Mount Olive grafts together the traditional and the progressive — like a tree with roots sunk deep into Christian history and branches that stretch outward to the contemporary world.
We are a congregation of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), the nation’s largest and most “mainline” Lutheran body. We are an RIC (Reconciling in Christ) community, meaning that we affirm all people’s full participation with us, no matter their race, ethnicity, social standing, or sexual orientation.
We are a growing community, established more than a century ago by German-Americans but now reflecting the broader national spectrum. A fixture on Chicago Avenue for nearly 11 decades, the parish has been a close neighbor to waves of immigrants, first from northern and eastern Europe, now from East Africa and Latin America.
Even though our members are scattered throughout the Twin Cities, we cannot separate ourselves from the needs and gifts of our neighborhood. Our hope is that we embody God in our service and meet God in our neighbor.


