Testimonial

Voices of Faith

Fresh perspectives

Editor’s note: The stories of ELCA pastors Mamy Ranaivoson and Joseph Boko are shared by the ELCA Ministries of Diverse Cultures and Communities team. This team works within the ELCA…

Voices of Faith

I’m a Lutheran: Kendra Hernandez

Christ Lutheran Church, Baltimore Corporate giving specialist, Global Refuge I moved to Baltimore in the summer of 2021—primarily for my job with Global Refuge (formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service)….

Voices of Faith

Good news roundup: Community, collaboration and commitment

Even in the heaviest seasons, hope has a way of showing up—in persistent faith, courageous leadership, quiet acts of care and the witness of people living out the gospel in…

Voices of Faith

Called to respond to the needs of the world

Series editor’s note: In 2025, “Deeper understandings” is focusing on the ELCA social statements. We hope to reintroduce them to readers as a means of provoking fruitful, enriching conversation between Christians with…

Voices of Faith

Good news round-up: Hope Shared

Even in the heaviest seasons, hope has a way of showing up—in quiet acts of care, courageous leadership, persistent faith, and the witness of people living out the gospel in…

Voices of Faith

An organ renaissance

When two noted Lutheran organists were asked whether traditional organ music was a dying art today, they replied with a resounding, “No!” The ancient instrument is alive and well, enjoying…

Voices of Faith

Safe at home base

All of life is a series of daring explorations from a secure base. I read the above quote from journalist David Brooks of the New York Times and immediately thought…

Voices of Faith

I’m a Lutheran: Keith Christensen

St. Peter Lutheran Church, Greene, Iowa Principal gifts officer, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. St. Peter has a long history with my wife’s family. Her parents grew up in Greene, and…

Voices of Faith

Belonging without assimilation

Series editor’s note: In 2025, “Deeper understandings” is focusing on the ELCA social statements. We hope to reintroduce them to readers as a means of provoking fruitful, enriching conversation between Christians…

Voices of Faith

Ordinary and extraordinary

At Messiah Lutheran Church in Ashtabula, Ohio, where I grew up, there was a drinking fountain. It was old. It was ordinary. It barely worked. But just after midnight on…

Voices of Faith

God recalculates

Even in the days of GPS, I still sometimes get lost. I miss the cue from my phone’s directional app; I look for a sign that isn’t there. Suddenly, I’ve…

Voices of Faith

“The gift of relationships”

Sitting in her office on the top floor of the Lutheran Center in Chicago, Sue Rothmeyer, a deacon and the secretary of the ELCA, looks out the big windows at…