Northwestern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA

Rooted.

Deeply established in a place. 

Feeling a strong sense of belonging and connection.

Like the native to Minnesota Burr Oak tree, with roots deep and wide underground to sustain the tree above, the church is deeply rooted so that the vibrant ministries of the Northwestern Minnesota Synod are enhanced and sustained for all of God’s people.

That is who we are: deeply rooted people.

• Rooted in Christ through the waters of baptism.
• Rooted in the life-giving promise that God's love and forgiveness are freely given, never earned.
• Rooted in the congregations and communities of faith where we first learned to trust Jesus, serve our neighbors, and discover our place in God's story.

The Northwestern Minnesota Synod exists for one purpose: to help congregations be the Church together. We do not replace the ministry of local congregations—we strengthen it. We accompany congregations, equip leaders, and cultivate partnerships so that, throughout Northwestern Minnesota, the Gospel is faithfully proclaimed, the Sacraments are rightly administered, and God's people are sent into the world to love and serve their neighbors.

Together, we ensure that every congregation has the support it needs to faithfully be the Church, and together we accomplish what no congregation could accomplish alone.

Rooted Together in Christ

Throughout Scripture, God's people are pictured as trees planted beside streams of living water, sending their roots deep into the life God provides. Nourished by God's grace, they remain steadfast through seasons of drought and continue to bear fruit, trusting not in their own strength but in the faithfulness of God (Jeremiah 17; Psalm 1). The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are "rooted and grounded in love" and "rooted and built up in Christ" (Ephesians 3; Colossians 2). Jesus himself invites us to "abide in me as I abide in you... for apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15).

That is who we are: deeply rooted people.

Because our roots run deep, we are free to rise—not by our own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit—to join God's work of renewing Christ's Church for the twenty-first century. We rise to strengthen congregations. We rise to form courageous leaders. We rise to deepen partnerships that proclaim the Gospel and serve our neighbors. We rise faithfully. We rise courageously. And above all, we rise together.

We are: Rooted in Christ. Grounded in grace. Formed in community. Rising together in hope.

The Northwestern Minnesota Synod is an extension of Lutheran Churches in Northwestern Minnesota. We connect and support the 200+ congregations and their 360+ leaders who care for and nurture nearly 80,000 people who claim membership in one of our communities of faith. 

Together we are the church, wholly devoted to loving Jesus and our neighbors. We are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.3 million members in more than 8,900 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region.