“When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receives their sight, the lame walk, […]

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton shares her 2019 Christmas message. We celebrate the miracle of God’s love that has come to us in the form of a tiny baby who gives his life for us, that we might have life. View & download a video message from Bishop Eaton Click here to download Spanish PDF

A message from Bishop Jon V. Anderson  So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! – 2 Corinthians 5: 7 God continues to create new… …life, …dreams, …relationships, …capacities, …moments of beauty, …insight, …and focus. When we celebrate Thanksgiving, we remember and […]

Dear friends in ministry – I pray God’s grace and peace are with you as you begin this Advent season, preparing your people to welcome the light of Christ and to reflect it in your communities. For the past several years, your synod has been inviting congregations to participate in a special Advent Appeal as […]

+Bishop Jon V. Anderson  When I was a young pastor, in the days before there were cell phones, I remember my failure to provide sanctuary to a woman in the first congregation I served. As we walked out of the mundane work of a committee, we encountered her enraged husband wondering what she had been […]

What does it mean to be a sanctuary denomination? We publicly state that walking alongside refugees and immigrants is a matter of faith. +A letter from the Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton Dear siblings in Christ, As many of you know, last week the ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted a resolution that, among other things, declared […]

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Foundation seeks a Regional Gift Planner for Northwest and Southwest Minnesota. ELCA Synod Territory includes:  Northwest Minnesota Synod and Southwest Minnesota Synod. The Regional Gift Planner (RGP) will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and securing planned and current gifts from individuals in support of churchwide ministries, congregations, […]

The synod vice president ballot had three nominees:  Blair Schrader, Kristy Henriksen, and Ferman Woodberry. On the first ballot Ferman Woodberry was elected with 65% of the votes. About 400 voting members were present. Before members voted, Bishop Jon Anderson asked the nominees to share a bit about themselves. The video below captures Ferman speaking […]