2026 Synod Assembly Offering to Support the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
At the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly, the designated offering from worship and any additional gifts will support the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL)—our Lutheran siblings who serve faithfully in the very places where the Christian story first took root.
Congregations across the Grand Canyon Synod are invited to participate in this shared act of generosity. Whether or not your congregation sends voting members or visitors to Assembly, you can still join in this offering by collecting a designated gift ahead of time and sending it with your participants or mailing it directly to the synod office.
Why the ELCJHL?
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land is a small but vibrant church with approximately 2,500 members across six congregations in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour, and Amman. In addition to congregational ministry, the church operates four Lutheran schools that educate more than 3,000 students of many faiths, offering a powerful witness of education, peacebuilding, and community care.
In January, the church celebrated a historic moment when Bishop Imad Haddad was consecrated as the fifth bishop of the ELCJHL at the Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem. In his sermon that day, Bishop Haddad spoke of the church’s calling to proclaim “salvation, peace, and reconciliation for the world.”
The church lives out that calling in the midst of deep political tension and social hardship. Christians now represent about 1% of the population in the region, and many families have emigrated in recent years. Yet the Lutheran church there continues its faithful witness through congregational life, education, and ministries of reconciliation.
ELCJHL leaders often describe their ministry with the Arabic word sumud—steadfast endurance—a commitment to remain rooted in faith, community, and hope despite immense challenges.
Our Theological Call
As Lutherans, we believe generosity flows from the grace we have already received. We give not out of obligation but out of gratitude for God’s abundant love.
Supporting the ELCJHL allows our synod to participate directly in the global Lutheran communion, standing alongside Christians who are bearing witness to Christ’s peace in the land where Jesus lived, taught, died, and rose.
Our assembly theme this year, “Rooted in God’s Story,” reminds us that the story of faith is both local and global. Through this offering, we strengthen our connection to the wider church and support ministries that proclaim hope in one of the most complex and sacred places in the world.
How to Give
Congregations may collect offerings locally in advance or participate during worship at Synod Assembly.
Checks may be made payable to: Grand Canyon Synod
Memo: 2026 Synod Assembly Offering
Mail to: Grand Canyon Synod, 1819 E. Morten Ave., Suite 110, Phoenix, AZ 85020
Together, as one body in Christ, we can share God’s love beyond our borders—supporting faithful ministry, education, and reconciliation in the Holy Land.
