ICYMI: 2022 Multiethnic Symposium Videos

On May 3-4, 2022, we held our Multiethnic Symposium on campus, in partnership with Concordia University, St. Paul.  The theme of the symposium was “Rise and Enter the City“:

“But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do” (Acts 9:6 ESV). With these words, Jesus calls Saul of Damascus to go into the city in preparation for the beginning of his ministry as Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. Through the centuries, the risen Lord has continued to call His church to enter into cities in order to prepare for and engage in mission, ministry and works of mercy and justice among neighbors of all nations. In people’s minds, the multiethnic city often evokes paradoxical images of creativity and dysfunction, development and poverty, growth and decline. The city is complex, filled with contradictions and possibilities. It is also ripe for the hopeful church to listen to and address city dwellers’ struggles and aspirations with the light and joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Understanding life, ministry and mission in the multiethnic city calls for the capacity to analyze and interpret the challenges and opportunities of urban ministry today with biblical and theological depth. The 2022 Multiethnic Symposium offers plenaries and sectionals that reflect on the city from biblical, artistic and missional perspectives – all from diverse ethnic churches and communities, particularly in the United States. Through analysis, reflection and discernment, participants contribute toward a Lutheran theology of urban ministry for the church that will inspire and guide intercultural engagement with neighbors of different ethnic backgrounds living in the complex urban landscapes of our day.

Videos of the four plenary presentations and some of the sectionals are now available online. View or download them at Concordia Seminary’s Scholar archive.