1266. | List of "Major World Religions ": "In the U.S., [Lutheran] membership is over 8 million. " |
| Lutheran | USA | - | 4.30% | - | - | 1977 | Wallechinsky, David & Irving Wallace; The People's Almanac: #2; New York: William Morrow & Co.: (1978); pg. 309. | United States of America: "Religions: Roman Catholic, 24.1%; Baptist, 13.1%; Methodist, 6.3%; Lutheran, 4.3%; Eastern Orthodox, 2.1%; Presbyterian, 1.9%; Jewish, 1.9%; Episcopal, 1.4%; Latter-day Saints, 1.3%; other or no religion, 43.6% " |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,500,000 | - | - | - | 1979 | Carmody, Denise Lardner & John Tully Carmody. Western Ways to the Center: An Introduction to Western Religions; Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Co. (1983); pg. 122. | Table: "Membership Data on Major American Religious Groups [1979] " |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,595,934 | - | - | - | 1982 | Popenoe, David. Sociology (5th Ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. (1983). [Orig. source: The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1982. New York: Newspaper Enterprise Association, 1982, pp. 351-352.]; pg. 446. | Table: "Religious Membership in the United States " |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,000,000 | - | - | - | 1983 | Berger, Gilda. Religion: A Reference First Book. New York: Franklin Watts (1983); pg. 56. | "More than 8 million Lutherans live in the United States, about 40 million live in Germany. " |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,000,000 | - | - | - | 1986 | Pastva, Loretta. Great Religions of the World; Winona, Minnesota: Saint Mary's Press, Christian Brothers Publications (1995) [9th printing. 1st printing in 1986]; pg. 213. | "Today, Lutherans are the largest Protestant body in the world, with 70 million members worldwide and about 8 million members in the U.S. " |
| Lutheran | USA | - | - | - | - | 1988 | Naisbitt, John & Patricia Aburdene. Megatrends 2000: Ten New Directions for the 1990's. New York: William Morrow and Co. (1990); pg. 273-274. | "In the 1960's the mainstream's previously healthy growth rates began to decline precipitiously. The figures below compare membership in 1965 with the latest members cited in the 1988 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches:.. The three largest Lutheran denominations lost more than half a million members. " |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,363,020 | 3.37% | 18,870 units |
- | 1990 | Glenmary Research Center. Churches & Church Membership in U.S., 1990. | By-county org. reports, figures from 'Churches' & inclusive 'Adherents' columns. This "Lutheran " figure is an aggregate from the 12 major American Lutheran religious bodies: Apostolic Lutheran Church of America; Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America; Church of the Lutheran Confession; Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Evangelical Lutheran Synod; Free Lutheran Congregations, Association of; Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod; Lutheran Churches, American Association of; The Protestant Conference (Lutheran); Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. [U.S. totals, all states; member (as opposed to inclusive adherents) total: 6,239,524] |
| Lutheran | USA | 9,110,000 | 5.20% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 15-17. | Table 1-2: Self-Described Adherence of U.S. Adult Population 1990. Phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by Graduate School of City U. of New York. |
| Lutheran | USA | - | 5.20% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 88-93. | Table 3-1: Religious Composition of State Populations, 1990 (%). Self-identification of religious loyalty, phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by City U. of New York. |
| Lutheran | USA | - | 7.00% | - | - | 1992 | *LINK* web site: Princeton Religion Research Center: "Gallup Religion Data " (Dec 1998) | Table: "What specific denomination is that? (asked of Protestants) "; [this figure is percentage of U.S. total population] |
| Lutheran | USA | - | 6.00% | - | - | 1993 | *LINK* web site: Princeton Religion Research Center: "Gallup Religion Data " (Dec 1998) | Table: "What specific denomination is that? (asked of Protestants) "; [this figure is percentage of U.S. total population] |
| Lutheran | USA | - | 5.00% | - | - | 1994 | Neusner, Jacob (ed). World Religions in America: An Introduction; Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press (1994); pg. 2. | "About 60% of American people are Protestants (among them, 19% are Baptists, 8% Methodists, 5% Lutherans, and the other 28% divided among many groups). " |
