HISTORY

When the Lutheran Women's Missionary League became an official auxiliary to The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in 1942, most Missouri Synod congregations in Canada already had organized groups of women interested primarily in serving their own congregations. By 1950 the concept of LWML was spreading throughout these congregations. They began to consider broadening their outlook and activities and so became part of the International Lutheran Women's Missionary League (ILWML). Laurentian and Ontario Districts joined in 1950, followed by the Alberta - British Columbia District in 1951 and the Manitoba and Saskatchewan District in 1953.

When voting congregations across Canada chose to become an independent Lutheran Church, and Lutheran Church-Canada moved toward autonomy, its leaders recognized the need for its auxiliary organizations to remain in step. In 1983 Canadian District LWML presidents met with the Lutheran Church-Canada Board of Directors to begin the process of forming an autonomous women's auxiliary. They appointed a Task Force which explored options and presented them to the membership. In 1988 all LWML District conventions approved the forming of a Canadian LWML auxiliary while maintaining a close relationship with ILWML. A Founding Committee was established to carry this out.

Lutheran Church-Canada became an autonomous church body on January 1, 1988. With the incorporation of Canadian congregations of the Minnesota North District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod into the Central District of Lutheran Church-Canada, the Ontario Sonset LWML District was formed and became the League's fifth District.

A Protocol Document was ratified by all LWML Districts and by the ILWML. In 1992 delegates to the district conventions selected the name Lutheran Women's Missionary League-Canada (LWML-Canada), a logo and the motto, Called to Serve (based on Deuteronomy 10:12).

The Founding Convention was held in Edmonton, Alberta, June 20-21, 1993. The charter was signed by the district presidents, and zone and society delegates. The first officers were elected and LWML-Canada began.

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