Reflections on the Fourth Lausanne Congress: A Global Gathering of Faith
October 01, 2024
In the early 1970s Billy Graham, John Stott and others gathered global leaders of the Christian Church to advance the work of evangelism and to emphasize the importance of the Great Commission – “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit . . .” Since that initial Lausanne meeting in 1974, the Christian gospel has continued to advance and the “Lausanne Movement” has gathered four times. I have had the privilege of being at two of them – in Cape Town, South Africa, and Seoul, South Korea.
As I write this, I am on a plane returning home from the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in South Korea. For most people, this was the experience of a lifetime, which was true for me as well. As president of George Fox University, I get opportunities to attend unique gatherings, but none quite like this one. I remember debating many times whether I should go because it takes me away from my job and away from family, which is particularly difficult at this moment. At the same time, it is clear to me that I experienced God’s presence during this trip, meeting him through people and the program. I doubt there’s anywhere else you can learn from some of the world’s most renowned Christian teachers while hearing the powerful testimonies of global Christian citizens actively serving God.
Opening night of Lausanne was an unforgettable experience — 5,000 delegates sat in a large auditorium from 210 nations. As I looked around, it looked like the fulfillment of Scripture as every “tribe” and “tongue” were gathered worshiping the Lord. We were led by a massive Korean choir singing a special arrangement of How Great Thou Art. I thought to myself, “This is a picture of what heaven will be like!” I do not think I have ever felt more encouraged. At times, Christians in the Northwest can feel small and isolated – at least, that's how I often feel. It can be discouraging at times living in an increasingly secular culture. I was awakened to the fact that the church is billions strong and growing across the globe. It became clear that the “average” Christian is not a white person from Europe or North America but a citizen of the majority world.
I felt a bit sheepish standing and singing with people at my table. Part of the Lausanne experience is getting to know deeper Christians from across the world. Our table of six was made up of a Korean missionary to the Middle East, the director of theological accreditation for all of Asia, a professor of theology from Pakistan, a Haitian leader who led an NGO to help children in his country, a young Brazilian woman who served as a missionary in Italy, and a president of an American Christian college. We were consistently asked to dialogue about Scripture (working through the book of Acts together) and the place of evangelism in our lives.
O
n the first night as we got to know each other, they simply asked us to discuss our challenges in getting to Lausanne. My privilege quickly came out because I really did not have a challenge. I applied, was accepted, I got on a plane and came. My Haitian colleague had his visa rejected three times in his attempt to get to Korea. He had to fly to Canada and only got the visa approved three days before Lausanne started. He bought his ticket on faith. The Pakistani theologian who teaches theology at a seminary in Islamabad to a small community of Christians (97% Islam) noted the intense persecution his community faces and the challenge he faces walking with Christ each day. Mine was the easiest route to the gathering. My fellow global Christians encouraged me, illustrating the fact that God is moving dynamically globally and there are many who testify of God’s love in places where their testimony puts their lives at risk.
During the opening ceremony, the mayor of Incheon and one of the Korean vice presidents addressed the Lausanne community. Both highlighted the significance of Christianity to Korea. It was an unusual experience to hear politicians clearly talk about Christianity and their own Christian faith. Both speakers emphasized how Korea had been changed by the vision and work of Christian missionaries — “139 years ago, a missionary from America cast a vision that a poor underserved nation, without a significant economy and its people in poverty, would become one of the leading Christian nations in the world and take its place among the leading nations.” One Korean pastor noted that he asked his grandmother why so many Koreans embraced Christianity. She said simply, “The Church was the place where they fed us, and they built hospitals that provided healing and schools that provided education. The gospel was ‘beautiful’ in all its aspects, who could reject it?” (It seems to me that George Fox is that kind of place. We aren’t the church but we are empowering the beauty of the gospel in all aspects of life.)
No one would have believed, at the beginning of the 20th century, that Korea would emerge to become what it is today – an industrial giant and one of the largest Christian nations in the world, from a few followers of Jesus to tens of millions in less than 150 years. The missionaries saw a future that became a reality. As George MacDonald once said, “Some argue that you must see to believe, but it can be equally true that you must first believe (cast a God-inspired vision) in order to see!” The early missionaries to Korea saw God moving in Korea and they allied with the Spirit of God to share God’s love to the Korean people.