| Lutheran | USA | - | 7.00% | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* web site: Princeton Religion Research Center: "Gallup Religion Data " (Dec 1998) | Table: "What specific denomination is that? (asked of Protestants) "; [this figure is percentage of U.S. total population] |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,300,000 | - | - | - | 1995 | 1995 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches | - |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,300,000 | - | - | - | 1995 | *LINK* Evangelical Lutheran Church in America web site; web page: "January 25, 1996 News Releases " (viewed 9 July 1999). Story: "More than 60 Million Lutherans Worldwide " [96-01-003-FI] | "Germany, where the Lutheran tradition has its origin, had the largest number of Lutherans in any one country, its Lutheran churches having a combined membership of 14.3 million, ahead of the United States with 8.3 million. " |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,319,591 | - | - | - | 1995 | *LINK* Evangelical Lutheran Church in America web site; web page: "January 25, 1996 News Releases " (viewed 9 July 1999). Story: "More than 60 Million Lutherans Worldwide " [96-01-003-FI] | List: "Countries with more than 1/2 million Lutherans " |
| Lutheran | USA | - | 8.00% | - | - | 1995 | *LINK* web page: "Principle Denominations in the U.S. "; web site: "Supporting Materials: Culture " (Slippery Rock Univ., PA). (viewed 31 Aug. 1999). Last Revised: 12-1-95 | Pie chart: "Principal U.S. Denominations "; R. Catholic 25%; Baptist 21%; Methodist 12%; Lutheran 8%; Other " |
| Lutheran | USA | - | 6.00% | - | - | 1995 | *LINK* web site: Princeton Religion Research Center: "Gallup Religion Data " (Dec 1998) | Table: "What specific denomination is that? (asked of Protestants) "; [this figure is percentage of U.S. total population] |
| Lutheran | USA | - | 6.00% | - | - | 1996 | *LINK* web site: Princeton Religion Research Center: "Gallup Religion Data " (Dec 1998) | Table: "What specific denomination is that? (asked of Protestants) "; [this figure is percentage of U.S. total population] |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,300,000 | - | - | - | 1997 | "Lutherans by the numbers " in Christian Century (March 4, 1998); pg. 228. | "The largest number of Lutherans in any one country can be found in Germany, the birthplace of the faith. German Lutherans number just over 14 million, followed by U.S. Lutherans, who number nearly 8.3 million in several Lutheran denominations. " |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,500,000 | - | - | - | 1997 | 1998 Catholic Almanac: Our Sunday Visitor: USA (1997); pg. 280. | "There are about 8.5 million Lutherans in the United States, making them the fourth largest Christian grouping, after Roman Catholics, Baptists, and Methodists... nearly 20 U.S. Lutheran church bodies... " |
| Lutheran | USA | 13,000,000 | 5.00% | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 2 - Americas. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998); pg. 32, 34. | "Americans: Location: United States; Population: 260 million "; "The largest Protestant denominations are the Baptists with 10% of the population, followed by the Methodists (8%), Lutherans (5%), and Presbyterians (3%). " |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,350,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance (viewed circa Nov. 1998); "last updated October 1998 " | Table: "Christian Organizations "; "Membership numbers, as supplied by various denominations "; this entry listed in table as "Lutheran Churches, " presumably a count of affiliated Lutherans. |
| Lutheran | USA | 8,350,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance (viewed circa Nov. 1998); "last updated October 1998 " | Table: "Largest Religious Groups: The 16 US faith groups and ethical systems with memberships over 1 million are: "; listed in table as "Lutheran Churches " |
| Lutheran | USA - gay and lesbian | - | - | - | - | 1995 | Witt, Lynn; S. Thomas & Eric Marcus (ed.) Out in All Directions: A Treasury of Gay and Lesbian America. New York: Warner Books (1995); pg. 315. | Table: "Gay and lesbian spiritual organizations within major Christian denominations "; 8 groups listed, for major denominational families, including: Integrity (Lutherans) |
| Lutheran | USA - Middle Colonies | - | 8.60% | - | - | 1776 | Finke, Roger & Rodney Stark. The Churching of America, 1776-1990. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press (1992; 3rd printing 1997); pg. 29-30. | Table 2.1: "Denominational Percentages by Region, 1776, Based on Number of Congregations "; Total Num. of congreg: 1,285. |
| Lutheran | USA - South | - | 3.80% | - | - | 1776 | Finke, Roger & Rodney Stark. The Churching of America, 1776-1990. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press (1992; 3rd printing 1997); pg. 29-30. | Table 2.1: "Denominational Percentages by Region, 1776, Based on Number of Congregations "; Total Num. of congreg: 845. |
| Lutheran | Utah | 9,793 | 0.57% | 29 units |
