WorldScan Mark Herbener, bishop of the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod, ordained the first five pastors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierre Leone in Freetown. The ELCA synod and the church in Sierra Leone are paired in the companion synod program. The new pastor s include Marie Barnett and Miatta Monrovia, the first two Lutheran women to be ordained in West Africa. Two of the ordinations were scheduled for 1994 but were postponed because of civil war in the country and struggles in the church. The Lutheran bishop s of both Liberia and Nigeria, as well as several ELCA pastors and lay members, were among the 1,200 people to attend the ordination ceremony.
China provinces are Christian.
This year, Amity celebrated the printing and distribution of its 12 millionth Bible. Amity also is involved in relief work in China. Albert Pennyba cker, alliance president, praised the youth attendees' enthusiasm but cautioned them to realize that Jerry Falwell's views don't speak for people in the mainstream Christian community. Josephine Tso, elected president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong, is the first woman to lead an Asian member church of the Lutheran World Federation. Ishmael N oko, LWF general secretary, said the election was a further step toward the equal participation of women in the church.