CHICAGO -- The eight seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will host the 2004 Hein-Fry Lecture Series,"Evangelism Today: Lutheran Theology and Practice," to further examine how the gospel can be proclaimed outside of church.

The Hein-Fry Lecture Series is coordinated by the ELCA Division for Ministry in cooperation with the eight seminaries to foster original scholarship and enrich theological dialogue throughout the church.

The Rev. Edgar M. Krentz, a retired professor of New Testament, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and the Rev. David L. Tiede, president and professor of Lutheran Seminary at St. Paul, Minn., will each present lectures at four of the seminaries over the next

three months.

Tiede will begin the series Feb. 5 at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C.; Feb. 24 at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia; and Feb. 27 at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif. Tiede will give his final lecture in the series March 11 at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa.

Krentz will speak March 5 at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Krentz will close the series with lectures April 15 at Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa; April 29 at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio; and April 30 at Luther Seminary.