How many synods?

Define confessional, conservative, and synod separately. That's not a joke or a snide remark. It's the key to the answer and discrepancies in how those words are used account for most of the variation between lists.

There are a couple of groups that choose to call themselves a diocese rather than a synod; is that functionally the same? Then there's the AFLC which generally checks 2 boxes but is not really a synod and is not particularly traditional. I don't know anyone on the outside who counts the small handful of Laestadian groups but they check at least a couple of the boxes. Etc.

JM said:

How many Lutheran Synods are considered confessional, traditional and conservative?

LCMS, WELS, LCC (Canada)?

Yours in the Lord,

jm

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All those you mentioned plus the ELS. WELS and ELS are in communion. LCMS is conservative. I don't know a lot about the LCC.

Confessional Synods which have Episcopal governance sometimes call themselves a Diocese; this would be the same as a synod.

Not all Confessional Synods are in fellowship. International Lutheran Council is a group of confessional synods, not all in full fellowship LCMS and LCC are members. Another group is Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference of which WELS is a member.

Synod means walk together.