by Frank Imhoff, ELCA News Service
As part of a week of celebrations marking the 300th anniversary
of Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg's arrival in India July 9, 1706, the
Academy of Ecumenical Indian Christian Theology and Church
Administration hosted a convocation July 7 at Gurukul Lutheran
Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India. The
convocation honored those who supported the cause for which the
German missionary came to India. Ziegenbalg's arrival marked the
start of 300 years of Protestant ministry in Asia.
The Lutheran University of India awarded honorary doctor of
divinity degrees to 26 recipients, including: the Rev. Mark
Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) and president of the Lutheran World Federation
(LWF), Chicago; the Rev. Rafael Malpica-Padilla, executive
director, ELCA Global Mission, Chicago; the Rev. Ishmael Noko,
LWF general secretary, Geneva; Priscilla Singh, secretary, LWF
Office for Women in Church and Society, Geneva; and the Rev.
Howard Wennes, interim president, California Lutheran University,
Thousand Oaks, and former bishop of the ELCA Grand Canyon Synod.
Wennes was not present for the ceremony.
A delegation of ELCA members is attending the tercentenary
celebrations in Chennai and Tranquebar and is keeping a blog
during their trip. In Tranquebar (Tarangambadi) events include
worship and rededication of the New Jerusalem Church, which
Ziegenbalg first dedicated in 1718. Ziegenbalg died the next
year, at the age of 37, and his body was buried at the church.
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
