The board of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) announced in January 2026 the nomination of President Tammy Swanson-Draheim for a second term leading the denomination.
Swanson-Draheim, who made history as the first woman to lead the ECC, has overseen the denomination through a season of significant challenge and renewal. Under her leadership the Covenant has deepened its commitment to church multiplication, multicultural ministry, and care for the vulnerable — areas that define the ECC's contemporary identity as a free evangelical body rooted in the pietist tradition.
The nomination was put before the denomination's governing structures for formal approval. If confirmed at the Gather 2026 annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona (25-27 June), she will continue into a second term, bringing continuity of leadership during what many observers consider a decisive period for North American free evangelical churches.
The ECC, founded in 1885 by Swedish Covenant immigrants and now numbering over 900 churches in North America with active mission partnerships globally, is one of the largest bodies within the International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches (IFFEC) family.
Source: Evangelical Covenant Church
