Ordained Ministry
ELCA pastors carry out their ministry as they proclaim the Gospel. They are called to a ministry of Word and Sacrament, to 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 into vibrant communities that reach out to serve the world and share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Ordained ministers normally serve in congregations, and sometimes in a team ministry with other ordained or lay rostered leaders. Some pastors, after an initial congregational call of three years, serve in non-parish settings as chaplains, faculty at colleges and seminaries, leaders in social service agencies, or in staff positions at synod or churchwide offices.