Education & Training



Lutheran schools have been part of our church since 1839 and follow the tradition founded by Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Church, who believed the church should provide Christian education in support of parents.

Luther once said, 'When the schools flourish, all flourishes'. He was a great believer in the value of education and he insisted that even peasants could improve their life if they were given even a basic education. Breaking with the culture of his day, he translated the Bible into German, the language of the people, so that they could read it for themselves and would not have to rely on the priests to interpret it.

Therefore, after the Reformation, it wasn't surprising to see Lutheran churches and schools growing up alongside each other, and this tradition was continued when German settlers arrived in Australia in the 1800s. It was common for a Lutheran school to be built as soon as the construction of the church was completed. Our long history of taking responsibility for educating the young and teaching them the faith through schools is the most likely explanation for the disproportionately high number of Lutheran schools in Australia in relation to the size of our church.

Our strong tradition of education has flowed over also into our tertiary training institution, Australian Lutheran College (ALC), which is seen as a leader in theological education among Lutherans in South-east Asia. ALC is responsible for preparing our pastors for ordination, for training teachers who will work in Lutheran schools and equipping lay workers who are pursuing a vocation in the church. The college also has a Vocational Education Training division and runs classes and courses for everyday lay people who simply want to learn and grow in their faith.

You'll discover much more about our education and training services in the following pages: