Southeastern Synod ELCA

What Southeastern Synod ELCA does

The Southeastern Synod ELCA is one of 65 regional administrative bodies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, governing 142 congregations and new ministry starts across Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Headquartered at St. John's Lutheran Church in Atlanta (1410 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE) under Bishop Kevin L. Strickland, the synod delivers ecclesial services including candidacy and ordination oversight, pastoral care for rostered ministers, coaching, leadership formation, youth and young adult ministries, campus ministry via LuMin, disaster response, advocacy, stewardship resourcing, and Latiné outreach through En Conjunto. Its ministry portfolio extends internationally through four companion synods in Guatemala, Malaysia, Singapore, and Bavaria, and a domestic companion relationship with the La Crosse Area Synod.

The synod's revenue model is benevolent rather than commercial: member congregations remit "mission support" as a share of their offerings, of which approximately 33% is passed upstream to ELCA Churchwide. It does not sell products or services to external customers; outputs are governance, formation, crisis response, and convening. Technology footprint is administrative — Vanco Payments, Tithe.ly, Zoom, and Google Forms support giving and remote operations, with no AI/ML capabilities disclosed. Strategic direction is set by Vision 2028, a four-phase plan (Refreshing 2025, Reviving 2026, Renewing 2027, Reforming 2028) and a forthcoming Leadership Academy in 2026, signaling a revitalization posture amid broader mainline Protestant decline.

Name

Southeastern Synod ELCA

Legal name

Southeastern Synod ELCA

Website

https://elca-ses.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Southeastern Synod ELCA is one of 65 regional governing bodies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, providing oversight, formation, and ministry resourcing to 142 congregations across Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee under Bishop Kevin L. Strickland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Denomination Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

Keywords

• Religious denomination services
• Congregational ministry support
• Disaster response coordination
• Leadership development programs
• Faith formation resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Mission Support (Benevolence): Mission support received from congregations at synod office. As partner in ELCA, 33% of mission support shared with ELCA Churchwide to fund ministries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Southeastern Synod ELCA is a regional administrative body of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that supports 142 congregations across Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. It delivers ministry programs such as disaster response, leadership development, candidacy for rostered ministers, coaching, advocacy, faith formation, global mission companion synod partnerships, and youth/young adult ministry. The synod also provides pastoral care and respite/renewal grants for pastors and deacons serving across its four-state territory.

Product overview

Southeastern Synod ELCA operates as a regional administrative body of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, overseeing 142 congregations across Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The synod's ministry portfolio includes core programs (Disaster Ministry, Advocacy Resources, Youth/Young Adult Ministries, Stewardship) and specialized initiatives (Leadership Academy, Vision 2028 strategic plan, Partners in Celebration, Candidacy Program, Coaching Ministry, Campus Ministry, Formation Resources, Global Mission partnerships). The synod also supports new church starts including Kiswahili Lutheran Mission and Partners in Celebration program for church redevelopment. Governance is conducted through annual Synod Assemblies with electronic voting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Disaster Ministry Coordinates disaster response across Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee; provides volunteer coordination, financial donations management, and long-term recovery support for communities affected by disasters including hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding.
• Advocacy Resources Provides resources for congregations on social and political action including immigrant support, protesting faithfully, food/medical/housing assistance, LGBTQ+ rights, voting advocacy, and Middle East justice.
• Campus Ministry Supports campus ministry programs at colleges and universities across the synod; partners with LuMin (Lutheran campus ministry network) and offers grant applications for new campus ministry programs.
• Candidacy Program Guides individuals through the process of entering rostered ministry (pastor or deacon) in the ELCA, including initial discernment, entrance interviews, seminary preparation, endorsement, and approval stages.
• Coaching Ministry Provides free to low-cost coaching services to pastors, deacons, council members, and ministry teams to help leaders grow in personal leadership, handle conflicts, develop skills, and achieve ministry goals.
• En Conjunto (Latiné Ministry) Latiné ministry initiatives engaging communities and congregations, equipping disciples and leaders, and empowering relationships for the development of Latiné ministries; includes ELCA AMMPARO immigrant support.
• Formation Resources Provides faith formation resources including Advent/Lenten devotionals, Baptismal Promises curriculum, Lutheranism 101 series, Preaching Workshops, First Call theological education, and digital age church resources.
• Global Mission & Companion Synods Manages companion synod relationships with Augustinian Lutheran Church of Guatemala (ILAG), Lutheran Church in Malaysia, Lutheran Church in Singapore, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, and La Crosse Area Synod.
• Holy Conversations Guide for congregations considering their future, providing tools and resources for vital and sustainable futures including conversation frameworks and discernment tools.
• Partners in Celebration Financial support program enabling individuals and congregations to support new church starts and redevelopment efforts through targeted contributions to featured ministries.
• Pastoral Care for Rostered Ministers Provides respite and renewal resources for rostered ministers including grants for 3-6 weeks away, 'Gift of Time' program for short breaks, and wellness support.
• Senior Ministries Resources for ministry with and for older adults including ALOA (Adult Lutherans Organized for Action), senior care resources, and assisted living information.
• Stewardship Resources Provides stewardship education including Mission Support guidance, First Fruits Campaign, G2: Generosity and Gratitude workshops, online giving tools (Vanco/Tithe.ly), and LifeLine Fund for educational debt assistance.
• Leadership Academy Equipping and empowering both lay and ordained leaders through education, spiritual formation, and shared leadership models as part of Vision 2028 strategic initiative.
• Youth and Young Adult Ministries Programs including Lutheran Youth Organization (SESLYO), ELCA Youth Gathering participation, All TN Youth Gathering, and young adult engagement through trips, retreats, and 'Besties with the Bishop' events.
• Congregational Vitality Program Training and assessment tools to help congregations assess their vitality, develop renewal strategies, and implement redevelopment or mission planning.
• Kiswahili Lutheran Mission Synodically authorized worshipping community serving immigrants from Kiswahili-speaking nations of Africa; offers Christ Closet, Bible studies, ESL programs, Amka Pamoja tutoring, and PASOTE soccer ministry.