In addition to worship and teaching, we heard the testimonies of the disciples of Jesus. One morning, Christians from Iran, Pakistan (including one whose church and home had been attacked, as seen in international news), and China shared their stories. One of the most compelling testimonies came from a young woman who had converted to Christianity from Islam. Arrested for treason in Iran, she was thrown into a two-meter by two-meter windowless cell. In her silence and tears, she heard God speak to her: “Get up my precious daughter, you serve the Living God and he will deliver you.” She said she immediately got up and began to praise God for what he was going to do. She was released in just a few days and has been leading a small church movement in Iran.
Each story echoed similar themes, and you could not help but be emboldened by the way real people, in difficult circumstances, engaged their world for Christ. One of the Pakistanis ended his testimony by simply saying, “Some of you may feel pity for me because of my suffering. Please don’t. I am honored to be chosen to suffer for my Lord. He will be victorious.”
One morning, as I was sitting and drinking coffee, the man across the table said, “Hey, it looks like you’re at the Lausanne Conference.” He struck up a conversation, and we talked for over an hour. I learned his story, and if you can believe it, he’s a Danish Christian who plants churches in Africa and Europe and currently lives in Durban, South Africa. As is typical of me, I joked, “I didn’t know there were any Danish Christians!” He laughed and agreed.
During our conversation, he shared that, five years ago, God clearly asked him to sell his home and donate the proceeds to ministry. Though it sounded crazy, he and his wife did it, learning to live a life of faith while renting a home. Five years later, God told him to buy another property – but this time, he didn’t have the money. I immediately exclaimed, “He made you give away all your money!” and he laughed, saying, “I said the same thing!” Yet God told him to wait, so he did, for almost a year. As the deadline approached and he risked losing his deposit, he kept asking, “What should I do?” The answer was always, “Wait.”
Then, just as the deadline loomed, he received a call from a man he hadn’t spoken to in 30 years. “Peter,” the man said, “I’ve been meaning to call you. Do you remember, nearly 25 years ago, when I needed financial help and you loaned me $10,000?” Peter replied that he did remember. “The Lord has put it on my heart to repay you – with interest – for that gift. You’ll be getting a check in the mail. Use it to advance the Kingdom.”
Sure enough, a few days later, the envelope arrived with a heartfelt note. But the real surprise was the amount: the $10,000 had grown to $210,000! It was enough to pay for the entire property. Peter told me that, through this experience, he was reminded that God asks one thing from us: faithfulness. If you trust him, you never know what incredible things might happen.
I am not sure I have Peter’s faith, but what a story. We had a great conversation and he certainly helped me consider my own calling.
I think one of the most significant aspects of the week was that I was surrounded by people who believe that God is going to do something. Most have less resources, many are suffering, but what they have is a conviction that the Spirit of God is moving. It was exciting to be near people who both expected and desired God’s movement and testimony not only in their lives but in their communities.
The words of the young person from Pakistan echoed in my ears all week – “Do not pity me because I have suffered. I was chosen to suffer for my Savior. There is no greater honor.” It was an honor to be around genuine saints of God all week long.
The last night was Korean mission night. The Korean church community told their story to the entire Lausanne group, and it was spectacular. As you now know, in 1904, a Methodist missionary came to Korea. You could put the number of Christians in the nation in one hand. But he imagined with God that the Korean people could be won to Jesus. People thought he was crazy, and in his own lifetime he saw very little progress. But today, Korean Christians number in the tens of millions because of the prayers and commitment of a few visionaries who believed God was going to do something – and he did. Korea has gone from a country needing missionaries to the second-largest missionary-sending nation in the world (to the United States). What a powerful story!
As a leader, one key takeaway for me was the importance of finding moments for both reflection and renewal – times that come when we engage with the church and the Spirit of God. The worship here was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Half of the people at my table were from Pentecostal traditions and expressed their worship freely as they sang and praised God. I would never normally choose to attend a Pentecostal service, yet it was powerful to witness people worshiping God with such freedom and physical expression.
I may not be able to account for my week by listing specific goals I accomplished for the university, but God met me in ways that reminded me of a time when I relied less on my own efforts and more on him.
