Title: ELCA Lutherans See the World at Global Mission Events
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
August 4, 1997
LUTHERANS SEE THE WORLD AT GLOBAL MISSION EVENTS
97-25-075-MR
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- About 2,600 members of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America gathered from around the world for two Global Mission =
Events with the theme =22Look to Jesus -- Run the Race.=22 Similar events
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took place July 10-13 at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Ill., and July 17-20 at
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Texas Lutheran University, Seguin, Texas. About 2,000 participants =
gathered in Wheaton and about 600 in Seguin.
=22Jesus is the human face of God,=22 said Dr. Elsa T=E1mez, =
president of the Latin American Biblical Seminary, San Jos=E9, Costa Rica.
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=22To look at Jesus is to feel sure and confident about ourselves because
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we know God is there; to put our eye on Jesus is to discover the will of =
God for our day.=22 T=E1mez was the keynote speaker at both events.
=22Instead of running a race to strengthen our body and spirit, we
dehumanize ourselves and others through competition,=22 said T=E1mez. For
Christians, our race in life is not the one set by American society, she =
said. =22The race is a struggle=22 not a competition where =22a neighbor =
becomes an obstacle to overcome. When our eyes are on Jesus, this type of
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competition does not exist.=22 Patience and perseverance are more =
important than =22being number one,=22 T=E1mez said. =22God will give us =
the strength to run the race of life.=22
The Rev. Bonnie L. Jensen, executive director of the ELCA=27s =
Division for Global Mission, Chicago, spoke at the events=27 opening =
celebrations. =22We, who are members of the most powerful nation in the =
world, dare not speak of mission as conquest; but mission is walking with =
the outcast, the humble,=22 said Jensen. Americans can learn from other =
Christians around the world to pray from their hearts, to talk boldly =
about Christ, to be less preoccupied with material things and to dismantle
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racism, she said.=20
Dr. He Qi, art instructor at Nanjing Theological Seminary and Nanjing
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University in China, said he was introduced to the =22imported religion=22
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of Christianity through art. He spoke to participants via videotape and a
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live telephone conference from China.
=22I have a dream,=22 he told them, =22to use Christian art to let =
the
Chinese people know that Christianity is not just a Western religion. It =
belongs to our Chinese people, too.=22 Dr. He said his dream =22shares a =
message of love and peace.=22
ELCA missionary staff came from many countries to take part in the =
Global Mission Events, along with international guests from partner =
churches around the world. Worship included music from Africa, Asia, =
Latin America, North America and Europe.
=22Jesus was once a refugee. As a child, he and his parents escaped =
Herod=27s death squads and fled to Africa,=22 said the Rev. Stephen =
Larson, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Geneva, Switzerland, =
during the events=27 Sunday worship service. =22Look to Jesus and you may
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find yourself looking into the face of a Rwandan refugee child.=22
The events=27 theme served as the focus of a =22Global University=22 =
that offered 130 courses in more than 400 seminars and another 100 =
sessions of videotapes or conversation. Topics ranged from the current =
peace process in Liberia to HIV/AIDS, from promoting gender equity to =
Christian outreach in Chinese Hong Kong. A special =22track=22 of courses
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offered in Seguin concentrated on Latino ministry while courses in Wheaton
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gave insight into Islam. Youth participated in global programs designed =
for junior high and senior high school ages at each event.
An offering given at the opening worship service in Seguin -- =
=242,400 -- was divided among the Oaks Indian Center, Oaks, Oklahoma; the =
=22Z=22 Place, Zion Lutheran Church, San Antonio, Texas; and the ELCA=27s =
Corridor Ministry on the border between the United States and Mexico. The
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offering from the opening worship service in Wheaton -- =246,300 -- was =
divided between Lutheran Family Mission of Chicago and the Southwest Asian
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Outreach ministry of Central Lutheran Church, Des Moines, Iowa. A second =
offering at each event was given to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.
For information contact:=20
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS=40ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
