HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER

Not a member of any church or not baptised

You become a member of the established church by being baptised into it, usually as a child, but otherwise as a teenager or an adult. Baptism and teaching If you wish to be baptised, you will need to speak to a pastor. It is the pastor who leads the church service on Sundays and thus the pastor who performs baptism.

Together you and your pastor will find the best way for you to prepare for your baptism. For teenagers, preparation can take place as they join their friends who prepare for confirmation. For adults, preparation can take the form of individual conversations with the pastor or a course taken together with others who are also considering baptism or who want to know more about God and what it means to be a Christian.

Member of another church

You can become a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark if you have received Christian baptism in another church, here or abroad. You do not need to be a Danish citizen to become a member of the church, but you cannot be a member of both the Evangelical Lutheran Church and another religious community at the same time.

To become a member of the church, you will have to speak to a pastor. S/he will introduce you to the Evangelical Lutheran Church and help you fill in the membership form. Find your parish church and your pastor here.

When you become a member of the established church, you automatically belong to the parish in which you live. The whole country is divided into parishes, and each parish has its own church. If you wish to belong to a church in another parish, you can "loosen the parish ties", i.e. change parish without changing your address. You can do this by contacting the pastor in the parish that you would like to join.

Member of a Lutheran Church abroad 

If you are a member of an Evangelical Lutheran church abroad, you automatically become a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark when you take up residence in Denmark.

As a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, you have the right to make use of the church for baptisms, weddings and funerals. If you wish to hold a baptism, a wedding or a funeral at the church, you will need to speak to the pastor in your local parish church. You can also talk to the pastor if you have a problem that you would like to discuss with someone.