One Life

It was the year 1974 and the world was changing.  But more alarmingly the Church was changing.  Liberal theologians in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s were challenging foundational elements of the Christian faith including salvation exclusively in Jesus Christ and the historicity and reliability of the Bible.  These were not merely intellectual debates about trivial theological points.  These were core elements of the Christian faith that shape our understanding of who the Church of Jesus Christ is, what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, and what the mission of the Church of Jesus Christ is.  Through liberal theology the unique and glorious salvation mission of Jesus Christ was being challenged and changed, and people influenced by such liberal theology were beginning to question what exactly the mission of the Church was and to question the necessity for world missions.

It was within that context of theological crisis that Rev. Billy Graham called the leaders of the global church to gather in Lausanne, Switzerland to stand against the tide of theological liberalism and to renew the global church’s commitment to its Lord, His Word, and His mission.

2500 global leaders from 150 nations met in one of the most globally representative and strategic gatherings in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ.  One outcome of the event was the writing of the Lausanne Covenant which was led by Dr. John Stott and is a summary of the core convictions of the Christian faith and the mission of the Church of Jesus Christ in the world.

That was the beginning of what is known today as the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization  Lausanne.org) which is a movement that helps connect Christian ministries and leaders in almost every nation of the world and help mobilize the global church around the mission of Jesus Christ.  It’s motto is “The Whole Church bringing the Whole Gospel to the Whole World.”

The second major Lausanne gathering of 4000 global church leaders was in 1989 in Manila, Philippines.  It was most significant for the contribution that it made in assessing the progress of global missions, focusing attention on the “unreached” peoples and nations of the world, and spreading awareness of the need for ministries that meet the holistic needs of the lost. Lausanne II participants also received fresh inspiration and vision on networking and partnerships, and in the ten years following the Congress, participants established more 300 new partnerships and organizations for world evangelization, to the glory of God.

In October 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa, 4000 leaders of the global Church of Jesus Christ from more than 200 nations will meet in the third major congress organized by the Lausanne Movement.  It is a legitimate question to ask in our Internet age and with the great expense of global conferences whether such a gathering is needed.  The Lausanne leadership has responded to such questions by pointing out that in times of great external pressures upon the global church and great internal challenges to the Christian faith, there is a need for global Christian leaders to gather, to pray, to seek God’s will, to discuss the Church’s response to these external and internal challenges, and to plan global strategies for the future.

The Congress will focus on six key themes that reflect such external pressures and internal challenges:

1. The Challenge of the New Atheism.  World evangelization is based on foundational truth claims about the uniqueness of Christ, the centrality of the cross and the authority of Scripture.  In light of the aggressive attacks on truth by the New Atheism, we must make a compelling case for TRUTH.  We cannot afford to lose the battle for the minds of this generation or the next.
2. The Impact of Hedonism.  We are bombarded everyday with images and messages that serve to undermine our moral and biblical foundations.  The church is being impacted by nominalism, superficiality and the troubling consequences of the prosperity gospel.  We must respond with a prophetic critique of the church which calls us to AUTHENTICITY and INTEGRITY.  We must call Christians to a deeper level of repentance, renewal and discipleship.
3. The Reality of Islam.  Islam is a missionary faith with a global vision.  With a very deliberate strategy, Islam’s mission and impact has spread beyond the Arab world to significantly influence universities and governments in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.  The church must develop an equally deliberate strategy that enables us to live in fidelity to the gospel, influence public institutions and faithfully witness to men and women in all WORLD FAITHS.
4. The Globalized World.  Mega-cities, Diaspora, New Technologies, Social Networking, Political Corruption and Uncertain Futures for the Next Generation, are only a sampling of the challenges and opportunities of a Globalized World that require us to establish NEW PRIORITIES for world evangelization.
5. The Brokenness of Our World.  If our witness is to be prophetic, we must identify with the pain and suffering in the lives of individuals, families, communities and nations.  Not only must we connect with the brokenness but we must also be people of hope and peace as agents of RECONCILIATION, emphasizing the core theme of Cape Town 2010, “God in Christ Reconciling the World to Himself.”
6. Seismic Shifts in Global Christianity.  Global PARNTERSHIPS for world evangelization, unlike anything possible in the previous twenty centuries, are now attainable as we develop relationships that are based on mutual respect – acknowledging that God has called us to be one in Him.  These new partnerships, increasingly led by visionary leaders from the majority world, will also involve more lay people who comprise the vast majority of those who bear witness to Christ in this Century.  By sharing the best available resources and best practices, together “the whole church (will) take the whole gospel to the whole world.”

One of the most exciting aspects of the Cape Town Congress will be the large numbers of young people who will be represented among the 4000 leaders.  Over 50% of the participants will be under 50 years old.  This reflects the strong commitment of the Lausanne leadership to equipping the next generation of leaders to meet the challenges of their generation.  I have been serving on the Lausanne Board since 2007.  I am not only the only board member under 50, I’m also the only board member under 40!  But their unusual decision to invite a young and inexperienced leader like myself to be on the board shows their wisdom and strategic thinking about the future.  It will be exciting to see the global impact that will be made having so many younger leaders at Cape Town sitting side by side with more experienced leaders.

Wonderful teachers such as John Piper, Ajith Fernando, Ruth Padilla Deborst, Rick Warren and Tim Keller will be addressing the participants and calling us from the Word of God to actively engage the great challenges of the world with the wonderful Gospel of Jesus Christ in global unity.  Prayers will be prayed and plans will be made that Lord willing to impact the Christian faith and global missions for many years to come.

As Rev. Doug Birdsall the chairman of the Lausanne board has said, “Engaging big questions with bold faith for Christ’s glory.  That is what Cape Town 2010 is all about.”

I invite you all to join us in prayer for this strategic and historic gathering.

(learn more at lausanne.org)

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