Our Welcome
The Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod welcomes all people to join us in celebrating God’s love. We affirm that we are divinely and wonderfully made in God’s image, and that we strengthen and enrich our whole church body when we are welcoming to everyone. We encourage and invite people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, races and ethnicities, ages, socioeconomic statuses, abilities, citizenship and migration statuses to participate fully in the life and work of the church. We commit ourselves to supporting social and racial equity.
Welcome statement presented and approved at the NEPA Synod Assembly on June 8, 2024. For more details click here
CONGREGATIONS
WORSHIPPING COMMUNITIES
MISSION DISTRICTS
PEOPLE
STRONGER TOGETHER
The word synod comes from a Greek word meaning “to travel a common road, to walk together.” The congregations, the people, and the ministries in our expansive geographical region of the Northeastern area of Pennsylvania, this is synod.
Our local ministry and witness includes 240+ Congregations and 3 Synod Authorized Worshipping Communities, 1 Synod Authorized Outreach Ministry, 9 Mission Districts, and over 119,000 people. The Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod is part of Region 7 of the ELCA.
OUR PURPOSE:
Encountering and sharing God’s word of love given in Jesus Christ – encouraging lives of service.
OUR COMMITMENTS:
- Deepen the spiritual lives of people to help them see God at work and help others see that too.
- Build a network that uses our gifts, skills, and resources to maximize what we can do together and strengthen congregations in their ministry.
- Develop leaders, both lay and ordained, who are equipped and engaged in God’s mission in daily life.
- Enhance lives of service to deal with social needs and issues that arise in local communities or across the synod.
- Strengthen the work being done with children, youth, and families to support ministries as they engage their communities.
We are the largest Lutheran church in America bearing the legacy of Martin Luther’s small act of questioning the status quo that ignited the Protestant Reformation. We express our commitments through Confessions of Faith, rely on the Old and New Testaments for connection with God and the world and base our governance and teachings on the Book of Concord.
