Friends in High Places

The ELCA has a connection to the global Lutheran church through the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The ELCA maintains an office at the UN headquarters in New York City to help support the church’s outreach on global social issues.  It’s called the Lutheran Office for World Community, formed in 1973. The director and his assistant attend the UN General Assembly and the Security Council meetings to convey the social policy views of the ELCA and the LWF to the UN, including human rights, justice, respect for international law, and better standards of living for all people.  Recently global migration has been a major topic. One of the most gratifying projects has been working with the UN Commission on the Status of Women, which is dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.

The Lutheran Office for World Community is rooted strongly in the ELCA’s heart for humanity, focusing on regions where human rights have been violated. Its mission echoes the UN charter, which mentions respect for the dignity of the individual. “Each person is created in the image of God, regardless of their background or nationality. We all need to be given respect and dignity.”

You help accomplish this through your mission support to the synod. Thank you!

We are church together for the sake of the world. God’s Work. Our Hands.