Concordia College-New York established The Concordia Institute for World Religions and Evangelism in accordance with Jesus’ Great Commission, and in association with our synod's Ablaze! Movement to share the Gospel with 100 million people by 2017. This institute seeks to immerse church professionals, laity, and mission practitioners in major and minor non-Christian religious traditions in North America so that they might better understand these religions and more effectively witness God’s Law and saving Gospel to people within these traditions. This institute is engaged in equipping, training, documenting and assisting through expert academic presentations, practical teachings, net-working, hands on evangelism tools and outreach opportunities.
The institute’s director is The Rev. Dr. Elwin Johnson Rethinasamy—a missionary, called by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod to serve as an Urban Mission Strategist for New City area. He also teaches World Religion and Mission courses at Concordia, New York and at various Lutheran institutions. Future activities of the Institute include focusing on various major/minor religions and symposiums on missiological learnings. For more information on the Institute, future modules and symposiums, please contact Rev. Dr. Rethinasamy johnson.rethinasamy@concordia-ny.edu or 914.337.9300 x2261.
The Institute is funded by a grant from LCMS World Missions, the Lutheran Crusader Fund of the Long Island Lutheran High School Association, Our Savior Lutheran, Fairlawn, NJ, Atlantic District-Lutheran Women’s Missionary League and individual donations. Contributions to the Institute may be made to Concordia College, New York and memo it to CIWRE or by contacting Rev. Dr. Rethinasamy.
2009 Study Seminar on Eastern Religions and Praxiology of Mission Outreach
The Concordia Institute for World Religions and Evangelism (CIWRE) of Concordia College-New York sponsored a study Seminar on Eastern Religions and Praxiology of Missional Learning from June 23 through June 26. 44 participants and presenters came from as far away as Missouri, Illinois, and Texas as well as from the tri-state area.
All the presenters are engaged in mission outreaches locally, regionally, and globally. Participants equally represented students, clergy, and laity. Daily topics included appraising the religions from Asia, specifically Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shamanism. Some of the topics presented were: “Japan—Land of the Gods: Understanding the Religion”, “Opportunities in Campus Outreach”, “Taxila”--Buddhism in Pakistan, “Understanding Taiwanese Diaspora”, “Understanding Outreach Among Korean Diaspora”, and “Resources available from Lutheran Hour Ministries”.
A group of Chinese musicians partnering with the Taiwan Mission Foundation—a New York based mission organization--presented a variety of music, dance, and cultural expressions from Asia. Each session started with devotions led by area pastors, followed by the presentations and field visits to different religious sites in the neighborhoods of Manhattan and Queens, and concluded with dinner at an ethnic restaurant.
This seminar was funded and supported by Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod World Missions, Concordia College-New York, the Lutheran Crusader Fund, and various churches and individual donors. CIWRE has been conducting seminars for the past three years. The previous seminars were on Islam and Hinduism. Judaism will be the topic for the June 2010 seminar.
2008 Seminar on Hinduism and Praxiology of Community Outreach to the Hindu Community
2008 CIWRE Seminar on Hinduism was held from June 23rd -27th at Concordia College, NY. This seminar brought 46 participants and presenters from California, Oregon, Washington, Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Upstate New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York City, and Long Island and also had one international visitor-participant from Kazakhstan. All the presenters were top notch mission scholars who are also engaged in mission outreaches locally, regionally and globally. Participants equally represented by the clergy, laity, seminarians and students.
Every day sessions started with devotions, followed by the presentations and field visits to different neighborhoods and concluded with dinner at an ethnic restaurant. Rev. Dr. David Benke, President/Bishop, Atlantic District LCMS and Dr. Viji George, President, Concordia College brought greetings and wishes respectively during the seminar.
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Feed back from the 2008 Hinduism Seminar participants:
"Seminar gave me everything I came for. Excellent! Thanks so much!!”
“this was an outstanding seminar on evangelism and church outreach that would be useful information to many parishes”.
“I learned a lot and they truly impressed me”
“Best coordination, coordinator and host”
“Mixture of scholars were excellent”
“my only criticism is that seminar was too short”
“fellowship at dinner time is great”
“Visits to different fields are extremely valuable”
“It was the most wonderful experience I had in a long long time. I am looking forward for the next four years. I will be attending next year”
“testimonies were very helpful”
“Great learning”
This year's seminar is generously supported by the following grants and donations from:
Lutheran Crusader Fund, LUHI, Brookville, New York
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Atlantic District - Lutheran Women Missionary League
And individual donors, supporters and well wishers.
CIWRE extend its thanks to our supporters and partners in the ministry.
Press Release for 2008 Seminar on Hinduism
2007 Seminar on Islam and Praxiology of Community Outreach to the Musilm Community
The Concordia Institute for World Religions and Evangelism welcomed 32 participants from around the country for the institute’s first module on Islam: “A 7-Day Study Seminar on Islam and Praxiology of Community Outreach to the Muslim Community”, which was held from June 9-15, 2007. Participants and speakers traveled from Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin and New York for the one-week educational, experiential, and evangelistic immersion in Islam. Participants visited several neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens and had opportunities to visit Islamic Centers and dialog with people in those communities.
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Comments from the 2007 Summer Module on Islam:
“ This was a rich feast of inspirational, informative and instructional experiences”
“ I will miss this seminar. It was wonderfully organized with class room sessions and field visits”
“ Great testimonies, devotions and presentations”
“ We are looking forward to more programs and courses like this on world religions and evangelism”
“ Well organized mission studies in theory and practice ”
“It exceeded my expectations and drove home the point that we have significant mission opportunities within the New York metropolitan area.”
“. . . a very thought-provoking conference!”
View photos from the Conference!