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.
From Sept. 22-28, over 5,000 evangelical leaders from 200+ nations gathered in Incheon, South Korea, for the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization. The gathering reaffirmed Lausanne’s enduring mission to display and declare the gospel amidst what seems like discontinuous change.
Congratulations to the Lausanne team on successfully convening leaders representing the global church to catalyze collaborative action toward shaping the realities impacting the church of 2050. Although there was an imbalance of representation numerically, I appreciate the efforts undertaken to ensure the global church’s presence and engagement.
I am grateful to have been involved as a Content Specialist for Gap 10, Proclamation Evangelism Catalyst, and as a volunteer leading the Plenary Content Publication Team. Additionally, during the congress, I helped record 15 sessions on “Elevating Evangelism” with leaders from over a dozen countries. I am sold on the vision and committed to being a “bee”—using Michael Oh’s metaphor—shaping the movement’s future! My time at the Fourth Congress was beautiful and richly engaging. I had the joy and privilege to observe the congress from multiple perspectives. I’d like to offer some missiological musing around the aspect of what it means to be a “herald” of the gospel in our movement.
Evangelism at the Core: Not Just Assumed but Prioritized
Much could be said about the congress, but I believe that it is not just the gathering itself that will shape the future realities of our movement but the outflow from the congress. However, throughout the gathering, I became increasingly aware that some of the missiological discourse was polarizing and inaccurate at times (as Timothy Tennent points out here) and even evangelistically anaemic. It appears that evangelism—central to the church’s mission—was often assumed rather than explicitly stated in a way that would catalyze a movement to take the gospel across cultural, digital, geographical, and language barriers.
The Seoul Statement, building on earlier foundational documents like the Lausanne Covenant, Manila Manifesto, and Cape Town Commitment, became an example of the assumed priority of evangelism rather than a stated one. It’s important to bring clarity to this as these documents consistently shape the culture of ministry training and form the basis of partnerships in evangelical circles for decades to come.
The Seoul Statement clearly serves as a complementary tool to the comprehensive “State of the Great Commission” report, offering theological and strategic guidance for collaborative mission efforts. This calls for clearer emphasis on evangelistic priority, especially in paragraph 45, to ensure that gospel proclamation remains at the core of Christian mission, not on the periphery. Much has already been written on this and I’d like to turn my focus to how the Seoul Statement calls the church back to Gospel proclamation and why that matters.
The Theological Foundation of Proclamation Evangelism
In today’s complex, polycentric, and integral mission landscape, the need for prioritized, innovative evangelism has never been more critical. The Seoul Statement underscores that God’s saving power must be declared where Christ is least known, in both word and deed. Michael Oh captured this dual calling well at the Lausanne Congress when he stated that the church must remain both vocal and visible, not competing but collaborating, and equipping all believers for the mission.
Oh’s call aligns with a deeper theological understanding that the evangelist holds a unique and vital role within the body of Christ. While evangelism now incorporates varied methods such as digital outreach, contextual preaching, and community service, the core role of the evangelist remains essential in mobilizing the global church to faithfully proclaim the Gospel. Where were the evangelists at Seoul? Why do they need to be emphasized in the global mission?
The Seoul Statement’s use of the term “herald” in paragraph 45 is significant and commendable: “By His Word and through His Spirit, the church displays God’s saving power of the gospel and sends heralds to declare His gospel where Christ is not known.”
Theologically, the New Testament often describes the evangelist as a kerux (herald)—a respected role in ancient times given to those who announced the decrees of kings and proclaimed important declarations to the public. Evangelists, as heralds of the ultimate King—Jesus Christ—are entrusted with the bold, public declaration of the gospel to the ends of the earth I was somewhat disappointed that we did not hear from many evangelists during the program, and it seems that the gift of the evangelist has become a shadow of the past rather than a central, active role in shaping strategy and equipping the church.
As we look to the future, it is essential that we revive and empower this role as an animating core of holistic mission. Evangelists are needed now more than ever to boldly proclaim the good news (in partnership with the church) in an increasingly secular and divided world. If we are to see the gospel advance into every culture and context, the voice of the evangelist must be heard and amplified, not side-lined or forgotten. It is time for the church to reclaim its heritage of proclamation and recommit to raising up a new generation of heralds who will declare the message of salvation with clarity, courage, and conviction across all boundaries and in the power of the Holy Spirit.