We, the New Jersey Synod of the ELCA, affirm with the apostle Paul that in Christ “there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female” (Galatians 3:28). We acknowledge the spirit of this affirmation extends to anyone who is living with the realities of discrimination, treated as less-than, or otherwise marginalized. Christ has made us one.

 

We believe 

• the love of God is a gift extended for all people, 

• there is a never-ending invitation for all to be blessed, heard, seen, valued, and welcomed so that all feel they belong in the beloved community of God’s people

• it is the Gospel which compels us to seek reconciliation and wholeness in a world that is all too often an unloving place.

 

Our synod is a community knit together with colleagues who lift, support, and renew our calls as beloved children of God knowing we have been fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139). We are a synod that courageously welcomes all people, including those who identify as LGBTQIA+ and Black, Brown, Latine, Indigenous, Person of Color (BILPOC), and inclusive of those with differing abilities, to be rostered ministers in the New Jersey Synod.

 

Leadership in our synod will: 

• Assist congregations as they discern and do the work to become or sustain their identity as a Reconciling in Christ congregation.

• Commit ourselves to stand in solidarity with all our siblings, to advocate for equity for every beloved child of God and to be partners in the work of anti-racism, anti-discrimination, social and economic justice.