Ordained Pastoral Ministry
Ordained ministers serve with hearts filled with love and courage, to offer the hope of the sacraments and to lead the proclamation of the Gospel.

Associates in Ministry
Partners in ministry, these leaders are commissioned for ministry to equip and enable others in their Christian lives. They serve in congregations and other ministries of the ELCA.

Diaconal Ministers
These consecrated leaders model servant life and seek to equip and motivate others to lead such a life. Their vocation is lived-out in both church and world.

Deaconesses
The ELCA Deaconess Community supports women who are consecrated for service to the church.

Pastors of the ELCA carry out their ministry as they proclaim the Gospel.  They are called to a ministry of servanthood and bring the witness of faith to the lives of God's people.  Providing care and nurture of others and reaching out to a hurting world are essential expressions of this form of ministry.  pastors assist the church in transforming congregations as vibrant communities that reach out to serve the world and share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Ordained ministers normally serve in congregations, sometimes in a team ministry with other ordained or lay rostered leaders.

Some pastors, after an initial congregational call of three years, will serve as chaplains, faculty at colleges and seminaries, leaders in social service agencies, or in staff positions at synod or churchwide offices.

View Vision and Expectations: Ordained Ministers in the ELCA.

Associates in Ministry are commissioned for ministry in the areas of education, service, music, and administration.

The partnerships provided by those who serve on this lay roster are of deep value to the church.  Associates in Ministry frequently share in a collegial staff ministry and focus in areas such as learning ministries, family ministries, youth, administration, volunteer ministry, music, ministry coordination or parish nursing.

Some Associates in Ministry serve in staff positions in congregations where the position includes more than one area of specialty.  An Associate in Ministry may also be called by a synod to a non-congregational setting such as a social service agency, counseling center, college or seminary faculty, or synod staff.

Many congregations benefit from the life experience and skills of theologically trained lay persons who serve as commissioned Associates in Ministry in the ELCA.  They provide leadership and support for specific program ministries of the whole people of God in serving the mission and ministry needs of the church.

View Visions and Expectations: Commissioned Associates in Ministry.

ELCA Rostered Lay Leaders: Who We Are 
From Lutheran Partners magazine — Read a series of articles that explore what lay rostered leaders do, how they are meeting needs, their rationale for a call, and ongoing issues which need attention.

Diaconal Ministers are consecrated for service in ministries at the intersection of church and world.

Diaconal Ministers work to seek wholeness in the world and to help the people of God to live out the Gospel.  They are committed to alerting the church to the needs of the world.

Diaconal Ministry is a ministry of Word and service, sharing the hope of Christ, helping where there is need, and equipping others for healing and justice in the world.  Diaconal Ministers serve through agencies, institutions, and traditional church programs as they build bridges between the church and the world.

Visit the Diaconal Ministry Community.

ELCA Rostered Lay Leaders: Who We Are 
From Lutheran Partners magazine — Read a series of articles that explore what lay rostered leaders do, how they are meeting needs, their rationale for a call, and ongoing issues which need attention.

A Deaconess is consecrated for service in the context of the church's mission to proclaim the Gospel, to relate the Gospel to human need in every situation, and to extend the ministry of the Gospel to all the world.

The Deaconess Community of the ELCA has roots in 19th century Germany and has prepared and supported women whoa re committed to a life of service to church and society.  It is centered in a community of women for spiritual, personal, and ministry growth and support.

The skilled and theologically prepared women of this roster serve in a variety of ministries, including health care, parish work, education, church music, administration, chaplaincy, and social services.

Visit the Deaconess Community.

ELCA Rostered Lay Leaders: Who We Are 
From Lutheran Partners magazine — Read a series of articles that explore what lay rostered leaders do, how they are meeting needs, their rationale for a call, and ongoing issues which need attention.