The commission reviewed a statement entitled "Holy Spirit: His Person and His Work" for publication and began preparing a statement entitled "The Person and Work of Christ." These topics are Article III and Article IV respectively of The Eternal Word: A Lutheran Confession for the Twenty-First Century. Article I is a study of the doctrine of Holy Scripture and Article II of the doctrine of Justification.

While in Zambia, members of the commission lectured at the Seminary of the Lutheran Church of Central Africa in Lusaka. Dr. Herrmann gave an essay entitled "The Time After Luther's Death." An essay was presented by Rev. Nadaira on the geography of the Holy Land. An exegetical study of 2 and 3 John was given by Prof. Panning. Prof. Lange gave a presentation on the canon and text of Holy Scripture with special reference to the Apocrypha. This was a portion of the dogmatics text that he is preparing. The essay "The Lord's Supper the Feast of Salvation" was presented by Prof. Schmeling.

The members of the commission had an opportunity to visit Good Shepherd and St. Matthew's congregations in Lusaka and a number of rural congregations in the bush country around Lusaka. There was ample opportunity to see the work being carried out by our sister church in Central Africa. The congregations portray a fervent love for the Redeemer and His saving Gospel. The Lord is certainly blessing the proclamation of the Gospel in Central Africa.

The Lutheran Church of Central Africa (LCCA) is a strong confessional Lutheran Church because thousands of people in Central Africa are passionate about Jesus Christ their only Savior from sin. The Gospel has had phenomenal effect here in the heart of the African continent. This church body, founded in 1953, now has over 40,000 members, a total that makes it the second largest church in the CELC. People are begging to be fed the life-giving Word in Zambia and Malawi and even in the neighboring countries of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Congo. In 1992 the Lutheran Church of Central Africa divided itself into two conferences-the Malawi Conference and the Zambia Conference. Several years later the Bible Institute was placed in Lilongwe, Malawi, and the Seminary in Lusaka, Zambia.

The fifth triennial convention of the CELC will be held in Tokyo, Japan, on May 31-June 2, 2005. The Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church of Japan has graciously agreed to host this meeting. The Planning Committee of the conference has chosen the convention theme: "Eagerly Await the Savior," based on Philippians 3:20-21. This topic will be discussed in five essays by pastors from the various church bodies that make up the CELC. Each member church of the CELC is eligible to send two voting delegates ("the president or leader of the church and another representative chosen by the church") plus up to four advisory, non-voting representatives. Additional visitors and observers are always welcome.

A highlight of the 2002 convention at Gothenburg, Sweden, was the acceptance into membership of three national churches, the Confessional Lutheran Churches in the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Ukraine. The Lutheran Church of Indonesia (Gereja Lutheran Indonesia-GLI) is asking to be received into membership at the 2005 meeting. The 2004 ELS synod convention resolved to declare fellowship with the Lutheran Church of Indonesia.

The CELC is the third largest worldwide Lutheran fellowship following the larger Lutheran World Federation and the International Lutheran Council. It was organized in 1993 at Oberwesel, Germany, and has approximately 450,000 members in nineteen church bodies. The conference accepts the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments (the verbally inspired and inerrant Word of God) as sole authority for doctrine, faith, and life. The conference also accepts the Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as contained in the Book of Concord of 1580, not in so far as, but because they are a correct exposition of the pure doctrine of the Word of God. The CELC continues to strengthen each of its member churches through mutual encouragement and consultation. We praise and thank our Triune God who has permitted us to establish this confessional organization on the firm foundation of Jesus and His Word.