- | 1990 | Glenmary Research Center. Churches & Church Membership in U.S., 1990. | By-county org. reports, figures from 'Churches' & inclusive 'Adherents' columns. This "Lutheran " figure is an aggregate from organizational adherent statistics from the 12 major American Lutheran religious bodies. |
| Lutheran | Utah | - | 1.20% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 88-93. | Table 3-1: Religious Composition of State Populations, 1990 (%). Self-identification of religious loyalty, phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by City U. of New York. |
| Lutheran | Utah | - | 1.00% | - | - | 2001 | *LINK* Kosmin, Barry A.; Egon Mayer; & Ariela Keysar. "American Religious Identity Survey. " 2001. City University of New York. | ARIS: Nationwide phone survey of 50,000 American adults; open-ended question: 'What is your religion, if any?'; Listed in table: "Lutheran " |
| Lutheran | Vermont | 2,152 | 0.38% | 10 units |
- | 1990 | Glenmary Research Center. Churches & Church Membership in U.S., 1990. | By-county org. reports, figures from 'Churches' & inclusive 'Adherents' columns. This "Lutheran " figure is an aggregate from organizational adherent statistics from the 12 major American Lutheran religious bodies. |
| Lutheran | Vermont | - | 1.30% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 88-93. | Table 3-1: Religious Composition of State Populations, 1990 (%). Self-identification of religious loyalty, phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by City U. of New York. |
| Lutheran | Vermont | - | 0.00% | - | - | 2001 | *LINK* Kosmin, Barry A.; Egon Mayer; & Ariela Keysar. "American Religious Identity Survey. " 2001. City University of New York. | ARIS: Nationwide phone survey of 50,000 American adults; open-ended question: 'What is your religion, if any?'; Listed in table: "Lutheran "; Actual % between 0 and 0.5%, so sell was left blank. |
| Lutheran | Virginia | - | 1.80% | 9 units |
- | 1776 | Finke, Roger & Rodney Stark. The Churching of America, 1776-1990. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press (1992; 3rd printing 1997); pg. 277-281. | Table A.1: "Denominational Percentages by Colony, 1776, Based on Number of Congregations "; Total num. of congreg. = 491. |
| Lutheran | Virginia | - | 0.22% | 9 units |
- | 1776 | Finke, Roger & Rodney Stark. The Churching of America, 1776-1990. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press (1992; 3rd printing 1997); pg. 277-281. | Table A.1: "Denominational Percentages by Colony, 1776, Based on Number of Congregations "; Total num. of congreg. = 491. Denominational % (1.8%) multiplied by state's adherence rate from table on pg. 27: 12%. |
| Lutheran | Virginia | 82,892 | 1.34% | 247 units |
- | 1990 | Glenmary Research Center. Churches & Church Membership in U.S., 1990. | By-county org. reports, figures from 'Churches' & inclusive 'Adherents' columns. This "Lutheran " figure is an aggregate from organizational adherent statistics from the 12 major American Lutheran religious bodies. |
| Lutheran | Virginia | - | 2.30% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 88-93. | Table 3-1: Religious Composition of State Populations, 1990 (%). Self-identification of religious loyalty, phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by City U. of New York. |
| Lutheran | Virginia | - | 2.00% | - | - | 2001 | *LINK* Kosmin, Barry A.; Egon Mayer; & Ariela Keysar. "American Religious Identity Survey. " 2001. City University of New York. | ARIS: Nationwide phone survey of 50,000 American adults; open-ended question: 'What is your religion, if any?'; Listed in table: "Lutheran " |
| Lutheran | Virginia - whites | - | 0.40% | 9 units |
- | 1776 | Finke, Roger & Rodney Stark. The Churching of America, 1776-1990. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press (1992; 3rd printing 1997); pg. 277-281. | Table A.1: "Denominational Percentages by Colony, 1776, Based on Number of Congregations "; Total num. of congreg. = 491. Denominational % (1.8%) multiplied by state's adherence rate from table on pg. 27: 22%. [Figure for whites calculated separately for southern states where large numbers of black slaves, few of whom were religiously affiliated at this time; otherwise southern denominational % figures are skewed lower.] |
| Lutheran | Washington | 184,860 | 3.80% | 461 units |
- | 1990 | Glenmary Research Center. Churches & Church Membership in U.S., 1990. | By-county org. reports, figures from 'Churches' & inclusive 'Adherents' columns. This "Lutheran " figure is an aggregate from organizational adherent statistics from the 12 major American Lutheran religious bodies. |
| Lutheran | Washington | - | 7.80% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 88-93. | Table 3-1: Religious Composition of State Populations, 1990 (%). Self-identification of religious loyalty, phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by City U. of New York. |
