Press release — LCMS resolves HKISAL legal dispute

Aug. 31, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Rev. Roy S. Askins

Interim Executive Director

LCMS Communications

314-996-1227

roy.askins@lcms.org

HONG KONG, 31 August 2026 — The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), which founded Hong Kong International School (HKIS) in 1966 and has conducted mission work in Hong Kong for more than 80 years, confirms that it has resolved its dispute with Hong Kong International School Association Limited (HKISAL).

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 engages in its Christian educational mission not simply for education’s sake, but above all to make disciples of Jesus, who are taught and believe and live by the Good News that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, has died for all and lives to forgive all sins and to give eternal life to all who believe in Him. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1:7).

Over time, HKIS came to be operated in a manner different from its founding. The LCMS faced a dilemma. It had invested itself in and sponsored a school that became, in one sense, very successful. But its unique mission — the primary reason it emphasizes quality education for all — was no longer the heart of the school’s mission or its driving purpose. Years of struggle with HKISAL over the school’s mission and purpose finally led, regrettably, to a lawsuit in which the LCMS sought to assert itself through the school’s operating agreement and restore its mission to the heart and core of all HKIS did.

No one wants lawsuits or partings of ways. 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.

The LCMS is supportive of the work of Church of All Nations (CAN), which will maintain a presence on the HKIS campus. The LCMS also remains supportive of the 40 schools operated through The Lutheran Church—Hong Kong Synod (LCHKS), a sister church of the LCMS.

“We did not take this step lightly, and we would have preferred to have not taken it at all,” said Christian Preus, chairman of the LCMS Board of Directors (BOD). “The outcome provides a fair resolution to the concerns the LCMS has raised for many years. It also enables the LCMS to pursue its mission unencumbered by the dispute with HKISAL, so that we can best utilize our resources going forward.”
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About The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (lcms.org)

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, with more than 1.7 million baptized members in some 5,800 congregations coast to coast, is a mission-oriented, Bible-based, confessional Christian denomination headquartered in St. Louis. Through acts of witness and mercy, the church carries out its mission worldwide to make known the love of Jesus Christ.