Mission Spending
Each year, the ELCA churchwide budget goes to support efforts in a variety of arenas, both domestically and around the world. In addition to supporting local ministries via the 10,470 congregations of the ELCA, here’s how mission dollars were spent last year:
52 new congregations started in 2007 - Over 200 congregations under development
- 150 existing congregations intentionally focused on outreach, for which funds or services are being provided by the churchwide budget
- Over 260 missionaries in 49 countries
- Support ministry and projects in over 90 countries
- Social ministry organizations: 280 parent corporations, providing service to 6 million people in 3,000 communities, and serving 1 out of 50 people in the United States and the Caribbean every year
- 8 seminaries
- 2 seminary extension centers
- 1 deaconess community
- 185 campus ministries
- 1,500 Lutheran early childhood education centers, includes birth to age five
- 300 Lutheran elementary schools, K-8
- 14 Lutheran high schools
- 145 camps and retreat centers
- Health and pension benefits for retired clergy, missionaries, and lay church workers
- Long-term community development
- Advocacy with the United Nations, federal and state governments, and corporate development
- Broader ministry as a member church of Lutheran World Federation, World Council of Churches, and National Council of the Churches of Christ