Editor’s note: This article is part of forum discussing the fourth Lausanne Congress. It is not an official Lausanne Movement forum but an opportunity for Lausanne delegates to share their thoughts about the fourth Lausanne Congress, the Seoul Statement, and the future of the mission. You can read the entire series, from diverse voices around the world here.

Over six days in Incheon, Korea, 5,000 brothers and sisters from across the globe gathered at the fourth Lausanne Congress. I was privileged to be among them. As brothers and sisters, we listened to one another, prayed for one another, and learned from each other’s vast experiences.

Many things were said at the six-day conference that ran from morning into the evening. As is the benefit of such diversity, one hears various views. There are some things shared on the stage and from my brothers and sisters in conversation that I agreed with deeply. And there were a few I do not, due to a different theological perspective. But given my work and calling to serve the body of Christ at large, I personally don’t often find myself hung up on minor differences.

As a neuroscientist and psychologist sent to serve the church, part of that work is having a keen ear to hear the narrative that underlies what is being said. What is the story the speaker is living in? And is that story one of the Kingdom and Good News? On the last day of the 4th Lausanne Congress, however, I heard a narrative that I cannot just brush off as theological difference but feel compelled to illuminate and examine.

In the last session, when talking about the reasons for collaboration, they gave the illustration of a computer program that allowed a robot to shoot one dot of paint at a time onto a canvas. The alternative illustration was a robot that could make many calculations and had many cannons that could paint a picture much faster.

As I understand it, one of the outcomes of the Congress is that we would share in a technology hub how each of us is serving in ministry and Kingdom work, and an AI model would make suggestions for collaboration. I am not clear if it will run like a dating app that matches people based on an algorithm or something more, but the idea of depending on an AI for the strategy of the church’s evangelism and discipleship is unsettling. Using AI for data and summarizing is one thing; strategic direction is another.

The robot illustration and other comments in the closing remarks made me curious about the implicit narrative behind the exhortation. It made me wonder if the story Lausanne is operating in is one where our global efforts thus far have been poorly coordinated and inefficient. Is it a story in which we, as the global church, are not doing things right, and thus strategies generated by AI would better organize our work? Indeed, similar thoughts were expressed by those speaking for Lausanne.

As a pentecostal, I am significantly bothered by this narrative’s key assumptions.

Editor’s note: This article is part of forum discussing the fourth Lausanne Congress. It is not an official Lausanne Movement forum but an opportunity for Lausanne delegates to share their thoughts about the fourth Lausanne Congress, the Seoul Statement, and the future of the mission. You can read the entire series, from diverse voices around the world here.

Lausanne 4 came to a triumphant close today. It is difficult to describe in words to someone who has not attended an event like this, the breathtaking beauty of a Lausanne gathering with 5,200 people gathered in a single room with delegates from nearly every country on earth worshipping in joy and harmony. There is no doubt that Lausanne has (since the Third Congress in Cape Town in 2010) nurtured and fostered the most diverse gathering of Christians in the history of the world. Indeed, the greatest fruit of Lausanne is always the people who gather. I had conversations with colleagues from around the world and met many new friends which will enrich my life and ministry for decades to come. But, despite the wonderful hallway conversations, there were many wonderful moments among the platform speakers. I attended every single session, as well all of my “gap” group meetings. If you were not able to attend Lausanne and can only hear one message, listen to Sarah Breuel’s address on Monday. It was life changing and powerful.

Lausanne 4 was also a logistical triumph. There is no doubt that enormous planning and preparation had taken place for this Congress. There were a few snags here and there, but no one should underestimate how difficult it is to pull of an event this complex. The Korean hosts were unbelievably kind and gracious and I have nothing but gratitude for those behind the scenes who planned, along with hundreds of volunteers (mostly Korean) who showed us all what servanthood looks like day after day. Well done, Lausanne!!

The Seoul Statement has been the subject of a lot of hallway conversations. This is, of course, the fourth major Lausanne statement building on the Lausanne Covenant, the Manila Manifesto and the Cape Town Commitment. I was involved with the Cape Town Commitment and the follow up teaching documents in the years following because I chaired the Theology Working Group of Lausanne for five years. Many do not recognize how difficult these statements can be because the evangelical conversations around topics like scripture, gender, human sexuality and technology are rooted in different cultural and social contexts which has led to different understandings of certain terms and phrases within the broader global identity. I, for example, appreciate the affirmation of Side B Christians (See Article IV.70) who are seeking to be faithful to Christ through celibacy. But, I also understand how many of our brothers and sisters may be alarmed because they see, quite rightly, that many who call themselves evangelical in the western world have completely abandoned historic Christian views regarding marriage and gender identity. Perhaps the greatest legacy of the Seoul Statement will actually be Article VII calling the church to a theologically informed view of technology. I think, over the ensuing months clarifications will be issued and conversations will take place which will bring the global church closer together regarding the Seoul Statement. The conversations will be healthy for us all. We shouldn’t view this as “controversy” but as what happens in any family when we actually sit down and talk things through.