May God encourage you today. Though it may sometimes seem like darkness is winning, remember that it has already been defeated. In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Sam, burdened by the darkness, saw the stars: “For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty forever beyond its reach.”
Praise God, the global church is alive and thriving.
As I write this, I am on a plane returning home from the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in South Korea. For most people, this was the experience of a lifetime, which was true for me as well. As president of George Fox University, I get opportunities to attend unique gatherings, but none quite like this one. I remember debating many times whether I should go because it takes me away from my job and away from family, which is particularly difficult at this moment. At the same time, it is clear to me that I experienced God’s presence during this trip, meeting him through people and the program. I doubt there’s anywhere else you can learn from some of the world’s most renowned Christian teachers while hearing the powerful testimonies of global Christian citizens actively serving God.Opening night of Lausanne was an unforgettable experience — 5,000 delegates sat in a large auditorium from 210 nations. As I looked around, it looked like the fulfillment of Scripture as every “tribe” and “tongue” were gathered worshiping the Lord. We were led by a massive Korean choir singing a special arrangement of How Great Thou Art. I thought to myself, “This is a picture of what heaven will be like!” I do not think I have ever felt more encouraged. At times, Christians in the Northwest can feel small and isolated – at least, that's how I often feel. It can be discouraging at times living in an increasingly secular culture. I was awakened to the fact that the church is billions strong and growing across the globe. It became clear that the “average” Christian is not a white person from Europe or North America but a citizen of the majority world. I felt a bit sheepish standing and singing with people at my table. Part of the Lausanne experience is getting to know deeper Christians from across the world. Our table of six was made up of a Korean missionary to the Middle East, the director of theological accreditation for all of Asia, a professor of theology from Pakistan, a Haitian leader who led an NGO to help children in his country, a young Brazilian woman who served as a missionary in Italy, and a president of an American Christian college. We were consistently asked to dialogue about Scripture (working through the book of Acts together) and the place of evangelism in our lives.
O
n the first night as we got to know each other, they simply asked us to discuss our challenges in getting to Lausanne. My privilege quickly came out because I really did not have a challenge. I applied, was accepted, I got on a plane and came. My Haitian colleague had his visa rejected three times in his attempt to get to Korea. He had to fly to Canada and only got the visa approved three days before Lausanne started. He bought his ticket on faith. The Pakistani theologian who teaches theology at a seminary in Islamabad to a small community of Christians (97% Islam) noted the intense persecution his community faces and the challenge he faces walking with Christ each day. Mine was the easiest route to the gathering. My fellow global Christians encouraged me, illustrating the fact that God is moving dynamically globally and there are many who testify of God’s love in places where their testimony puts their lives at risk.During the opening ceremony, the mayor of Incheon and one of the Korean vice presidents addressed the Lausanne community. Both highlighted the significance of Christianity to Korea. It was an unusual experience to hear politicians clearly talk about Christianity and their own Christian faith. Both speakers emphasized how Korea had been changed by the vision and work of Christian missionaries — “139 years ago, a missionary from America cast a vision that a poor underserved nation, without a significant economy and its people in poverty, would become one of the leading Christian nations in the world and take its place among the leading nations.” One Korean pastor noted that he asked his grandmother why so many Koreans embraced Christianity. She said simply, “The Church was the place where they fed us, and they built hospitals that provided healing and schools that provided education. The gospel was ‘beautiful’ in all its aspects, who could reject it?” (It seems to me that George Fox is that kind of place. We aren’t the church but we are empowering the beauty of the gospel in all aspects of life.)
No one would have believed, at the beginning of the 20th century, that Korea would emerge to become what it is today – an industrial giant and one of the largest Christian nations in the world, from a few followers of Jesus to tens of millions in less than 150 years. The missionaries saw a future that became a reality. As George MacDonald once said, “Some argue that you must see to believe, but it can be equally true that you must first believe (cast a God-inspired vision) in order to see!” The early missionaries to Korea saw God moving in Korea and they allied with the Spirit of God to share God’s love to the Korean people. In addition to worship and teaching, we heard the testimonies of the disciples of Jesus. One morning, Christians from Iran, Pakistan (including one whose church and home had been attacked, as seen in international news), and China shared their stories. One of the most compelling testimonies came from a young woman who had converted to Christianity from Islam. Arrested for treason in Iran, she was thrown into a two-meter by two-meter windowless cell. In her silence and tears, she heard God speak to her: “Get up my precious daughter, you serve the Living God and he will deliver you.” She said she immediately got up and began to praise God for what he was going to do. She was released in just a few days and has been leading a small church movement in Iran.
