| Southwestern Washington Synod (ELCA) | |
|---|---|
| Bishop: | Rev. Robert D. Hofstad |
| Affiliation: | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Region 1 |
| Congregations: | 94 |
| Mailing Address: | 420 - 121st Street South Tacoma, WA 98444-5218 |
| Official Website: | http://www.lutheranssw.org/ |
The Southwestern Washington Synod (ELCA) is a synod, or diocese, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It encompasses the southwestern part of the state of Washington and supports congregational mission throughout the region.
The Rev. Robert D. Hofstad is currently Bishop of the synod, with The Rev. Ron Hoyum and The Rev. Valinda Morse as his assistants. Bishop Hofstad also serves as an officer of the synod council which is the governing body of the synod between assemblies. It is composed of the Bishop and 22 members elected from each of the 10 synodical geographic regions called conferences. There are ninety four Lutheran congregations in the synod.[1]
The ELCA has partnered its synods with other regions throughout the world and the companion synod for Southwestern Washington is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN). [2]