Congregations and Synods

Our nearly 10,000 congregations and 65 synods across the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are where you’ll find us hard at work loving and serving our neighbors, and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Congregations are communities of faith that reach out to all people, serve all people and help us negotiate the complexities and questions of life with a daring confidence in God’s grace and love. Synods support, connect and guide the leaders and ministries of congregations, working together to achieve things on a scale and scope that we could never do otherwise.

Together, we are a church that is deeply rooted and always being made new. We strive for strong, vibrant congregational ministries that are relevant to our ever-changing neighborhoods and world, actively engaged in God’s mission. Whether a congregation is new or has a long, rich history, these ministries are places within our communities where God is at work building the church.

The blessing of ELCA congregations and synods working together is that we are able to draw upon a wealth of leaders, resources, networks, support, ideas, experiences, diverse perspectives and diverse communities for doing God’s work in the world.