When you give through your congregation, a percentage of that money (determined by your congregation) is shared as Mission Support with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod and the national churchwide organization. SEPA Synod sends 50 cents of each dollar received to the churchwide organization for ministry nationally and globally.
Your Mission Support offerings support:
Our synod is interdependent with churchwide ministries (which are national and global in scope) as well as with partners including the Philadelphia Seminary, Muhlenberg College, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in PA, Bear Creek Camp, local Lutheran social ministry agencies, and ecumenical and interfaith partners.
Our Synod provides oversight, equipping and financial assistance to mission and redevelopment congregations, and provides equipping assistance to congregations in the areas of youth and young adult ministry and mission. This portion of the budget also includes our global vision relationship with our companion synod in Tanzania.
The bishop is the pastor to the synod and provides leadership and oversight for word and sacrament ministry, witness and mission of the synod. This includes the work of the committee of deans (who provide leadership, and pastoral and call process support, to each of our eight conferences), the finance and development office, communications and information technology.
Our synod raises up, supports, equips, connects, and nurtures rostered and lay leaders for “the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4). This includes the work of the candidacy process, financial support for seminarians, and lay leadership events.
Your offerings also make possible the operation of the synod office, including rent and utilities, insurance, depreciation, and general office expenses.
The 50% of your offering that goes to the ELCA churchwide ministries makes a difference far and wide: