Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (Germany)

The Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (German: Evangelisch-Lutherische Freikirche, abbreviated ELFK) is a Lutheran confessional church in Germany. It is not a state church (German: Landeskirche) but a free church, meaning it is independent of the state.

The ELFK traces its origins to the 19th-century confessional revival movement within Lutheranism that sought to restore a stricter adherence to the Lutheran Confessions (the Book of Concord). Dissatisfied with the perceived theological liberalism and unionistic practices of the Prussian Union Church and other state churches, faithful Lutherans formed free churches to preserve what they considered pure Lutheran doctrine and practice.

The ELFK emphasizes the authority of Scripture as the inspired and inerrant Word of God, as well as the importance of the Lutheran Confessions as a correct exposition of biblical truth. It practices closed communion, meaning that communion is generally offered only to members in good standing of the ELFK or of churches with which it is in doctrinal fellowship.

The ELFK is a member of the International Lutheran Council (ILC), a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies. It maintains fellowship with other ILC member churches around the world.

The church is organized synodically, with a synod that meets periodically to make decisions regarding church affairs. The ELFK operates seminaries and theological institutions for the training of pastors. It also engages in mission work both domestically and internationally.