Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Rahway is part of a denomination. What that means is that as part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America(ELCA), Zion is part of one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.3 million members in more than 8,900 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region.

The ELCA is a church that is rooted in the commitment that God is a gracious God who passes over our faults and forgives us through the saving work of Jesus Christ. That means that no matter how you have messed up in your life, God always welcomes you back to the fold just as the father did to the Prodigal Son in the Gospel of Luke 15:11-31.

The ELCA is also an inclusive church that welcomes all people with no caveat. Regardless of your immigration status, $$ in your bank account, criminal record, ability, or anything else for that matter, the ELCA believes that, as Saint Paul proclaims in Romans 8:31-39, “Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”

The ELCA also engages in various efforts in the US and around the world to help bring about God’s “Beloved Community” with partner organizations like Lutheran Social Services, the largest social services network in the US, Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee Services, ELCA World Hunger, and Lutheran Disaster Response.

Finally, the ELCA believes that God calls those whom God wishes to the Church which include women clergy & bishop(the current bishop of the ELCA is a woman), LGBTQIA+ folks to clergy and leadership positions and the like.

To learn more, press the button to the left.