Global Community Of Church Leaders To Gather For ‘Great Commission Summit’ At Concordia University
IRVINE, Calif. (May 14, 2014) – Concordia University Irvine today announced details for the 2014 Great Commission Summit, a two-day church leadership conference designed to connect, equip and teach pastors and church leaders to be effective ministers of the gospel amid the changing dynamic of global Christianity.
The Great Commission Summit – which takes place June 2-3 at Concordia University – aims to create a relational network for church leaders to better understand their place within the global Christian church and how the world-wide reach of Christianity will impact their own church communities.
According to Bil Hood, director of church relations at Concordia University Irvine, western nations have historically been the primary leaders in teaching the world about the Gospel. However, over the last decade, the momentum has shifted to Africa and Latin America, and eastward, toward Asia. In fact, the largest Christian communities on the planet are to be found in those regions today.
“In the context of the global Christian church, geographic boundaries are disappearing. We are seeing churches in the United States partner with international churches – and they are learning tremendously from each other,” said Hood. “We know that what is happening in churches across the word impacts our ministries here, and the purpose of the Great Commission Summit at Concordia University is to provide a forum to share and create stronger connections among Christian leaders.”
Sessions and Speakers Provide a Global Perspective
The conference keynote will be given by Philip Jenkins, distinguished professor of history at Baylor University, and co-director of the Historical Studies of Religion at the Institute for Studies of Religion. As one of the world’s leading religion scholars, Jenkins is author of The Next Christendom, which illuminates the remarkable expansion of Christianity in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The conference will also bring together a multi-national panel of speakers including:
- Muriithi Wanjau, Senior Pastor of Mavuno Church in Kenya
- Leopoldo Sánchez, Director of the Center for Hispanic Studies at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO
- Baolerhu Ligden, Executive Director for the Asia Leadership Development Network in Shanghai
- Jay Sohng, Lead Pastor of All Nations Ministry of Irvine Onnuri Church
- Christian Mungai, Global Engagement Pastor at Mariners Church in Irvine
- Mike Gibson, Lead Pastor of Christ Lutheran Church and School in Costa Mesa
- Fr. Ramiro Sanchez Chan, c.s., Missionaries of St. Charles, Scalabrinians, Sun Valley, CA
- Dr. Jeff Mallinson, Associate Professor of Theology, Concordia University, Irvine
Early bird registration at $75 is open now through May 15. On May 16, ticket prices increase to $95. For more information or to register visit https://www.cui.edu/church-relations/great-commission-summit. For event news and live updates follow #CUIGCS on Twitter.
About Concordia University Irvine
Concordia University Irvine prepares students for their vocations—their calling in life. Concordia University Irvine offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and adult degree programs in a beautiful Southern California location in the City of Irvine, with online and regional cohort options. Concordia’s undergraduate program is distinctive among universities in California because of its nationally recognized Core Curriculum, and its Lutheran heritage that provides a thoughtful and caring Christian community that lives out the theology of "Grace Alone. Faith Alone." Concordia is a U.S. News Top Tier Regional University and has been named by The Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the fastest growing private nonprofit master's institutions. Concordia University Irvine enrolls over 4,000 students.
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