Van 21 tot 28 september is het Vierde Lausanne Congres bezig. Verslagen van lezingen verschijnen in dit nieuwsbericht. Ook is de tekst van de Seoul Statement al aan het begin van het congres gepubliceerd “als een informatief en inspirerend hulpmiddel voor de wereldwijde kerk tijdens het Vierde Congres.”
Seoul Statement
De organisatie schrijft hierover: “De Verklaring van Seoul staat niet op zichzelf. Het is belangrijk omdat het voortbouwt op een verbazingwekkend fundament van het Lausanne Covenant, het Manila Manifest en de Cape Town Commitment. Samen staan ze als hedendaagse weerspiegelingen van Bijbelse overtuigingen en waarden. De Seoul Statement gaat in op hedendaagse lacunes die de Theology Working Group noodzakelijk achtte om aan te pakken met het oog op het versterken en aanscherpen van de wereldwijde missie van vandaag. De verklaring is beschikbaar in het Engels, Chinees, Portugees, Spaans, Russisch, Frans en Koreaans.” De Seoul Statement is hier te vinden in het Engels. Een mini-dossier op de website van de NZR biedt achtergrondinformatie over de identiteit van de Lausanne-beweging, de drie voorgaande congressen en het proces rondom Lausanne-4 in Seoul.
Het congres werd afgesloten met een hernieuwde toewijding aan de wereldwijde missie en de ondertekening door duizenden deelnemers van de Collaborative Action Commitment, een document van één pagina dat een intentionele respons op de Grote Opdracht bevestigt.
De conferentie wordt op locatie gevolgd door een groep deelnemers uit Nederland, en een andere groep volgt in Nederland het virtuele programma. Blogs uit Seoul zijn te lezen op lausanne4.nl. Verslagen in het Engels van de lezingen in het virtuele programma worden tijdens de conferentie hieronder geplaatst (het gaat niet om een woordelijke weergave).
Lausanne 4, impressies van dag 1
1.1 Michael Oh: Gathered – The Global Church Together in God’s Mission
We are together with 5000 people from 202 countries, with a desire to proclaim and display Christ. The percentage of the world population who don’t know Christ is growing. The trajectory is not an acceleration but a deceleration of the spread of the gospel. We need to be confident because of the gospel, and because God’s strategy is not a what but a who: his body, his people.
Why then have we been less than effective? Why are we losing ground? Because we don’t see a need for working together. The four most dangerous words for the global church are ‘I don’t need you’ (as in 1 Cor. 12). This leads to isolation, competition and ineffectiveness. We fail to incorporate the whole body of Christ into God’s mission and so neglect 99% of the world. We need Christians in their work place to join the mission. Pastors and missionaries need to equip every Christian. We are called to proclaim and display Christ: to become more vocal and visible to the world. Still then, missionaries must be sent out, because 86% of the Muslims, Hindus and Buddhist don’t personally know any Christian. Anyone in any job can be a missionary. It has often been more difficult to declare Christ, because we have often not displayed Him in a faithful way. What is needed is for us to be H.I.S.: humility, integrity and simplicity.
Why are you all here? We expect intentionality from you. You are not consumers but stewards. Stewards of the prayers prayed for this event, and stewards of the information you are given. Collective action sessions are the core of this congress. The words ‘I don’t need you’ we have often said to each other and also to God, but ‘without Me you can do nothing’. Few conferences really make a difference, but a few conferences make a difference. Few people change the world, but a few people do change the world. We look forward to the fulfilling of God’s promise (the gospel preached to all nations, and then the end will come, Mt.24:14); one day the Bride of the Lamb will be ready, clothed in fine linen (Rev. 19).
Introduction to the Bible reading
Collective action teams deal with 25 gaps (of the 40 identified in the State of the Great Commission Report). Collaboration is always difficult – it is both amazing and daunting. We need the Holy Spirit. The Bible readings this week are all taken from Acts.
