Ecumenical Affairs

The Synod Ecumenical (and Interfaith) Affairs Committee supports the bishop in nurturing faithful relationships between the ministries of our Synod and our ecumenical and interfaith neighbors. In partnership with the bishop, committee members represent the Synod in collaborative projects with local ecumenical judicatories and interfaith groups. Our Synod committee is currently represented on the national board of the Lutheran Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations Network (LEIRN), which has direct communication with churchwide staff in Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations. We discern and envision how God calls our Synod to grow in understanding and ministry that witnesses to the faith of Christ, and how that guides our relations with our neighbors.

Serving, Connecting, & Equipping Congregations:

The ecumenical affairs committee can offer support for congregations as they consider how to learn about and/or collaborate with their neighbors of different Christian or interfaith traditions. They can help suggest resources from the ELCA churchwide and the Synod resource center, as well as connecting them with more personal guidance.

Resources:

• ELCA Policy Statement on Ecumenical Commitment (1991)

• ELCA Inter-Religious Policy Statement (2019)

• About the ELCA’s Full Communion Partners

• About the ELCA’s Other Official Ecumenical Dialogues

How can congregations support Ecumenical Affairs?

Lutheran congregations can support this ministry on many levels. Pastors, deacons, and lay leaders and members can participate in ecumenical or interfaith events (liturgical, educational, or service) that are sponsored or promoted by the Synod and by connected ministries, such as Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania, which facilitates regional ecumenical and interfaith events. Congregations can make use of resources to educate their congregation and nurture good relationships among their wider community.