As a synod of the ELCA, the Saint Paul Area Synod is part of the global “family” of 141 Lutheran churches that belong to the Lutheran World Federation. Within our global family, the ELCA has deeper, more intentional, bilaterial “companion church” relationships with many of these national Lutheran church bodies.
Companion Synods
The Saint Paul Area Synod maintains companion synod relationships with two churches around the world—the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania and the Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala, the Augustinian Lutheran Church of Guatemala (ILAG).
Missionaries
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. Missionaries that have an ongoing relationship with our synod:
Mark and Linda Jacobson, Selian Lutheran Hopsital, Arusha, Tanzania
Dana Nelson, Iglesia Luterana Evangelical Peruana, Peru
Amanda Olson de Castillo, Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala, Guatemala
Peter Harrits, Country Coordinator, ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission, Malaysia
Patrick and Jacqueline Bencke, Kyushu Lutheran College, a college of the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kumamoto, Japan
Dirk and Sarah Stadtlander, parish ministry, Linguere, Senegal
Arden Haug, Regional Representative for Europe, ELCA Global Mission, Slovakia
Allan and Marie Krahn, Brazil
Dr. James and Carolyn Brown, Ngaoundéré Protestant Hospital, Cameroon
Theodore Zimmerman, theological education, Hong Kong
Kristen Opalinski, communication specialist, Lutheran Communion in South Africa (LUCSA)
Kristopher and Rebecca Hartwig, Tanzania
Visit ELCA Global Mission to learn more about our connections to the global church and how you and your congregation can become involved.
Hand in Hand
Global Mission Support quarterly newsletter and blog digest. More at www.elca.org/handinhand.
Mwangaza Education for Partnership
Mwangaza Education for Partnership is supported in part by the synod mission support and is a joint effort of the ELCA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) that addresses the challenges of formal and informal education in Tanzania at the secondary level. The 20 synods of the ELCT are paired with 20 ELCA synods, of which this synod is one. Learn more