Quantifiable outcome

• 142 congregations served across 4 states

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Augustinian Lutheran Church of Guatemala (ILAG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompanion Synod Program partnership through ELCA - bilateral relationship between ELCA synods and church bodies in other countries
• Lutheran Church in MalaysiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompanion Synod Program partnership - bilateral relationship between ELCA synods and church bodies internationally
• Lutheran Church in SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompanion Synod Program partnership - bilateral relationship between ELCA synods and church bodies internationally
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in BavariacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompanion Synod Program partnership - bilateral relationship between ELCA synods and church bodies internationally
• La Crosse Area Synod (Wisconsin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompanion Synod Program partnership - bilateral relationship between ELCA synods domestically
• LuMin (Lutheran Campus Ministry)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Lutheran campus ministry programs at colleges and universities across the country
• International Coaching Federation (ICF)minorOthersCoaches in the synod have received 20 hours of coach training through ICF-accredited programs
• Lutheran World FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Companion Synod Program is a concrete expression of the communion fellowship among the 140 member churches of the Lutheran World Federation

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Upstate New York Synod ELCA: A regional ELCA synod serving a multi-county, multi-state territory of congregations with the same governance, funding, and ministry model as the Southeastern Synod; structurally equivalent peer.
• Florida-Bahamas Synod ELCA: Fellow ELCA regional synod operating in the same southeastern US region with comparable governance structure, mission support funding model, and congregation network of Lutheran churches; one of the most geographically and structurally analogous organizations to the Southeastern Synod.
• Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod ELCA: Another ELCA regional synod with similar governance structure, multi-congregation network, and mission-support funding model, providing structural and operational comparability with the Southeastern Synod.

Others

• Lutheran World Federation: Global communion of 140 Lutheran churches including the ELCA; directly comparable as a Lutheran institutional umbrella but operates at global rather than regional scale, providing structural and theological reference point for the synod.

Regional players

• Augustinian Lutheran Church of Guatemala (ILAG): International companion synod partner with a Lutheran synodical governance structure and Lutheran World Federation membership, comparable in religious mission and synod-level administrative structure, though operating in a different cultural and linguistic context.
• Metropolitan Washington DC Synod ELCA: Another of the 65 ELCA synods operating with the same governance structure and revenue model; comparable in mission but geographically distinct from the Southeastern US territory.
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria: Companion synod partner of the Southeastern Synod; a German regional Lutheran church body operating with comparable synodical governance, ministry programs, and Lutheran World Federation affiliation, though geographically distant.

Emerging players

• Fresh Expressions US: Church-planting and congregational-renewal movement explicitly cited in the Southeastern Synod's Vision 2028 'Refreshing' phase; a programmatically adjacent peer with overlapping missional goals around new church starts and non-traditional ministry models.

Broad incumbents

• Presbytery of the West (Presbyterian Church USA): Regional governing body of a mainline Protestant denomination analogous to an ELCA synod; provides a useful benchmark for comparing regional denominational governance models, congregational support, and stewardship funding structures.
• ELCA Churchwide Organization: The parent denominational body of the Southeastern Synod and the other 65 ELCA synods. Directly comparable in mission and ministry portfolio, but operating at a national scale with broader programs (global mission, theology, churchwide ministries) rather than regionally focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/807598122729309
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southeastern-synod-elca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Southeastern Synod ELCA