Vision for Renewal
About the Vision
A Spirit-led call rooted in 140 years of faithful mission — and filled with the promise of good news for the whole world.
A Letter from Our President
Dear Covenant Family,
With gratitude and hope, I invite you to journey with us toward a vision rooted in our heritage and filled with the promise of good news for the whole world.
For 140 years, the Evangelical Covenant Church has been united in Spirit-empowered mission—a 3StrandStrong cord of churches, conferences, and denomination as faithful partners. Today, we stand at a crossroads, discerning the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit breathing new life into our shared existence. Amid both change and challenge, we have the opportunity to build on our legacy as mission friends called to new life in Christ.
This vision for renewal is a call to reimagine the Church for the next generation. We are committed to developing strong leaders, cultivating vibrant churches, and nurturing disciples who embody Christ’s love. May this vision inspire us, stirring a holy ambition for what God can do when we unite humbly, courageously, and prayerfully to advance God’s mission together.
Thank you for your faithful partnership. I invite you to join me as we move forward together in this Vision for Renewal. Let us trust God’s leading as we respond to his call for this next season in the life of the Covenant, for God’s glory and our neighbor’s good.
In Christ,
Tammy Swanson-Draheim President, The Evangelical Covenant Church“This vision for renewal is a call to reimagine the Church for the next generation.”
Tammy Swanson-Draheim
140 Years of Spirit-Empowered Mission
Our immigrant founders were Pietists — a renewal movement that sought faith that engaged head, heart, and hands. For 140 years, the Evangelical Covenant Church has been united in Spirit-empowered mission as a movement of congregations, conferences, and denomination strengthened by prayer, partnership, and a shared calling.
Three defining questions have shaped our identity across generations and continue to anchor us today.
A deep commitment to Scripture as the authoritative guide for faith and life — the foundation everything else is built on.
Spiritual growth and accountability rooted in authentic community — the Pietist heart that keeps renewal personal, not merely institutional.
Care for those who are hurting — expressed through mercy, justice, and the belief that the gospel is proclaimed and lived.
What Shapes Our Identity
The Covenant’s distinctives are not constraints — they are the convictions that have sustained us through every challenge and propelled us into every new season of mission.
Scripture is our authoritative guide. We hold it seriously and humbly, letting it shape our theology, our practice, and our discernment of the Spirit's movement.
Faith is personal before it is institutional. We value spiritual formation, accountability in community, and the ongoing work of becoming more like Christ.
We proclaim the gospel and demonstrate its truth through compassion, mercy, and justice — because the good news is both spoken and lived.
Why This Moment Matters
In a time when churches are facing challenges, pastors are experiencing burnout, and many churches are closing, we know that God is at work doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:19). We believe this is a God-ordained moment — an opportunity to realign ourselves with the mission of Jesus.
As the cultural landscape shifts, we see the Holy Spirit raising up new expressions of church life emerging as vibrant complements to our faithful, traditional churches. Young believers craving authenticity and purpose are drawn to expressions of faith that are relational, mission-focused, and rooted in Scripture and prayer.
With God’s help, and through the faithful partnership of our eleven conferences and churches across the Covenant family, the Covenant’s future can be one of renewal, not retreat.
Ready to Be Part of What God is Doing?
Join a growing movement of churches, leaders, and individuals committed to renewal across the Covenant.
