Istanbul Lutheran Church
The Istanbul Lutheran Church is a small national Turkish-speaking Lutheran church body in Turkey. It was officially founded on December 22, 2004. The Parish is led by a council of elders together with presiding pastor Ville Typpö. Istanbul Lutheran Church has two parishes in Turkey: Istanbul Parish and Izmir Parish. And two Parishes in Bulgaria: Peshtera Parish and Chapel Parish in Krushevo village. In November 2006 Turkish-speaking Lutheran Parish in Mannheim, Germany, joined Istanbul Lutheran Church. Istanbul Lutheran Church has approximately 120 members. Lutheranism has been in Turkey since 1709, when Sweden sent the first Lutheran priest to Constantinople. Istanbul Lutheran Church's weekly activities are Church services, Bible study groups, Sunday schools and Bible classes. On April 6, 2025 the church consecrated Feymi Madzhirov as its first bishop.