I think many of us recognize that there were several cringe worthy moments when theological rigor and even historical accuracy were lacking in the content of several of the main presenters at Lausanne 4. But, there was also some slippage in basic missiology as well. For example, there were moments when the very meaning of an unreached or hidden people group was confused with the need for general evangelism. It was like fifty years had gone by and a whole new generation of leaders had never fully comprehended Ralph Winter’s original address in 1974 which was so defining for Lausanne and the subsequent global missionary movement over the last 50 years. The concern (If I may be permitted to re-state it once again) is that even if the entire global church were to rise up and become “Billy Graham” level evangelists, and even if everyone they preached to responded to the gospel, the good news is that we would have over 1 billion new Christians. But, the troubling news which Winter pointed out is that there would still be 1.5 billion who never heard the name of Jesus. This point cannot be lost on the global church. In fact, the situation is actually statistically worse than it was in 1974 if the 2024 Lausanne Great Commission Report data is accurate. We all love and admire Rick Warren, but  let me use his talk as an example. Even if the global church were to follow with all their heart all ten points issued by Rick Warren, this would not “finish the task” as he told us, since there would still be 1.5 billion without ever even hearing the name of Jesus Christ. I have great respect for Rick Warren, so this is not about his remarkable and fruitful ministry. I am simply using this as one example, among quite a few over the course of the week, where the platform speakers clearly confused “evangelism” and “missions.” But evangelism will not “finish the task.” The church must cross cultural and linguistic barriers, or they will remain “hidden” or “unreached.” If Lausanne doesn’t make that point, no one else will. So, let me commend Michael Oh, Executive Director of Lausanne, and give him a huge “shout out” for making this point in his final address to the Lausanne 4 Congress. Michael Oh clearly affirmed the need for the church to cross cultural and linguistic barriers to bring the gospel to peoples who are unreached with the gospel. He made it crystal clear in his closing address, and he did it with great power and anointing. I want to say publicly that, for me, Michael Oh rescued the weak missiology of Lausanne 4. He did it at the last moment, but he did it, and I want to publicly commend him for his final address. In 20 minutes he turned a “B” Congress into an “A” Congress. Michael, if you are reading this, please know that there are dozens of missiologists who were in the room who will sleep so much better tonight because of your final address. Thank you.

Editor’s note: This article is part of forum discussing the fourth Lausanne Congress. It is not an official Lausanne Movement forum but an opportunity for Lausanne delegates to share their thoughts about the fourth Lausanne Congress, the Seoul Statement, and the future of the mission. You can read the entire series, from diverse voices around the world here.

As the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization came to an end today, we celebrated the Lord’s supper as a global church of over 5,000 delegates from 200+ countries. We held in our hands the symbols of our broken and beautiful Savior who gave himself for us, the one who is our only hope in life and death. It was a precious expression of unity that I will remember for the rest of my life.

(Read my previous reflections here: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5.)

In many ways, that communion meal encapsulated so well the overall impression this congress has made upon me. The Lord’s Supper is about the broken and beautiful Christ who laid down his life for our salvation. His broken body has become beautiful to those touched by his grace. The sufferings of Good Friday have turned to the glories of Resurrection Sunday. When we gather in remembrance of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we gather around his broken beauty.

Look a little deeper, and you will find gathering around the table a family also marked by brokenness and beauty. The Church is the broken and beautiful people of God, gathered in the name of Jesus, by the power of the Spirit. We bear the scars of a sin-cursed world. We are battered and bruised. We suffer for the sake of Jesus’ name. And yet there is beauty here too. We find the wonder of transforming grace, the fruit of the Spirit beginning to grow, the image of Christ taking form in our midst. When we gather at the table, we come as the broken and beautiful bride of Christ.

That’s the story of the global church: We are a broken and beautiful bride, redeemed by a broken and beautiful Savior, journeying through a broken and beautiful world.

The global church is so very broken. We are broken by sin, self-inflicted wounds, persecution, and suffering. This congress reminds me of how hard following Jesus is in so much of the world. We are a broken people.

And the global church is so very beautiful. God’s grace is shining through. Courage is rising. Hearts are earnest. The Spirit is working. There is much to be hopeful about as we join Jesus on mission in our world. By grace, we are a beautiful people as well.

I’m reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:7-10,

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

Lausanne 4 has reminded me that God uses our weakness to show himself strong. His grace is sufficient. Jesus is building his church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). We are his broken and beautiful bride to the praise of his glory!

Editor’s note: This article is part of forum discussing the fourth Lausanne Congress. It is not an official Lausanne Movement forum but an opportunity for Lausanne delegates to share their thoughts about the fourth Lausanne Congress, the Seoul Statement, and the future of the mission. You can read the entire series, from diverse voices around the world here.

