The presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will be making an official visit to China later this month, according to a press release.

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson will be visiting the country from Aug. 28-Sept. 5 at the invitation of officials from the China Christian Council (CCC), a government sanctioned body representing the country's officially registered Protestants.

During the visit Hanson and CCC leaders will consider avenues for mutual ministry, particularly in theological education and social ministry.

"Our desire in undertaking this journey is to deepen and extend the relationship and ministry collaboration between the ELCA and the CCC," Hanson said. "The growth of ELCA engagement in China reflects the respect offered by the leaders of the Christian community in China for the way the ELCA engages in missional collaboration."

Although there are no Lutheran churches in China, the ELCA has been able to partner with Luzhou Christian Church, a member of the Sichuan Council of Churches (SCC), to collaborate on efforts such as disaster response following earthquakes that struck Sichuan in 2008 and Yushu in 2010.

According to ELCA official the Rev. Y Franklin Ishida, who will accompany Hanson on the trip, the Luzhou Christian Church has been a key leader in earthquake relief efforts.

"Responding to the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan has been a major focus for the church in Sichuan. The church has been able to engage affected communities through a process of dialogue and care supported by the ELCA," said Ishida, who added that such social work has helped the government to recognize the role of church in society.

China has been experiencing a boom in Christianity in recent years, with the church having multiplied nearly five times over in the last 30 years.

The official number of Christians in the nation is tallied at 23 million, although some believe that the number could be as high as 100 million, including the many unregistered Christians who worship in house churches.

If true, then that would mean there are more Christians in China than members of the Communist Party, who number 75 million.

China's registered Christian population also represents 73 percent of the total religious population, which also includes Catholics, Buddhists, Muslims, and Daoists.