Rev. John Deang to deliver Martin Luther King, Jr. presentation

Concordia will welcome Rev. John Deang to campus as part of an annual celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy to speak to the community at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29 in the Weller Hall auditorium. This event is free and open to the public.

Deang, a 2002 graduate of Concordia Nebraska, is the pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in Omaha. He is a 2006 graduate of Concordia Theology Seminary in Ft. Wayne, Indiana and previously served the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Nebraska District as a missionary-at-large for African immigrants from 2006-2013. From 2013-2015, he assisted the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Sudan and Sudan in the areas of church leadership training and oversight on church projects. 

Deang’s presentation, “MLK as the Reformer of Social Injustice in America,” focuses on King’s major achievements as the non-violent leader of the Civil Rights movement. The Hope Lutheran Church Choir will perform as part of Deang’s presentation. Deang will also present during the Jan. 21 chapel service on campus.

Along with this presentation, Concordia will be hosting multiple events in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. There will be a service event hosted on Monday, Jan. 21 at the People’s City Mission with two groups from Concordia volunteering. The movie “The Help” will be screened at 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 21 in the Janzow Cattle Conference Room. On Friday, Feb. 1 to celebrate the first day of Black History Month, there will be a Black History show in the Weller Hall auditorium with short readings, videos and songs put on by faculty, staff and students. Another movie night will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 18, with the movie “12 Years a Slave” as the main feature.