Quick Facts

The Saint Paul Area Synod is made up of 114 congregations with some 160,000 baptized members in Chisago, Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties and parts of Anoka, Scott, and Isanti counties in Minnesota.

What is a synod?
A synod is the gathering of congregations within a geographic area—a connecting point for working together in mission and ministry. Our synod is made up of 114 congregations in Chisago, Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties and parts of Anoka, Scott, and Isanti counties. The Saint Paul Area Synod is one of 65 synods in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Worship Attendance
The average weekly worship attendance is 47,000.

Average Membership
The average congregation numbers 1,388 members. Five congregations in this synod are among the largest in the ELCA, including St. Andrew's, Mahtomedi; Prince of Peace, Burnsville; Easter, Eagan; Shepherd of the Valley, Apple Valley; and Hosanna!, Lakeville.

Baptized Members
160,000.  The baptized membership remains primarily of northern European origin. Just under two percent of the total are people of color or whose language is other than English.

Rostered Clergy
186 serving in congregations; 51 in specialized ministry; 159 who are retired

Rostered Lay Leaders
5 diaconal ministers; 1 deaconess; 31 associates in ministry

ELCA Day Schools
Gethsemane Lutheran School, Maplewood; St. Andrew’s Academy, Mahtomedi; Trinity Christian School, North Branch; N.I. Magnuson Christian School, White Bear Lake

ELCA Seminary
Luther Seminary, St. Paul

Global Relationships
The Saint Paul Area Synod carries out its global mission through companion synod partnerships with the Iringa Diocese, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania; Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala (ILAG); and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa. In addition, the synod is one of 20 synods in the ELCA that supports Mwangaza Education for Partnership in Tanzania. Through the mission support sent on to ELCA Global Mission and missionary sponsorship, the Saint Paul Area Synod and synod congregations work to support the work of missionaries in all parts of the world.

Campus Ministry
Lutheran Campus Ministry, University of Minnesota

Hmong Ministry
Hmong Central, St. Paul

Native American Ministry
One in the Spirit, St. Paul

Chinese Ministry
Minnesota Faith Chinese, St. Paul; Joy Fellowship, Circle Pines

Mission Starts
Pueblo de Fe, St. Paul; Pueblo de Esperanza, St. Paul; New Life! Lutheran, Lakeville