Engaging, involving and investing in the gifts, interests and capacity of people of African descent in every aspect of the life of this church is the focus of African Descent Ministry in the ELCA. As part of our Ethnic Specific and Multicultural Ministries Team, we seek to strengthen the hands of the ELCA for building — with integrity — a multiethnic and multicultural church. As people of African descent, it is the gospel of Jesus that gives us the faith and freedom to join with all of our siblings in Christ to boldly participate in God’s work of restoring and reconciling communities in the name of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

The term “African Descent” refers to people who self-identify as Black, African Caribbean, African American, African Nationals and others of African ancestry from numerous countries who now live in the United States. A network of about 255 congregations report 49,000 people of African descent as active participants in the ELCA across the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The African Descent community within the ELCA is wonderfully diverse in culture and context. Together we are Christians, some new to the faith and others who for generations have been baptized Christians in Lutheran congregations. We stand in a long and biblically historical line of people of faith and of African descent, each person bringing a unique story that adds to the larger story that makes up the ELCA.

AFRICAN DESCENT LUTHERAN ASSOCIATION (adlaelca.org)