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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia is one of eight seminaries affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), a denomination with about 11,000 congregations in the United States and some 5.2 million baptized members. The ELCA has more than 17,400 pastors and associates in ministry and average worship attendance each week is about 1.6 million. The denomination is associated with 28 colleges and universities and more than 250 social service organizations. An estimated 350,000 persons are served each year by 145 camps and retreat centers and nearly 400 missionaries serve in approximately 57 countries. The denomination’s annual budget is approximately $76 million. The Presiding Bishop of the denomination is the Rev. Mark S. Hanson. For more information about the ELCA, please visit the ELCA web site.
Partner Synods of Region 7 of ELCA
With offices at the Seminary, Region 7 works to connect the work of the ELCA and seven partner synods with their more than 1,300 congregations and over 600,000 baptized members. A main purpose is to keep church leaders in contact with each other and to encourage growth and creativity in ministry. Councils focus on mission and leadership development and staff teams strategize about communications, stewardship and evangelism. The Region also sponsors an Institute for Congregational Ministry, which involves newly called individuals in continuing education. Bishops of the Region meet several times a year. The Rev. Peggy M. Wuertele, Regional Coordinator Campus Ministry Director, Regions 7 and 8: Rev. Jack A. Saarela Pastor Saarela began the duties of Deployed Campus Ministry Director for Regions 7 and 8 on March 1, 2002. A graduate of the University of Toronto, with an M. Div. from Yale Divinity School, he has served as pastor of University Lutheran Church and Campus Center in Gainesville, Florida since 1986. He has provided leadership for campus ministry in Florida, worked in trauma response and developed a death row Ministry at a Florida State prison facility.
Listings of ELCA-affiliated social service and educational organizations in Pennsylvania.
The Eastern Cluster of Lutheran Seminaries The Eastern Cluster of Lutheran Seminaries exists to provide theological leadership in education and to offer degree and non-degree programs for individuals aspiring to rostered professional leadership positions in the ELCA. The cluster consists of
The cluster focuses on providing theological education resources to Pastors, Associates in Ministry, diaconal ministers, deaconesses, parish lay leaders, synods, conferences or other groups who want to enrich their Christian education and their vocations. The cluster sponsors special events such as the Fall 1997 series entitled "Melanchthon Then and Now," commemorating the 500th anniversary of the birth of the reformer who served at the right hand of Martin Luther. Recently, the three seminaries collaborated to make available to all their students the Doctor of Ministry Degree Program of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. Under the new arrangement, students of the seminaries would enroll in the program at LTSP but could transfer into the LTSP program credits for up to four courses taken at Gettysburg or Southern. In addition to their usual focus of ministry, students enrolling in the program may avail themselves of three concentrations. Courses at LTSP offer a concentration in Urban Studies. Courses offered at Gettysburg offer concentrations in Town and Country Church Ministry and in Stewardship. For information on the Doctoral Program, contact Dr. Margaret Krych, Associate Dean for Graduate Education at LTSP at 215/248-6347.
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