The ELCIN, ELCRN, ELCIN-GELC, and ELCA
Metro Washington, D.C., New Jersey, Northeastern Iowa, and Southwestern Washington Synods and ELCA Division for Global Mission

Preamble
Called by the Gospel of Jesus Christ as disciples in mission, 60 Lutherans from across Namibia and the USA have come together to worship and pray, to listen and learn, to share and dialogue. Out of this time walking together as equals, we arrived at the following commitments.

Commitments
Our companion relationships are grounded in Jesus Christ as he meets us on the road as stranger, walks with us, and breaks bread with us as guest and host.

As companions we will-
•	Pray regularly for one another.
•	Seek to strengthen and support one another for life and in our walk together in God's mission.
•	Participate in one another's ministries through prayer, relationship building, study, and the sharing of human and material resources.
•	Engage in honest and open communication on all levels honoring the protocols of the participating church bodies.
•	Strengthen communication and collaboration among the Division for Global Mission and the synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in companionship relationships with the Namibian Lutheran Churches.
•	Identify assets, gifts, strengths, and needs of our respective churches and respond to them with mutual respect.
•	Work and advocate for justice, peace, and the integrity of creation.
•	Stand together against HIV and AIDS.
•	Learn about and be enriched by the best of our cultures.
•	Recognize the importance of mutual accountability and transparency.
•	Review and update this covenant periodically as our relationships evolve.
•	As companions0, we pledge continuing effort to the development of these relationships.								Windhoek,  June 17, 2005