Each story echoed similar themes, and you could not help but be emboldened by the way real people, in difficult circumstances, engaged their world for Christ. One of the Pakistanis ended his testimony by simply saying, “Some of you may feel pity for me because of my suffering. Please don’t. I am honored to be chosen to suffer for my Lord. He will be victorious.”
One morning, as I was sitting and drinking coffee, the man across the table said, “Hey, it looks like you’re at the Lausanne Conference.” He struck up a conversation, and we talked for over an hour. I learned his story, and if you can believe it, he’s a Danish Christian who plants churches in Africa and Europe and currently lives in Durban, South Africa. As is typical of me, I joked, “I didn’t know there were any Danish Christians!” He laughed and agreed.
During our conversation, he shared that, five years ago, God clearly asked him to sell his home and donate the proceeds to ministry. Though it sounded crazy, he and his wife did it, learning to live a life of faith while renting a home. Five years later, God told him to buy another property – but this time, he didn’t have the money. I immediately exclaimed, “He made you give away all your money!” and he laughed, saying, “I said the same thing!” Yet God told him to wait, so he did, for almost a year. As the deadline approached and he risked losing his deposit, he kept asking, “What should I do?” The answer was always, “Wait.”
Then, just as the deadline loomed, he received a call from a man he hadn’t spoken to in 30 years. “Peter,” the man said, “I’ve been meaning to call you. Do you remember, nearly 25 years ago, when I needed financial help and you loaned me $10,000?” Peter replied that he did remember. “The Lord has put it on my heart to repay you – with interest – for that gift. You’ll be getting a check in the mail. Use it to advance the Kingdom.”
Sure enough, a few days later, the envelope arrived with a heartfelt note. But the real surprise was the amount: the $10,000 had grown to $210,000! It was enough to pay for the entire property. Peter told me that, through this experience, he was reminded that God asks one thing from us: faithfulness. If you trust him, you never know what incredible things might happen.
I am not sure I have Peter’s faith, but what a story. We had a great conversation and he certainly helped me consider my own calling.
I think one of the most significant aspects of the week was that I was surrounded by people who believe that God is going to do something. Most have less resources, many are suffering, but what they have is a conviction that the Spirit of God is moving. It was exciting to be near people who both expected and desired God’s movement and testimony not only in their lives but in their communities. The words of the young person from Pakistan echoed in my ears all week – “Do not pity me because I have suffered. I was chosen to suffer for my Savior. There is no greater honor.” It was an honor to be around genuine saints of God all week long.
The last night was Korean mission night. The Korean church community told their story to the entire Lausanne group, and it was spectacular. As you now know, in 1904, a Methodist missionary came to Korea. You could put the number of Christians in the nation in one hand. But he imagined with God that the Korean people could be won to Jesus. People thought he was crazy, and in his own lifetime he saw very little progress. But today, Korean Christians number in the tens of millions because of the prayers and commitment of a few visionaries who believed God was going to do something – and he did. Korea has gone from a country needing missionaries to the second-largest missionary-sending nation in the world (to the United States). What a powerful story!
As a leader, one key takeaway for me was the importance of finding moments for both reflection and renewal – times that come when we engage with the church and the Spirit of God. The worship here was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Half of the people at my table were from Pentecostal traditions and expressed their worship freely as they sang and praised God. I would never normally choose to attend a Pentecostal service, yet it was powerful to witness people worshiping God with such freedom and physical expression.I may not be able to account for my week by listing specific goals I accomplished for the university, but God met me in ways that reminded me of a time when I relied less on my own efforts and more on him.
May God encourage you today. Though it may sometimes seem like darkness is winning, remember that it has already been defeated. In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Sam, burdened by the darkness, saw the stars: “For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty forever beyond its reach.”
Praise God, the global church is alive and thriving.