√ The E.L.C.A. was formed in 1988 with the merger of the American Lutheran Church (ALC) and the Lutheran Church in America (LCA).
√ Web site: www.elca.org
√ More than 10,300 E.L.C.A. congregations across the United States. Over 4.5 million E.L.C.A. members.
√ Our neighbor Lutheran Congregation in Hamilton, Grace, is a member of the Missouri Synod, a generally more socially conservative branch of Lutherans.
√ The elected leader (“bishop”) of the ELCA is Rev. Elisabeth Eaton
The ELCA is made up of 65 districts, called “synods”. These synods are clustered in 9 different “regions”. The Montana Synod is part of Region One of the ELCA. Each synod has a presiding pastor called a “bishop”. Currently, Rev. Laurie Jungling serves as Bishop. The synod office is in Great Falls, (406) 453-1461.
What the Synod does: The Montana Synod of the E.L.C.A. offers support and partnership for staff and congregational ministries, maintains regional ministry resources, and connects Faith to the larger church and its mission. The Montana Synod, with its 51,000* baptized members in 149 congregations (4 in Wyoming) and other preaching points, is served by 181 pastors in congregational and specialized ministries. In addition, 12 Associates in Ministry and 1 Diaconal Minister also serve our ministries. We have 30+ persons in the candidacy process preparing for future church leadership and 55+ persons in the Lay Pastoral Associates program. (*2010)