Church of Denmark
The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark or National Church, sometimes called the Church of Denmark, is the established, state-supported church in Denmark. The supreme secular authority of the church is composed of the reigning monarch and Denmark's Parliament, the Folketing. As of 2025, 70.7% of the population of Denmark are members, though membership is voluntary.
Christianity was introduced to Denmark in the 9th century by Ansgar, Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen. In the 10th century, King Harald Bluetooth became Christian and began organizing the church, and by the 11th century, the country was fully Christianized. Since the Reformation in Denmark, the church has been Lutheran, while retaining much of its high church pre-Reformation liturgical traditions.
The 1849 Constitution of Denmark designated the church "the Danish people's church" and mandated that the state support it as such.
The Church of Denmark continues to maintain the historical episcopate. Theological authority is vested in bishops: ten bishops in mainland Denmark and one in Greenland, each overseeing a diocese. The bishop of Copenhagen is primus inter pares.
Organization
Dioceses
The Church of Denmark is organized into eleven dioceses, each led by a bishop, including one for Greenland. The most senior bishop is the bishop of Copenhagen, currently Peter Skov-Jakobsen. The further subdivision includes 111 deaneries and 2,200 parishes. There are about 2,400 ordained pastors.| Diocese | Founded | Cathedral | Incumbent |
| Diocese of Aalborg | 1554 | Aalborg Cathedral | Bishop Thomas Reinholdt Rasmussen |
| Diocese of Aarhus | 948 | Aarhus Cathedral | Bishop Henrik Wigh-Poulsen |
| Diocese of Copenhagen | 1922 | Copenhagen Cathedral | Bishop Peter Skov-Jakobsen |
| Diocese of Funen | 988 | St. Canute's Cathedral | Bishop Mads Davidsen |
| Diocese of Haderslev | 1922 | Haderslev Cathedral | Bishop Marianne Christiansen |
| Diocese of Helsingør | 1961 | Helsingør Cathedral | Bishop Peter Birch |
| Diocese of Lolland–Falster | 1803 | Maribo Cathedral | Bishop Marianne Gaarden |
| Diocese of Ribe | 948 | Ribe Cathedral | Bishop Elof Westergaard |
| Diocese of Roskilde | 1922 | Roskilde Cathedral | Bishop Ulla Thorbjørn Hansen |
| Diocese of Viborg | 1537 | Viborg Cathedral | Bishop Henrik Stubkjær |
| Diocese of Greenland | 1993 | Nuuk Cathedral | Bishop Paneeraq Siegstad Munk |
Parishes
Each parish has a parochial council, elected by church members in four-year terms. The parochial council leads the practical business of the local church and decides employment of personnel, including the pastors, musicians, verger, and sacristan. The pastor is subordinate to the council, except in spiritual matters such as conducting church services and pastoral care. Parishes in the same local area are grouped into deaneries, with one priest serving as Rural Dean. Deaneries, parochial councils, and pastors are all subordinate to the bishop of the diocese.Voluntary congregations
A special feature is the possibility of creating voluntary congregations within the Church. These account for a few percent of church members. They are voluntary associations, electing their own parochial council and parish pastor, whom they agree to pay from their own pockets. In return, they are exempt from church tax. The voluntary congregation and its pastor are subordinate to the bishop of the diocese, and members remain full members of the Church. Historically, when a parish was dominated by a conservative majority and priest, the liberal minority would often set up a voluntary congregation with their own priest – and vice versa. Today the voluntary congregations are often a solution for people who find the idea of a free church appealing, but wish to keep some bonds to the church.Parish optionality
Another, less commonly used feature is parish optionality. If a Church member is dissatisfied with the particular pastor of his residence parish, he may choose to be served by another pastor who matches better with his Christian views.Monasteries and convents
Evangelical-Lutherans interested in Christian monastic life are able to join monasteries and convents in Denmark, including Hellig Kors Kloster, as well as nunneries belonging to the Daughters of Mary.Membership
According to official statistics from January 2023, 72.1% of the inhabitants of Denmark are members of the Church of Denmark, 1.1 percentage points less than the previous year. Membership rates vary from 54.4% in the Diocese of Copenhagen to 82.0% in the Diocese of Viborg. In recent decades, the percentage of Danes that are members of the church has been slowly declining, the most important reasons being immigration from non-Lutheran countries, withdrawal of some members, and a somewhat lower rate of Danish infants being christened.Any person who is baptized into the Church of Denmark automatically becomes a member. Members may renounce their membership and later return if they wish. Excommunication is legally possible but a rare occurrence. Examples include declared Satanists. A church member supporting reincarnation was excommunicated, but the Supreme Court overturned the excommunication in 2005.
Faith and church attendance
According to the latest inquiry about 2.4% of church members attend services every week, although on Christmas Eve more than a third of the population attends. The church is still widely used for traditional family ceremonies including christenings and confirmations. In the year 2022, 31.2% of weddings and 80.7% funerals were performed in the Church of Denmark, and 66.5% of children in grade 7–8 were confirmed. The level of weekly church attendance is similar to that in Norway and Sweden.According to a 2009 poll, 25% of Danes believed Jesus is the Son of God, and 18% believed he is the Redeemer.
Doctrine
The church is aimed at having a wide acceptance of theological views, as long as they agree with the official symbolic books as stipulated in the Danish Code of 1683. These are:- The Apostles' Creed
- The Nicene Creed
- The Athanasian Creed
- The Augsburg Confession
- Luther's Small Catechism
Historically, there is a contrast between a liberal current inspired by N. F. S. Grundtvig and more strict, pietist or Bible fundamentalist movements. These tensions have sometimes threatened to divide the Church. Tidehverv is a minor fraction based on a strict Lutheranism and antimodern, national-conservative views.
The Church of Denmark is a member of the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe and the Porvoo Communion.
Liturgy
The Communion Service includes three readings from the Bible: a chapter from one of the Gospels, from one of the Epistles or another part of the New Testament and, since 1992, from the Old Testament. Texts are picked from an official list following the church year. Some liturgical features have a fixed content but are free to the form. This accounts for the Common Prayer following the sermon, where the priest is encouraged to mention the royal house. Some will simply mention "the King and all his House" whereas others will list all members of the royal house by name and title.The sermon, as in other Protestant churches, is a central part of the service. The priest takes a starting point in the text of that Sunday, but is free to form a personal message of it. At special occasions, even non-priests may be allowed to preach. Hymns are also very central. In contrast to Roman Catholic churches, Danish congregations sit while singing and stand while listening to Bible.
The Church of Denmark recognizes two sacraments: baptism and the Lord's Supper, as well as four other rites. Formerly, individual or shared confession was a condition to receive the Lord's Supper. An official confession ritual still exists, but is used on a particular basis, as requested. There are also official rituals for confirmation, wedding, holy orders, anointing of the sick and funerals. Emergency baptism may be performed by any Christian if necessary, and later the child will then be "ratified" in Church.