Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations

The ELCA is committed to fostering unity among the children of God for the sake of the world. The ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations team is responsible for encouraging the activity of ecumenical and interreligious life in this church and enhancing the public commitments of this church in Lutheran, ecumenical and interfaith circles.

The ELCA is committed to promoting understanding among Christians and greater unity among Christ’s people. Brokenness can be healed and divisions can be overcome. To this end, the activity of ecumenical life in the ELCA is one of cooperation, facilitation, accompaniment and formation within this church, and with our ecumenical and interreligious companions.

What does this mean?

• We cooperate with partners, such as The Lutheran World Federation, the World Council of Churches and the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
• We facilitate the ecumenical and interreligious work of congregations, synods and churchwide ministries by offering resources; convening the Lutheran Ecumenical Representatives Network; supporting the reception of our full communion agreements through the work of the coordinating committees; and serving as liaison with full communion churches and dialogue partners
• We accompany others including our interreligious partners through initiatives like the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign: Standing with American Muslims, Upholding American Values
• We provide resources and information about opportunities for ecumenical and interreligious formation throughout the ELCA.

All of our work is grounded in our statement, The Vision of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

“…that they may all be one.” ~ John 17:21