As I reflect on the Lausanne Congress 2024 in Seoul, I feel like experienced a forestate of the new heavens and new earth. I was surrounded brothers and sisters from 202 nations; it was a beautiful multiethnic, multi-generational gathering of global church leaders for the sake of the gospel.

In many ways, this congress is a vivid reminder of the picture we see in Revelation 7:9—a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne of God.

The Gospel: Beyond Personal Salvation

I appreciated one of the themes that emerged from Lausanne 2024; it was the reminder that the gospel is more than personal salvation. As followers of Jesus, we cannot reduce the gospel to just a transaction between the individual and God. Yes, salvation is deeply personal and wonderful, but it is also cosmic (Col 1:19-20). The gospel is the good news that through the life, death, and resurrection of King Jesus, the powers of sin, death, and evil have been defeated. It is the announcement that Jesus is Lord over all creation, and he is making all things new (Revelation 21:5). And as his followers, are called to declare and display the gospel (Matt 28:18-20; 2 Cor 5:18-19). We are all everyday missionaries.

The full name of the Lausanne Movement is the Lausanne Committee on World Evangelization. I agree with Lausanne North American Director, Dr. Ed Stetzer that,

A stronger statement on the priority of evangelism would help the Seoul Statement. These statements will influence a generation, far more than the congress itself, so let’s make it stronger and not leave #L4Congress without the world knowing that we know mission drift happens—and is already happening in many places in evangelicalism. Let’s help an entire generation know that we are deeply committed to holding evangelism central to the mission.

Evangelism is the heartbeat that empowers the Body of Christ to declare and display King Jesus.       

The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. (Romans 1:3-5 NLT)

A Gospel That Heals

In our fallen world, where pain and suffering seem to have the loudest voices, the gospel speaks a word of healing (Luke 4:16-18). At Lausanne, it was clear that the gospel isn’t simply about escaping earth to get to heaven but about bringing the kingdom of God to bear on earth. The gospel provides present power in the here and now, offering healing and reconciliation. This is a message our fractured world desperately needs. From the lingering effects of the global pandemic to the ongoing racial and ethnic divisions in various societies, we live in a time when the need for healing is undeniable. But that healing isn’t just individual; it is communal and systemic.

The African and Latin American leaders I encountered at Lausanne spoke powerfully about the role of the church in evangelism, ethnic reconciliation, and addressing social injustice. They reminded us that the gospel calls us to stand with the oppressed, advocate for the marginalized, and be agents of reconciliation in a world that is torn apart by division. Their passion reminded me of Jesus’ words in Luke 4:18, where he declared that He came to proclaim good news to the poor, release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. Our Savior is a healing Savior, and His church must be a healing community.

A Global Family on Mission

Lausanne 2024 also reaffirmed that the church is a global family on a global mission. Sometimes, in our Western context, we can fall into the trap of thinking that the church is primarily a Western institution. But the congress was a powerful reminder that the center of gravity in global Christianity has shifted. The majority of Christians today are from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This is not something to fear or resist but to celebrate and embrace.

Editor’s note: This article is part of forum discussing the fourth Lausanne Congress. It is not an official Lausanne Movement forum but an opportunity for Lausanne delegates to share their thoughts about the fourth Lausanne Congress, the Seoul Statement, and the future of the mission. You can read the entire series, from diverse voices around the world here.

I’ve often said that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it does often rhyme.

By this I mean that if we want to understand how the future will unfold, we need to be diligent students of the past. If we don’t pay careful attention to learn from both the wisdom and mistakes of generations before us, we will likely repeat those same mistakes time and again.

As we look at the history of the modern Christian mission movement over the course of the twentieth century, we see a history marked out by ecumenical gatherings convened around the world for the purpose of bringing clarity, consensus, and fostering cooperation throughout the body of Christ. When leaders from around the world gathered for the 1910 meeting of the International Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland (a congress that is often cited as the inauguration of the modern mission movement), the mission leaders in the room were so convicted over the centrality of evangelism to the Church’s identity and responsibility in mission, that at the request of John Mott, they dreamed together over how to evangelize the world in their generation.

Over time additional global meetings were convened—Tambaram (1928), Willingen (1952), and New Delhi (1961)—and significant progress was made in global mission thought and work. The dominant view of a “From the West to the Rest” approach to missionary work was replaced by one that was more mutualist, emphasizing the cultural particularities in cross-cultural mission work. But the primacy role of evangelism also waned significantly from through these gatherings, causing many evangelicals to express concerns that there was such an overemphasis Ion justice and mercy work in our mission theology that the centrality of actual gospel proclamation was being lost. This caused many evangelicals to feel left in a place of liminality.

