The date and location for the 2011 triennial convention of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC) have been set. The convention will be held June 4–6, 2011, at Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn.

According to Rev. Thomas Nass, CELC secretary and member of the planning committee, one of the reasons MLC was chosen was because of its close proximity to Mankato, Minn., where the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) headquarters are located. "It will allow people easily to have contact with both synods, WELS and the ELS," he says. The last time the convention was held in the United States was in 1999, when it was held in Winter Haven, Fla.

The CELC—a group of 21 church bodies around the world of which WELS is a member—was formed in 1993 to provide a worldwide forum for confessional Lutherans. The group last met in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2008. Usually about 75 to 80 people attend the convention.

"It really is just three days to study God's Word and discuss it together," says Nass. "It's the building up of the spiritual fellowship with people around the world."

The 2011 convention will feature five essays on "The Church," including the topics of the visible and invisible church, the mission of the church, church fellowship, church governance, and the distinctiveness of the Lutheran church. Nass says that these topics will allow much discussion on practical issues that affect all churches.

To learn more about the CELC, go to www.celc.info.