1.2 Rev. Dr. Femi Adeleyi on Acts 2:1-21: The Coming of the Promised Spirit – No Mission without Power
This is the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit. There is no mission without God’s power. René Padilla said: God’s mission is local, regional ánd world-wide. Acts is not just the acts of the apostles, but of the Holy Spirit (mentioned more than 50 times). What we see come true is the promise of Isaiah 61 as recalled in Luke 4. The apostles waited and prayed in Jerusalem for the coming of the promised Spirit. The disciples were diverse and on this day they spoke many languages. Today (when we look at the history of revivals) the Spirit continues to come in many places. The response of the crowd was amazement. Lamin Sanneh reminded us that God does not disdain any language. The content of Peter’s sermon was: the promise of the Spirit has been fulfilled, Jesus was killed and crucified but was raised by God, and God made Him Lord and Christ. Peter’s message is: repent and believe. We must not forget to call people to repentance.
Implications for this text: Sings and wonders are essential for mission, not as an end in itself but for the purpose of the proclamation. Christ must be preached. In Acts we see the proclamation ánd the display of signs and wonders. Mission is not possible without the experience of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Signs and wonders and deep conviction of sin can lead to the transformation of the lives of individuals ánd of societies, as we witness in revivals. God sends revivals especially in the least expected places. Most Christians in the Majority World find signs far less objectionable than western Christians. If we have sidelined the Holy Spirit because of our mindset, we need to repent. As a movement we need a renewal of the power of the Holy Spirit.
1.3 Sarah Breuel: The role of repentance in paving the way for revival
In the Bible we find examples of repentance and renewal: King Josiah, Nineveh, people being baptized in the Jordan river. In history we find many encouraging examples, like in Manhattan, Herrnhut, Korea. We see also the fruits of revival, like the abolitionism movement, the origin of the Bible societies and the Ivy League. Revival is based on Scriptural Christianity. Jonathan Edwards said: it is an intensification and acceleration of the normal operations of the Holy Spirit. Only God can give revival, but we can posture for it, pray for it and remove impediments with personal and corporate prayer. The Bible speaks of travailing prayers (Gal.4:19) and about groaning (Rom.8:26, Ex.2:23). We from the Global South are grateful for the missionaries from North America. They must not retreat because of historical shame: we need you fully at the table. Latin America was changed from a mission field into a missionary force. In Africa the church grew from 9 mln to half a billion in 120 years: roar Africa! We need China to teach us about perseverance, we need Asia to lead us. The West is tempted by control and the South by a longing for independence, but there is only one global church and we all need each other. God is not done with Europe, because He is in the resurrection business. The ties of secularism and cynicism are crippling the European church and grieving the Father’s heart. In Cape Town 2010 the Latinos asked forgiveness from the Africans for slavery, and Africans asked forgiveness from each other for wrongdoings. We all have so much to repent from. The prophet Joel calls us to repent.
Lausanne 4, impressies van dag 2
In the first evening session there have been reflections on the incomplete or unsatisfactory response of the church to important challenges of our time: climate change, issues of injustice, and sexuality and gender.
2.1 Anne Zaki on Acts 15:1-35: The Missional Community as God’s New Society
Anne is here as a representative of the church of the Middle East, which has been there since the time of the apostles. In the movie ‘The Boys in the Boat’ we see the story of 8 excellent athletes who couldn’t row well together. They were the strongest group, but the weakest crew. The same danger was faced by the church in Antioch in Acts 15, where the issue was raised whether gentile believers needed to be circumcised. Paul and Barnabas rejected this , because the foundation of grace was at stake. The council in Jerusalem was convened, where different views were present, but they stayed together in the room. Peter addressed the crowd (v.7). This was remarkable, because he exemplified the courage of leadership, and also because not long before Peter had been confronted about the issue by Paul in Antioch ‘because Peter was afraid’. Here, we encounter a changed, corrected Peter, who maybe had been inspired by Paul’s courage to speak up in Antioch. If Paul had never confronted Peter, what would have happened to church theology and life, then and now? What happens if we are silent about false teachings or cover up mistakes that are made? This was about the unity of the church, and this is still crucial: men and women, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, new believers and long-time Christians must never be played out against each other. When we are silent at crucial moments, the future of the church is at stake, even though it may be costly. Jesus’ speaking up cost Him his life, and every missional community today will have to pay a cost: the cost of breaking the silence, or the cost of the consequences of not doing so. Peter’s message was that God made no distinction between ‘us and them’. For sure, Jesus made distinction between light and darkness, integrity and lies, and so should we. But in the church we must never make distinction between us and them, because in Christ we are all one. Do not divide where Jesus had united, because you would be testing God (Peter: ‘Why do you test God by putting ga yoke on them?’). Twisting God’s words is an act of treason. Peter (v.11): ‘It is through grace that we are saved, just as they are’. The whole congregation became silent: a convicted, convinced silence.
