The combination of Mn with SrCO3 leads to effective catalysts for the selective conversion of CH4 to C-2 hydrocarbons using CO2 as an oxidant; C-2 selectivities approach 88 and 79.1% with a C-2 yield of 4.3 and 4.5% over catalysts with an Mn/Sr ratio of 0.1 and 0.2, respectively. It is assumed that the Mn3+/Mn2+ couple formed in the reaction plays an important role in the activation of CO2 and CH4.