The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) also have a link with North Carolina’s past. During the colonial period, German migrants settled on the Piedmont corridor and established Lutheran churches as they did. Figure 5, above, illustrates the contemporary pattern of these churches. It appears to reflect this historic pattern, with the highest proportions occurring in the central part of the state along the Piedmont corridor and in the Wilmington area. Again, apparently some of the retirees who moved to the state are Lutherans, as shown by the higher proportions in Moore and Watauga counties, as well as in and around the Asheville area. Still others are along the central Coastal Plain, another site favored by retirees. ELCA congregations are mid-sized, with about 375 adherents each.