A ministerium is an association of clergy from various religious groups who come together to accomplish a specific purpose, often to build collegiality and to meet or address socioeconomic needs in the community. The represented churches, synagogues, and other congregations are often connected geographically, such as in a small town or group of small towns. Sometimes the purpose can be to promote specific denominational objectives (when the ministerium is denominational for example Evangelical Covenant Church Ministeruim rather than ecumenical).