who God calls us to be

About the
Metro D.C. Synod

The synod consists of about 25,000 baptized members within 72 congregations located in:

  • District of Columbia

  • Upper Montgomery County and south to the Quantico Marine barracks

  • The western shore of the Chesapeake Bay out to the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains

  • Bermuda

We worship every week in English, Spanish, Norwegian, Slovak, Amharic, German, and Swahili.

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Mission_Tree_FINAL 1
Mission Statement

By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we are called to cultivate a bold and boundless love for Jesus and God’s beloved creation.

Just like a trunk of the tree which provides strength and steadiness for the branches, the mission statement of the Synod provides the focus and vision needed to align our work together.

We are rooted in: our bold and boundless love for Jesus, our call to the discipleship of others, and our acts of justice in this world.

Synod Priorities
  1. Equip and develop healthy leaders
  2. Empower and nurture vibrant ministries
  3. Encourage and model faithful accompaniment

Through regular trainings and opportunities for discussion provided by the synod’s Leadership Academy sessions, we will learn and grow together as rostered and lay leaders of the Church. Now is a time to experiment and explore, play and discover how we can be Church most faithfully through the generosity of others. We are exploring what it means, not just to serve, but to BE neighbors for those most affected by systemic injustice among us. We will create space to share and model what it means to live with and love those we disagree with most.

Synod Themes
  • Sabbath
  • Cultural Competency
  • Transformational Leadership

In alignment with the mission and priorities, we recognize the opportunity for us to be church together not only in theory and theology, but also in practice. Bishop Ortiz provides a great overview of how the global pandemic taught us much about ourselves and how we must move forward together - with all ministries and teams of the synod focused on one or more of these important themes.

 

View Video

By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod affirms that all God’s children are called to cultivate a bold and boundless love for Jesus and God’s beloved creation.

As such, you are beloved and welcome as you are, whatever your race, culture, ethnicity, age, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, disability status, mental health status, socioeconomic position, family status, or background, and you are welcome wherever you are in your faith journey. You are a unique child of God. You are accepted and affirmed not despite your differences but precisely because of all your differences and gifts.

As a synod, we commit ourselves to embracing the work of racial equity, social and economic justice, and environmental care, and we welcome leadership by rostered and lay leaders who are LGBTQIA+, Black, Brown, Indigenous, or Persons of Color. Together, as through Jesus, we joyfully and inclusively love and serve our whole community, the Church, and the world.

Affirming of the LGBTQIA+
Community since 1989

In 1989, the Metro D.C. Synod adopted an affirmation of welcome for gay and lesbian Christians, thus being recognized by ReconilingWorks.org as a welcoming Synod to the LGTBQ+ community. Then in 1991, the Metro D.C. synod assembly voted to accept and affirm homosexual persons as rostered ministers to serve in the church. In 2023, a welcome statement was adopted by the synod assembly.

Find a Congregation Near You

There are 1,015 Reconciling in Christ congregations in the U.S. – 30 of them reside in the Metro D.C. Synod. A list of RIC congregations in the Metro D.C. Synod is provided below.

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Quick Facts

About the Metro D.C. Synod

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24,834

Baptized Members

Group 191

72

Faith Communities

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25

Congregations affirming of LGBTQIA+ community

Group 190

72

Rostered Ministers

Group 188

38

Sabbath Grants awarded to Rostered Ministers in 2021-22

Meet the Synod Staff

Bishop Leila M. Ortiz

BISHOP
LOrtiz@metrodcelca.org
(202) 417-3678, ext. 3680
View Biography

Rev. Sarah Garrett Krey

ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR CANDIDACY & MOBILITY
SarahGK@metrodcelca.org
(202) 417-3678
View Biography

Rev. Jason Shank

DIRECTOR OF EVANGELICAL MISSION & ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP
jshank@metrodcelca.org
(202) 417-3678
View Biography

Katharyn Wheeler

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP
KWheeler@metrodcelca.org
(202) 417-3678, ext. 3684
View Biography

Find a Congregation in Metro D.C.