This week, thousands of Christian leaders will gather from around the globe in Seoul for the Fourth Global Congress of Lausanne. Founded in 1974 by leaders such as John Stott and Billy Graham, Lausanne has been a critical rallying point for global Christian leaders to collaborate on mission and evangelism. From its meetings, new resources, organizations and even emerging leaders have ushered in new movements that continue to reshape the church.
Throughout the week at Lausanne, I’ll be posting some of the key insights from the conference. From the plenary sessions to the collaborative groups, I’ll strive to capture some key ideas and conversations. To set a foundation for these daily dispatches, let me offer three motivations for why I’m at Lausanne and what I hope this gathering can do for North American leaders.
1. I want to learn from global leaders about how we can effectively engage a rapidly shifting North American culture. Too often critiques of North American churches lament that we are not listening to global voices, yet rarely is this followed with actually listening. Lausanne reflects one of the most significant opportunities in our generation to bring our questions to our global brothers and sisters and get substantive input.
2. I want to discover innovation that I can help engage and overcome the central challenges we face as North American churches. In helping write our regional Great Commission Report, I was struck with the sheer gravity of the challenges that lie ahead. Secularization, political idolatary, changing sexual and gender identities, social media and technological tools, and evolving demographics are only a taste of a endlessly complex ministry landscape. If we are going to take hold of these opportunities, we must recognize that often the necessary innovations we need lie outside our region and contexts. In an urgent and substantive sense, we need new answers and I’m looking to Lausanne to start the conversation.
3. I want to deepen my own faith through a fresh vision of God’s kingdom at work. In all the messiness of its cultural, linguistic and geographic barriers, Lausanne reflects the true beauty and grandeur of Christ’s Church. That God’s Spirit is moving, indwelling and sending within such unique and vibrant contexts that befuddle our imagination should spur awe and worship. With each difference represented, challenging as it might be, we are reminded of the immensity and intimacy of God in the work of his church. Above all, I look forward to being reminded in the diversity of leaders and peoples of the beautiful truth that God is building his church and even the gates of hell cannot stand against it.