Missionary Engstrom
"May you all know and trust that God is with you, and with all our siblings around the world. Mulungu, a ku daliseni." God Bless You. - Rev. Kristin Engstrom
Pastor Kristin Engstrom initially served (starting in 2024) as the ELCA Country Representative in Madagascar with the Malagasy Lutheran Church, one of the largest and fastest growing Lutheran churches in the world. In 2025, she took on an additional role as the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission Country Coordinator in Madagascar. As of September, 2025, her work shifted again. She still lives in Madagascar, but now serves as the ELCA Regional Representative for Madagascar and English speaking West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone). Pastor Kristin states about her position as Regional Representative, that "I am a bridge in the relationship between the ELCA and our global companions." Prior to moving to Madagascar, she served as the Facilitator for Leadership Development and Capacity Building with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia (2022-2024) and as the Country Coordinator for the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program in Senegal, West Africa (2016-2021). Pastor Engstrom is originally from the midwestern United States, and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. She served as a parish pastor in New Jersey for six years before becoming an ELCA global missionary. Follow along with Kristin's ministry: alongwithpastorkristin.blogspot.com
Link to her latest newsletter: January, 2026
Rev. Kristin Engstrom, Missionary in Zambia
Follow Kristin: alongwithpastorkristin.blogspot.com
Link to Rev. Engstrom's Newsletter:
Kristin serves as the Facilitator for Leadership Development and Capacity Building with the the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia (ELCZa), and in particular with pastors and lay leaders, as together they work to strengthen the church and grow in congregational and community leadership. From 2016-2020 she served as the Senegal Country Coordinator of the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program.
Kristin produced a video to share with us about the ministry she is now called to. We are invited to share this video via social media, in worship services, and/or meetings.
You Tube: https://youtu.be/QgYS_eoxBWk
ELCA's Upstate NY Synod (of which Luther Memorial is a part) is the Companion Synod for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia. These relationships connect Lutheran churches like Luther Memorial throughout the world with ELCA synods and congregations; they are concrete expressions of the communion and fellowship. Each of the 65 synods has at least one international church companion and many have additional relationships. Of note, the Upstate NY Synod also serves as the companion synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ).