World Lutherans to Meet in Hong Kong

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) will hold its Ninth Assembly July 8-16 in Hong Kong, a week after the British dependency's transfer to China.  It will be the first major international Christian conference in Hong Kong after the turnover.  The assembly will celebrate the LWF's 50th anniversary.  The organization was founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden.
     The assembly will involve more than 1,000 participants including guests, observers, journalists and 402 delegates.  Delegates will come from five continents and represent 122 Lutheran churches and their 57 million members worldwide.
     The assembly theme, "In Christ -- Called to Witness," will be expressed through keynote addresses, worship, Bible studies and discussion groups throughout the event.  Participants will focus on the question:  "What is the witness to which we are called -- in Christ -- as churches, in "communio," gathered at this time in the history of the church and of the world?"  The Lutheran churches in Asia will be a special focus.
     Among the major speakers will be the Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Edward Cardinal Cassidy, representing the Vatican; Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, cabinet minister in the Palestinian National Authority; Upsaka P.Y. Ko, president of the World Fellowship of Buddhists; Dr. Choong Chee Pang, Trinity Theological College of Singapore; and the Rev. Josephine Tso Shui-Wan, president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong.
     The event will be hosted by the Hong Kong Lutheran Federation, consisting of the four LWF member churches in the territory:  the Chinese Rhenish Church, Hong Kong Synod; the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong; the Tseng Tsin Mission of Hong Kong; and the Hong Kong and Macau Lutheran Church.
     A new president of the LWF will be elected to succeed Brazilian Gottfried Brakemeier, elected in 1990 at Curitiba, Brazil.  Delegates will elect the 48 members of the LWF Council.
     The LWF is a worldwide communion of member churches in 68 countries, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
     General Secretary Ishmael Noko of Zimbabwe directs the LWF staff at the headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.  The LWF acts on behalf of member churches through ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, communication, and mission and development work.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html