ELCA Companion Synod Program

Celebrating the Global Body of Christ

Sixty-five ELCA synods and five ELCIC synods participate in over 120 international companionships. These extend the bilateral relationships between our churches and Lutheran church bodies in other countries, called companions. The Companion Synod Program is a concrete expression of the communion fellowship among the 140 member churches of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and an exciting way ELCA members can engage in global mission!

Find your companion synod relationship

Learn about your synod's relationship
Locate your synod on a map to find your companion
Download a list of companions by ELCA and ELCIC synod
Download a list of companions by country

Share what you are doing

Complete a brief profile of your relationship.
Tell us how you are involved in global mission aside from your companion synod relatiionship by completing this online Global Engagement Survey.

Learn from Others

Read about each synod's companion relationship.

When companions engage one another in authentic relationships, everyone's lives are changed."

- Peggy Contos Hahn
Assistant to the Bishop for Global Mission, TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod

RESOURCES FOR YOUR RELATIONSHIP

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Upcoming Events

See a list of Companion Synod Regional Global Gatherings, where you will receive updates and network with other leaders.

Companion Synod Handbook

Companion Synods Handbook

A valuable resource for beginning and strengthening companion synod relationships, including the complex issues involved in cross-cultural relationships and mission:

Table of Contents and Introduction
Part 1: Companion Synod Basics
Part 2: For Synods
Part 3: For Congregations
Part 4: Planning Trips
Part 5: Hosting International Guests
Appendices (including the Protocol Agreement for Companion Synod Relationships between the Conference of Bishops and the Global Mission unit)
Orientation Handouts

Download full PDF copies in English, Spanish, German, or French.

To order paper copies of the English Companion Synod Handbook, please call the ELCA at (800) 638-3522. Stay on the line for a Resource Information Specialist.

Sending personnel to your international companion

Learn how your synod can work with the ELCA Global Mission unit to send mission personnel to work with your international companion in a Shared Personnel Placement.

Sending funds to your international companion

Your synod can ask Global Mission to send funds to your international companion, or to check for compliance with the US PATRIOT Act. Click here. Contact Lanny Westphal for assistance.

Contacts

For more information about your companion synod relationship, contact your synod office. For more information about relationships with companions in a specific country, contact a Global Mission staff person:

Barbara Berry-Bailey - for companions in Africa
Mary Campbell - for companions in Latin America
Franklin Ishida - for companions in Asia and the Pacific
Julie Rowe - for companions in Europe and the Middle East

For general information about the Companion Synod Program, or other relationships and networks with Global Mission, contact:

Lanny Westphal - Program Director - Relationships

Global Links E-Newsletter

Stay informed, be inspired, and get involved through Global Links, a brief monthly e-newsletter from Global Mission. Subscribe or view a current issue at www.elca.org/global-links. | Sign up for facebook or Twitter @ELCAGlobalLinks.