Prince of Peace is a member church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The article here explains more about the ELCA. Prince of Peace resides within the Santa Clara Valley Lutheran Parish.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The ELCA, or Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, along with other Lutheran churches, can trace its roots directly to the Protestant Reformation that took place in Europe in the 16th century. Martin Luther, a German monk, became aware of differences between the Bible and church practices of the day. His writings, lectures and sermons inspired others to protest church practices and call for reform.
The late 1800s had established the 20 or so Lutheran church bodies that would eventually merge to become The American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church in America. Massive immigration from traditionally Lutheran countries had started, and between 1840 and 1875 alone 58 Lutheran synods were formed in the U.S.!
The ECLA resulted from a union of three North American Lutheran church bodies: The American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and the Lutheran Church in America. The three churches agreed to unite in 1982. They formed a 70-member Commission for a New Lutheran Church, which planned the merger. The plan was approved by church conventions in 1986, and the ELCA constituting convention was held April 30-May 3, 1987, with the church actually beginning operations on January 1, 1988.
The ELCA meets in assembly every two years; at its 2001 Churchwide Assembly. It elected its third bishop, The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, who will be eligible for re-election at the 2007 Churchwide Assembly.
The ELCA has approximately 5,038,000 baptized members worshiping at 10,721 congregations and 65 synods. It has 17,703 clergy along with 1,200 associates serving in the Ministry. The ELCA supports 300 adult missionaries, serving in over 50 countries. There are 28 colleges and universities along with many high schools, elementary schools, and early childhood programs supported by the ELCA. The ELCA is a leader in many communities providing Social Services, Summer Camps, and Retreat Centers. The ELCA churchwide revenue is 82,923,000 with expenses of 82,077,000. The ELCA World Hunger budget is $16,000,000.
Much more information can be found about the ELCA at the following websites.
The ELCA website is www.elca.org
A more detailed explanation of Lutheranism and the ELCA may be found at www.elca.org/about.html