| Lutheran | Washington | - | 6.00% | - | - | 2001 | *LINK* Kosmin, Barry A.; Egon Mayer; & Ariela Keysar. "American Religious Identity Survey. " 2001. City University of New York. | ARIS: Nationwide phone survey of 50,000 American adults; open-ended question: 'What is your religion, if any?'; Listed in table: "Lutheran " |
| Lutheran | Washington, D.C. | - | 0.20% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 88-93. | Table 3-1: Religious Composition of State Populations, 1990 (%). Self-identification of religious loyalty, phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by City U. of New York. [Geographic region in this table is listed as "District of Columbia ", not "Washington, D.C. "] |
| Lutheran | Washington, D.C. | - | 5.00% | - | - | 2001 | *LINK* Kosmin, Barry A.; Egon Mayer; & Ariela Keysar. "American Religious Identity Survey. " 2001. City University of New York. | ARIS: Nationwide phone survey of 50,000 American adults; open-ended question: 'What is your religion, if any?'; Listed in table: "Lutheran " |
| Lutheran | West Virginia | 15,509 | 0.86% | 63 units |
- | 1990 | Glenmary Research Center. Churches & Church Membership in U.S., 1990. | By-county org. reports, figures from 'Churches' & inclusive 'Adherents' columns. This "Lutheran " figure is an aggregate from organizational adherent statistics from the 12 major American Lutheran religious bodies. |
| Lutheran | West Virginia | - | 0.90% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 88-93. | Table 3-1: Religious Composition of State Populations, 1990 (%). Self-identification of religious loyalty, phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by City U. of New York. |
| Lutheran | West Virginia | - | 1.00% | - | - | 2001 | *LINK* Kosmin, Barry A.; Egon Mayer; & Ariela Keysar. "American Religious Identity Survey. " 2001. City University of New York. | ARIS: Nationwide phone survey of 50,000 American adults; open-ended question: 'What is your religion, if any?'; Listed in table: "Lutheran " |
| Lutheran | Wisconsin | 945,095 | 19.32% | 1,645 units |
- | 1990 | Glenmary Research Center. Churches & Church Membership in U.S., 1990. | By-county org. reports, figures from 'Churches' & inclusive 'Adherents' columns. This "Lutheran " figure is an aggregate from the 12 major American Lutheran religious bodies: Apostolic Lutheran Church of America; Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America; Church of the Lutheran Confession; Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Evangelical Lutheran Synod; Free Lutheran Congregations, Association of; Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod; Lutheran Churches, American Association of; The Protestant Conference (Lutheran); Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. |
| Lutheran | Wisconsin | - | 26.20% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 88-93. | Table 3-1: Religious Composition of State Populations, 1990 (%). Self-identification of religious loyalty, phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by City U. of New York. |
| Lutheran | Wisconsin | - | 22.00% | - | - | 2001 | *LINK* Kosmin, Barry A.; Egon Mayer; & Ariela Keysar. "American Religious Identity Survey. " 2001. City University of New York. | ARIS: Nationwide phone survey of 50,000 American adults; open-ended question: 'What is your religion, if any?'; Listed in table: "Lutheran " |
| Lutheran | world | 15,000,000 | - | - | - | 1618 | Bishop, Peter & Michael Darton (editors). The Encyclopedia of World Faiths: An Illustrated Survey of the World's Living Faiths. New York: Facts on File Publications (1987); pg. 114. | "By 1618 Lutheranism numbered 15,000,000 followers who lived under a wide varity of circumstances yet shared the Augsburg Confession as a statement of faith. " |
| Lutheran | world | 75,000,000 | - | - | - | 1956 | Beck, Vector E. Why I Am a Lutheran. New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons (1956); pg. 45. | "The Lutherans today number about one-third of the Protestants of the world, about seventy-five million. In addition to the Scandinavian countries, Finland and Iceland, there are Lutherans in Austria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Holland and Romania. Lutheran missions today are to be found in nearly all parts of the world as Australia, Brazil, Ceylon, India, Hong Kong, Mexico, Portugal, the Phillipines, Formosa, Japan, West Indies, Madagascar, Bolivia, Venezuela, Indonesia. " |
| Lutheran | world | 70,770,000 | 3.00% | - | - | 1957 | Spence, Hartzell. The Story of America's Religions; New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston (1960) [1st printing 1957]; pg. 43. | "The Lutheran Church is the largest Protestant body in the world, numbering 70,770,000 persons, or almost three per cent of the world's population. " |
