Every congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is guided by a constitution. It’s the document that names who we are, what we believe, and how we make decisions together. It’s built on a model constitution shared across the ELCA, which keeps us connected to our synod and the wider church. Each congregation then adapts it to fit its own life and ministry. Our constitution describes our statement of faith and purpose, who our members are, how our church council and officers serve, how we call a pastor, and how we gather to make decisions as a congregation. In short, it helps us care for one another and our shared ministry faithfully, fairly, and transparently. We’re sharing ours here so anyone can see how Bethany works, because there’s nothing about our life together that we want to keep behind closed doors.