In Psalm 86:9, the Psalmist puts a song of praise on our lips that sings to the Lord: “All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.”
We have a unique reason to sing that psalm of praise in the NOW District on account of our Church of All Nations congregation in Hong Kong, where people from all over the world gather around the good news of Jesus Christ. For more than 60 years, Church of All Nations has carried out its ministry in partnership with LCMS international mission efforts through the establishment of Hong Kong International School (HKIS).
At the end of August 2026, the LCMS Reporter published a press release announcing that the LCMS “has resolved its dispute with Hong Kong International School Association Limited (HKISAL).” The full press release can be found at this link.
In the release, the LCMS made the following statements, which we in the NOW District also affirm:
“The LCMS cares deeply about education, from cradle to grave, for everyone, at home and abroad. It was for this reason that the LCMS started HKIS 60 years ago.”
“HKIS has become a testament to the dedication of those who have served, to the enduring value of high-quality education in Hong Kong and to the devoted support of many who deeply appreciate its service.”
“The LCMS is supportive of the work of Church of All Nations (CAN), which will maintain a presence on the HKIS campus.”
The purpose of the press release was to share that, although “no one wants lawsuits or partings of ways,” a resolution was reached. “Ultimately, through mediation, the LCMS and HKISAL agreed upon a mutually respectful solution that will allow HKISAL to pursue its vision of the school with the LCMS recouping a monetary reflection of its historical inputs to the school in order to advance the mission of the church by other means.”
Church of All Nations remains a pivotal ministry of the NOW District. As noted in the press release above, Church of All Nations will continue to share space within the school. The leaders of Church of All Nations continue their more than six-decade commitment to bringing the ministry of the gospel to families from all over the world who are part of the community surrounding HKIS. Please keep in prayer our fellow brothers and sisters of Church of All Nations; its pastors, Pastor Joel Schiewe and Pastor Kevin Kong; and its seminary student, Lee Ma (residential M.Div. student at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis).
To learn more about the ministry of Church of All Nations, check out our Six Mission Minutes episode from March 2026: Hong Kong Riches Rooted in the Word.
Or peruse this companion story: Getting to Know Our Ministry in Hong Kong.