Europe and the Middle East
ELCA Companion Profiles for Europe and the Middle East - the new version of the ELCA Country Packets
Thanks to your unrestricted offerings of
mission support dollars and your designated gifts to the
ELCA World Hunger Appeal,
ELCA International Disaster Response, and
designated projects, the ELCA engages in God’s mission in more than 90 countries around the world.
The ELCA has a different engagement strategy for each region within Europe and the Middle East.
In Eastern Europe, the focus is leadership development. The ELCA accompanies emerging and re-emerging churches by providing scholarships, teachers and seminary professors to develop leaders and grants to support seminaries and church facilities.
In Western Europe, evangelism and global education are priorities. ELCA mission personnel lead international congregations and the
ELCA Wittenberg Center.
In the Middle East, advocacy is a priority. Through mission personnel and grants, the ELCA accompanies the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (serving in Palestine and Jordan) in its witness for peace and the
Middle East Council of Churches in its efforts to facilitate dialogue among Christians and Muslims. In 2005, the ELCA affirmed its Middle East strategy called
Peace Not Walls which advocates for a just peace and end to the conflict in Palestine and Israel.
For details on the ELCA's engagement in a country, click on a particular country name on the map or list below.
Quick facts about engagement in this region are below.
Quick facts
- The ELCA accompanies churches and institutions in 9 countries across this region through the allocation of grants and/or placement of personnel, and 21 more through collaboration with companion agencies like Lutheran World Relief, the Lutheran World Federation, and Church World Service.
- There are 27 companion synod relationships between Europe and Middle Eastern companion churches and dioceses and ELCA synods.
- As of February 1, 2009, 74 ELCA mission personnel serve in 9 countries in the region.
- Since 1988, 73 church leaders from Europe and the Middle East have been educated with ELCA funds. During 2008-2009, 3 leaders are studying at ELCA and other institutions around the world.
- The total 2009 ELCA churchwide budget for Europe and Middle East is $1.97 million.