About Us

The West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod (8-H) includes the 55 counties of West Virginia, 3 counties in Maryland (Allegheny, Garrett, and Washington), and 1 county in Virginia (western Frederick county).
We are one of 5 synods totally within Appalachia.

This has influenced not only our way of life, our heritage, but also our highway system. A favorite expression is
“You can’t get there from here, but it is a beautiful trip.”
We are truly a rural synod in the mountains, and of the mountains.

The West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod is:

• One of the 65 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
• One of the 8 synods of Region 8.
• Divided into 4 conferences with a Dean.
• Potomac
       East - Reverend Dr. Fred Soltow, Dean
       West - Reverend Larry Cantu, Dean
• Ohio-Kanawha Valley
       Reverend Dana Holter, Dean
• Monongahela Valley - Mountain
       The Rev. Linda Muhly, Dean
       The Rev. Randy Nairn, Dean
• Upper Ohio Valley
       Reverend David Westphal, Dean

Social Ministry
We have 1 Social ministry organization within the synod

• Community Lutheran Partners, Inc

Congregations

We have 65 congregations
We have 1 developing mission congregation.

Size of congregations by baptized members:

• 1-175 members         38
• 176-350 members     11
• 351-500 members       7
• 501-700 members       5
• 701-950 members       3
• 951-1500 members     1

Membership

We have 15,722 Baptized members.
We have 11,709 Confirmed members.
Our average weekly worship attendance is 4,112

Ordained Clergy / Lay Leaders

We have 40 Pastors under call.
We have 5 Pastors in specialized ministries.
We have 1 Pastor on leave from call.
We have 14 Retired pastors.
We have 1 Associate in Ministry.
We have 1 retired Associate in Ministry.
We have 21 Bishop’s Lay Worship Leaders.
We have 1 Lay Church Worker.
We have 2 Interns.
We have 11 students attending Seminary.

Partner Synods

Our Companion synod is the Betioky Atsimo Synod, Madagascar
Our Sister synod is the Indiana-Kentucky Synod

Copyright © 2010 - West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod 
This site is maintained by the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod (ELCA) and is the authorized web site of that synod.
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The West Virginia – Western Maryland Synod’s purchase of a subscription to The Parish Paper INCLUDES

1. Permission to provide copies to our staff and to the congregations within our jurisdiction in any of the following ways: E-mail, Postal, newspaper, newsletter, meetings, training events, and our Web site.

2. Permission for each congregation within our jurisdiction to (a) photocopy or electronically distribute for local use as many copies as it needs, (b) post them on its Web site, and (c) quote sentences and paragraphs.

Congregations within our synod  jurisdiction to which we distribute The Parish Paper do NOT have permission (a) to delete the copyright ownership notice, (b) to re-write, paraphrase, delete, or change the wording of sentences and paragraphs, or (c) to give ANY THIRD PARTY—other than our staff and constituents—permission to photocopy or reprint (in any quantity, no matter how small, whether for free distribution or for sale)

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