About Us | Northwest Conference

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Developing leaders. Thriving churches.

Dating back to 1884, the Northwest Conference is comprised of 140 churches in Minnesota, the Dakotas, Iowa, and western Wisconsin. These churches come in all shapes and sizes. They are urban, ethnic, town & country, and suburban.

Some are traditional and some are contemporary. Some have been around for over 125 years, and some are less than a year old. Most meet in church buildings, while others meet in school auditoriums.

The broader Conference ministry is focused in the areas of church planting, church health assessment and revitalization, leadership development, and youth ministry. Further, the Conference participates with local churches to develop and implement new ministry initiatives.

The Northwest Conference exists as an association of local churches. It is a mission region of the Evangelical Covenant Church. The mission of the Northwest Conference is to glorify God, proclaim the Gospel, and promote Christ-like life in our churches. The primary work of the conference is to en-courage, equip, and empower local congregations to fulfill their mission.

We are a regional conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), which is a rapidly growing multiethnic denomination in the United States and Canada with ministries on five continents of the world. Founded in 1885 by Swedish immigrants, the ECC values the Bible as the word of God, the gift of God's grace and ever-deepening spiritual life that comes through a faith with Jesus Christ, the importance of extending God's love and compassion to a hurting world, and the strength the comes from unity within diversity.

We are:

Evangelical, but not exclusive
Biblical, but not doctrinaire
Traditional, but not rigid
Congregational, but not independent

Resources:

"So, What's a Covenant Church" This brochure can be ordered online at Covenant Bookstore.

"The Covenant Church at a Glance" This booklet contains brief highlights of Covenant heritage, life, and mission, as well as a general overview of Covenant departments, commissions, committees, mission fields, and regional conferences. This booklet can be ordered online at Covenant Bookstore.

"Covenant Affirmations” This 17-page booklet can be downloaded or ordered online through Covenant Bookstore.

What They're Saying

"I would define our relationship with the NWC staff as one of encouragement. They are most visible to the whole congregation during staff searches and celebrating special days in the life of our congregation. Yet the vast majority of our contact with the conference staff can be defined as 'under the radar.' They have been a conduit to participate in Kingdom building opportunities in the conference and beyond. They advocate leadership training for both pastoral and lay leadership, and then bring that training as close to home as possible. They connect us with like-minded ministry leaders to learn from one another and begin new ministries. They stop by for coffee to listen and pray for the congregation and staff. These acts encourage us to be the light of Christ in our community and world, and to step further out in mission."

+ Todd Van Zee, Lead Pastor, Moose Lake Covenant Church, Moose Lake, MN
^{"The Northwest Conference has been instrumental in our church's revitalization and growth. It was literally one of the major lifelines that God has used to re-tool our established rural congregation for ministry in the 21st Century. I shudder to think of where we would be without the Godly advice, training, encouragement and support of our Northwest Conference and it's wonderful staff. Many of the exciting things happening in and through our church right now have direct ties to the help received through the ministry of the Northwest Conference!"}

+ Darrell L. Nelson, Pastor of Mission Covenant Church, Poplar, WI
"Many images emerge when the Northwest Conference comes to mind. They range across many years. Early Bible Camp days when district churches got together to hold a Bible Camp for senior highs in rented facilities and pastors took turns directing camp, speaking and acting as counselors. Hard working pastors serving in the far reaches of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, caring for people in all sorts of circumstances. A common theme was a search for more fruitful ways to do church and spread the Good News. People like Jacob Elving, Gust F. Johnson, Carl Charn, Elmer Larson, Carl Janson, Clarence Nelson, Paul Reese and T.W. Anderson helped form the 'Covenant' for me. There are many others who were loyal, faithful followers of Jesus who had various views on church policy but were solidly together in fulfilling the Mission of Christ."

+ Wally Pratt, Retired Covenant Pastor, NE Minneapolis