Reflections On A Long And Satisfying Life No. 65: World Conference

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While winding down my assignments for EBENEZER I was blessed to concurrently be doing something else which had been a decade long dream of mine: organizing and chairing a World Conference on Lutheran Education with an emphasis on schools. With the support and generous funding from the Board for World Missions the gathering took place in Hong Kong in 1968.

After most insightful en- route stops in Lebanon and India I called the gathering to order at the Hong Kong International School in Hong Kong. Present were Lutheran school leaders from the USA, Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, India, Ghana, Nigeria, Argentina, Brazil and New Guinea. Top Lutheran education leaders of Lutheran constituents around the world including Martin Koehneke, James Mayer, Walter Wangerin, Francis Schaeffer, Delbert Schultz and Bruno Reith shared insights.

Powerful morning worship services at the beautiful new chapel of HKIS were coordinated by Walter Wangerin. A most inspiring aspect of each morning’s worship was that the entire group gathered in a circle around the altar and shared the Eucharist for which the words of consecration had been spoken in a different language by each person using his own native tongue.

Each country’s representative had the opportunity to speak of the successes and challenges of the Lutheran schools in their particular country. These varied greatly and ranged from very simple literacy efforts among the aborigines of New Guinea, through schools for lower caste poor people of India to the high American university admission standards of HKIS. Daily Bible studies were led by Koehneke. At the conclusion of the conference the representatives adopted a “Manifesto on Christian Education.”

Hong Kong was the ideal site for this event. Visas were easily procured. The beautiful Repulse Bay Hotel was perfect for lodging and breakfast and was within walking distance at the HKIS meeting site. The entire group shared a most enlightening tour of the Lutheran Schools of Hong Kong which included the prestigious Concordia Lutheran School and the very humble roof-top Boys and Girl Clubs…and ended with all doing their best at utilizing the chop sticks provided for a sumptuous 12 course closing Chinese feast. 

Tragically a few years later a new Mission Board disagreed with the Manifesto and broke off all official relations with many of the fellow Lutherans who had attended the conference. Yet for a few shining days Lutherans from around the world gathered and supported one another in their shared goal of building schools designed to ensure that each student had the opportunity to encounter a loving God who had come to set them free and desired that each one more nearly become all that God intended them to be.