Representing the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) at the four-day event is Executive Vice President Donn Engebretson and his wife, Sally. Engebretson will bring an official greeting and will participate in the service of ordination.
The Mission Covenant Church of Sweden comes out of the same renewal movement that gave birth to the ECC, Engebretson notes. The ECC works closely with its Swedish counterpart in several areas around the world, including India where the Covenant has an ongoing working relationship with the Hindustani Covenant Church, which was founded by Swedish church missionaries.
A number of special guests will be addressing various forums, including Jim Wallis of Sojourners as well as representatives of national churches in Congo, Japan, Estonia and guests from Belorussia, El Salvador, Ecuador and India.
Plenary sessions will address a variety of “challenge” issues: Challenged by the Gospel, Challenged by a Joint Future, Challenged By Your Fellow Human Being, Challenged by the Local Congregation, and Challenged by the World, among others.
“We ask Covenant folks in North America to pray for our brothers and sisters in Sweden as they gather to deliberate God’s work among them,” Engebretson said before departing for the meeting this week.
The president of the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden, Goren Zettregren, is scheduled to represent the Swedish Church during the 125th anniversary Annual Meeting of the ECC June 24-27 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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