African Descent Outreach
Many Voices, tell the Story, Create the Vision: Build Our Future
The Evangelical outreach and Congregational Mission Unit develops plans of action for implementation of the ELCA African Descent Outreach Strategy. In order to provide advice and direction to this effort, and African Descent Outreach Strategy Team, composed of selected lay and rostered leaders, has been established. The work of the team and the Unit is coordinated by the EOCM Unit’s Director for African American/Black Outreach.
The Purpose of the Strategy
The Strategy offers a vision and plan of action that guides efforts to provide leadership and support to synods and congregations as they reach out in witness to the Gospel with
and among African Americans, African Nationals, and African Caribbeans and provides a framework for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the Units programmatic
activites in developing new congregations, and in supporting established congregations and engaging visionary leaders in the African Descent Context.
Congregation Mission and Outreach
The objectives of the Strategy are as follows:
- Intentional and effective outreach with the Gospel that results in increased participation of African Descent peoples in the Church.
- Worship and ministries that are rooted in the African Descent historical and cultural experience and informed by our Lutheran heritage.
- Congregations that are self-reliant and sound with the capability of sustaining all aspects of ministry;
- Congregations that respond to the needs of their communities and build relationships with other churches and community-based organizations.
- Congregations that have a vision for the future and take a deliberate approach to ministry and planning.
- Congregations that maintain a connectedness with the wider church and all its expressions, i.e. synods and the churchwide organization.
The Strategy emphasizes:
- Visionary Leadership
- Worship
- Discipleship
- Stewardship, and
- Community Development
- Education and Faith Formation