The Lausanne Movement was formed, in part, to address this shift. As I emphasize with my students each year at both Wycliffe Hall and Talbot School of Theology, where I teach a class in Oxford on these issues each May, the initial impetus that drew Lausanne’s founders together was a concern that the mission/s movement that came before it lost its focus on evangelism and experienced significant theological drift.

The Birth of the Lausanne Movement

Lausanne wasn’t created in a vacuum and before 1974, there was 1966.

Gathering the World Congress on Evangelism in Berlin, Billy Graham cast a vision for evangelicals that founded upon the centrality of evangelism in the mission of the church when he said,

I am convinced if the church went back to its main task of proclaiming the gospel and getting people converted to Christ, it would have a far greater impact on the social, moral, and psychological needs of men than any other thing it could possibly do. Some of the greatest social movements of history have come about as the result of men being converted to Christ.

This conference ignited a conversation that, eight years later, produced a gathering of 2,700 delegates representing 150 nations gathered in Lausanne, Switzerland, to unite evangelicals for the evangelism of the world under the theme, “Let the Earth Hear His Voice.” It was through a common conviction for the priority of the evangelistic task that evangelicals from around the globe united to form the Lausanne Committee on World Evangelism (i.e., the Lausanne Movement).

Common Mission, Different Views

This doesn’t mean that the Lausanne Movement has complete consensus on the relationship between the proclamation of the gospel and the demonstration of the gospel. There have always been room for people like Billy Graham who saw evangelism as the chief concern of the church, or of David Bosch who viewed gospel proclamation and demonstration as “seed relates to fruit; evangelism remains primary but it generates social involvement and improved social conditions among those who have been evangelized.”

Lausanne has also been a movement deeply influenced by leaders like René Padilla, Samuel Escobar, and Orlando Costas who argued for a more integrative shape of mission which holds proclamation and demonstration as inextricably linked and equally important.

And, of course, John Stott at the 1966 Berlin congress sympathized more with Graham but later came to argue for the holistic mission advocated for by Padilla and others. Still today there exist a wide range of nuanced missiological perspectives on the relationship between evangelism and justice work and Lausanne has managed throughout its existence to hold this tension, though imperfectly at times, for the sake of evangelical unity and participation in mission. This is stated most succinctly in the rallying cry of Lausanne: “Let the Church declare and display Christ together.” This cry encapsulates the tension of the nuanced views within its movement while underscoring our common bonds in the word together.

Understanding Integral Mission

What has been characteristic of the missiology of Lausanne over the last half century has been its unwavering commitment to “integral mission.” Lausanne defines integral mission as, “‘the task of bringing the whole of life under the lordship of Jesus Christ and includes the affirmation that there is no biblical dichotomy between evangelistic and social responsibility in bringing Christ’s peace to the poor and oppressed.” Integral mission is the conviction that declaring and displaying the gospel are inextricably linked. Separating them is like trying to separate God’s love from his holiness—it simply cannot be done. Lausanne promotes this holistic view, ensuring that the gospel is both declared in words and lived out through actions.

Integral mission is a crucial evangelical imperative because it recognizes that the often-made distinction between what is “physical” and what is “spiritual” (i.e., immaterial) is theologically errant. Christ has come to save the whole of a person, body and soul alike. Integral mission restores the credibility of the church’s witness by addressing injustice and poverty alongside spiritual conversion and transformation. This is the promise of the resurrected Christ to which our gospel preaching testifies. It recognizes that the Jesus took on flesh and performed works of healing and mercy and service while speaking of declaring that the kingdom of heaven was at hand—and calling men and women to follow him. The two go hand in hand and must never be separated.

It calls us to consider the ditches on either side of the missional journey—an irrelevant gospel on one side only concerned with the saving of the soul and disregard for the plight of the person, and an anemic gospel on the other side concerned only with the temporal condition and disregard for the promise of eternal life in relationship with Christ. We journey on mission with Jesus keenly aware of the perils of these two ditches, keeping in mind the words from the second Lausanne Congress in 1989 in Manila: “The authentic gospel must become visible in the transformed lives of men and women. As we proclaim the love of Christ, we must be involved in loving service, as we preach the kingdom of God we must be committed to the demands of justice and peace.”

The Perils of Repeating the Past

I’ve often used the analogy that gospel proclamation and gospel demonstration are the two big rocks of Christian mission. Both are essential, and one cannot be emphasized at the expense of the other. Jesus’ message of good news was accompanied by acts of mercy and healing, a model for the church’s mission today. The nascent Christian church went out from the upper room at Pentecost under the power of the Spirit proclaiming the gospel and demonstrating the gospel—both in their acts of service and generosity and in demonstrations of the Spirit’s power in healing and deliverance as a testimony to the truthfulness of the gospel those early Christians proclaimed. This reflects the Lausanne call to “declare and display Christ together.”