Lausanne: Who, What, Why?

Here are some more details to answer questions you may have about what Lausanne is, who will be there and why they are choosing to meet.

About 4,000 evangelical leaders from more than 200 countries, will convene in Cape Town this Fall to confront some of the major issues of our time, such as other world faiths, poverty, HIV/AIDS and the persecution of Christians and to prayerfully consider how these issues relate to the future of the Church and world evangelization. The main job of the volunteers, who will be coming from all over the world, will be service to ensure that the conference runs smoothly for those in attendance.

Maybe you have read a heading in the bulletin or heard someone mention Lausanne 2010. The Lausanne Movement did not begin with Cape Town, though, or begin even in this century. It began in the 1960’s under the leadership of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. As Billy Graham’s fame grew as an evangelist and he began to preach internationally, so grew his passion to “unite all evangelicals in the common task of the total evangelization of the world.”

Following much prayer and preparation, the First Lausanne Congress for World Evangelization convened in 1974 in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was here that leaders from 150 countries gathered for discussion, fellowship, worship, and prayer.

At this first congress, initiatives were implemented, whose results we see even today, such as
1) the broadening of the traditional ideas about evangelism to include more than just “soul-winning,”
2) hearing the concerns of Third World leaders, resulting in the Third World emerging as partners in ministry and not just objects of evangelism,
3) starting to take seriously the connection between culture and evangelism, seeking not to export an alien culture with the Gospel,
4) affirming across the board that Christian unity and cooperation across denominational and (with some limits) theological boundaries is imperative for world evangelization.

Also stemming from the First Lausanne Congress was the drafting of the Lausanne Covenant, one of the most influential documents in modern evangelical Christianity, which underlines the wholeness of the Gospel, that is the whole church taking the whole Gospel to the whole world.

After this first meeting, a continuation committee was established, from which emerged various smaller meetings on various continents.

In 1989 it was perceived that a second Lausanne world congress should meet; this took place in Manila, the Philippines. Highlighted at this second Lausanne congress was the need for a major evangelism strategy in the middle eastern hemisphere, what would later be coined the 10/40 Window.

At this Third Congress in Cape Town, our team will volunteering according to our gifts and talents in a variety of areas such as clerical work, first aid, hospitality, and stage production; all things that are necessary to ensure that the congress runs smoothly for the attendees.

Not satisfied? Check out About Cape Town 2010 for more info concerning the Third Lausanne Congress and the Lausanne Movement.