Global Mission
We are a church that believes God is calling us into the world — together. Companion church relationships enrich and deepen our ministries by exposing us to global challenges and perspectives as we seek to work with one another to build up the body of Christ and the world.
Global mission in our synod follows the theory and practice of accompaniment, defined by the values of mutuality, inclusivity, vulnerability, empowerment and sustainability. As a synod of the ELCA, we’re part of a global family of Lutheran churches belonging to the Lutheran World Federation. Within this global family, the ELCA has deeper, more intentional companion church relationships with many of these national Lutheran church bodies.
Companion Synods
Tanzania
Bega Kwa Bega is the phrase we use to describe our companion synod relationship with the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. In English, the phrase means “shoulder to shoulder” and describes the way in which we accompany one another.
Guatemala
The Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala (ILAG) was founded in 1991 to minister to people living in the margins of Guatemalan society. In 2005, the Saint Paul Area Synod and the ILAG began walking together to learn more about what it means to be Lutheran in our global church.
Missionaries
Through the mission support sent to ELCA Global Mission and missionary sponsorship, the Saint Paul Area Synod and its congregations work to support the work of missionaries in all parts of the world, including the ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program.
