Membership rights
Everybody can make use of the church for church services and may participate in the Christian community in various ways. In addition to this, as a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, you have the right to make use of the church for baptisms, weddings and funerals.
One or more pastors are employed at every church. The pastor leads the church service on Sundays, and conducts weddings and funerals. If you wish to arrange a baptism, a wedding or a funeral at the church, it is the pastor that you will need to speak to. S/he will help you prepare for the ceremony in the church. You can also talk to the pastor if you have a problem that you would like to discuss with someone. Pastors are required to respect confidentiality, which means that they must not tell anyone else about the conversations they have had with the people who come to them. Most pastors speak English.
Membership subscription
As a member, you pay a membership subscription. This is paid via your tax returns and is thus called Kirkeskat, "Church Tax". The Church Tax paid is expressed in terms of a percentage of your income, e.g. an average of 0.89 % of a person’s taxable income in 2011.
Leaving the Evangelical Lutheran Church
Even though you have been baptised and are a member of the established church, you may later decide to leave it. You can do this by filling out a form at the office of your parish church.
