Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren | |
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Classification | Protestant |
Orientation | United Lutheran Reformed Bohemian |
Polity | Presbyterian |
Associations | World Council of Churches Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe Conference of European Churches Lutheran World Federation World Communion of Reformed Churches. |
Region | Czech Republic |
Origin | 17 December 1918 |
Official website | www |
The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB) (Czech: Českobratrská církev evangelická; ČCE) is the largest Czech Protestant church and the second-largest church in the Czech Republic after the Catholic Church. It was formed in 1918 in Czechoslovakia through the unification of the Protestant churches of the Lutheran and Calvinist confessions.
In 2019, the church reported 69,715 baptized members[1] in more than 260 local congregations, which are broken down into 14 seniorates (presbyteries) throughout the Czech Republic. Its membership peaked in 1950 with 402,000 members.[2] Since the end of Communist rule, the Czech Republic's censuses have recorded 203,996 members in 1991,[2] 117,212 in 2001,[3] and 51,936 in 2011.[4]
In May 2023, the Church synod voted to allow blessing of same-sex couples.[5]