Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland
The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland (ECACP) belongs to the family of Lutheran churches.
The Lutheran Church emerged as a result of the Reformation initiated by Martin Luther. On October 31, 1517 Luther announced his 95 theses against the abuse of penitential practices in the late Medieval Church. The theological outline of the Reformation is expressed by four rules: solus Christus (by Christ alone), sola gratia (by grace alone), sola fide (by faith alone) sola Scriptura (by Scripture alone). The solas have been determining the directions of actions and development of the Lutheran Church in Poland and abroad ever since.
The name of the Church refers to the Gospel (gr. euangélion) – the Good News about Jesus Christ – and the Reformation’s confession of faith read out in Augsburg to Emperor Charles V in 1530. The Augsburg Confession, compiled by Philip Melanchton, became one of the Lutheran symbolical books (The Lutheran Confessions). Confessions present Lutheran views of the Holy Scriptures.
The Church consists of six dioceses and 133 parishes, employs 146 pastors, and it ordains both men and women.
Lutheran parishes in Poland vary in size, with some comprising several thousand believers, and others a few, such as just around 50.
