The Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA is here to support our member churches and their rostered and lay leadership. Together with our member churches, we are here to discern and follow God’s will to nurture, serve, and lift up the people in our congregations, in our communities, in our region, and around the world.
Learn more about our bishop, our staff, our member congregations, the governance structure of our synod, and the ELCA.
Our Bishop
Bishop Jen Nagel was elected to a six-year term as Bishop by the voting members at the Minneapolis Area Synod Assembly on May 4, 2024.
Bishop Jen finds energy in walking with congregations and leaders as they listen for the Holy Spirit and enter into times of transformation.
Public Voice
As the Synod’s elected leader, the Bishop is empowered to use their voice and position to speak about issues of public concern, and to call on leaders to center love of neighbor and the common good when making decisions that impact communities. We strive to be thoughtful and strategic about when we speak up, and ground everything we say first in the Gospel, and second in the resolutions, social messages, and social statements of the ELCA. And, we work to ensure that our public voice leads to and calls for just and compassionate action.
About the ELCA
The ELCA is one church with three expressions – congregations that proclaim the gospel, administer the sacraments, and love their neighbors in local communities; synods that support congregations and rostered leaders in a particular region; and the churchwide organization that supports and resources ELCA leaders and ministries around the world. Each of these expressions contributes to our shared mission as church
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. There are 65 synods in the ELCA.