James speaks up (v.13) and concludes: ‘it seemed right to the Holy Spirit and to us…’. (not ‘the Holy Spirit and me’). It is a process to declare a decision with each other, not about each other. For all that the Holy Spirit did, they still had to discuss together with their opposing views. It was a declaration born out of prayer, teaching, breaking bread and hospitality. There was no marginalization of church members. The church together is ’us’. It is time we restored the lost art of church discussions. The unity and mission of the community of God is at stake. ‘In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things love’. In the boat movie, the difference was made by the 9th person in the boat, the one facing forward and the only one capable of setting the direction and the pace. For us this is the Holy Spirit, who brings unity among humbled people. In the end there are still four minimum requirements for the gentile believers, because freedom is disciplined freedom. Concessions on both sides are necessary to make unity. The church was still transitioning into that one-ness. Distinctiveness was alo needed towards non-believers. Would requirements should we put on ourselves today, what abstain from, in order to maintain fellowship and be attractive to non-believers?
The peace was restored in the church in Antioch, as we long to see in our situation today. The boys in the boat rowed unhindered and triumphant. The Early Church moved on unhindered (the last word in Acts). One of the 8 rowers, later interviewed said: ‘we were never eight, we were one!’
2.2 Dale Stephenson: God’s Mission Through the Witness of His People
In Acts 4 the leaders took notice that the disciples were uneducated and ordinary men (a-grammatos, idiotos), who had been with Jesus. The mission of God is still in the hands of ordinary people. Jesus in Matt. 28 tells us to make disciples, not converts. Jesus is our primary example, the Master-Disciplemaker. He had no Christians to disciple, but people. He discipled them to faith and to a life of faith. My thesis is: anyone can be a disciplemaker, just as you are going. What did Jesus do? He did what He saw the Father do (we can do that too). He spent a full night in prayer before choosing his disciples (after watching them), so He could do for the few what He could not do for the many (the multiplication factor). He invited them into his world, exposing them to his truth, and somewhere along the way He mobilized them. He encouraged them to seek for ‘persons of peace’. We all have those: they like you, listen to you and serve you (uniquely you). If we are going to disciple people to faith, they need to discover truth for themselves. Teaching is for a different setting, among a fellowship of believers. With non-believers reading the Bible we can ask simple questions: What stands out for you? What are you going to do? Whom are you going to tell? Anyone, anywhere can do this, working together with God the Evangelist.
2.3 Efraim Tendero
God has called us to take the gospel to the nations, but we are falling short of that task. Five reformations are needed for this situation:
a. From clergy doing ministry to every person being involved. The scattered all shared the gospel (Acts 8). All the saints must be equipped for ministry (Eph.4:11,12). Since Constantine the church has become like a dysfunctional army: the members are on the sidelines as mere spectators.
b. Repent of ‘mine’ rather than Jesus’ authority. Possessiveness undermines collaboration. No human kingdoms in the church, but ‘that they may be one’.
c. Reiterate radical instead of nominal discipleship. Jesus commanded to make disciples and teach them to obey, to lead a transformed life. Jesus gave about 500 commandments. Radical discipleship is all about unconditional love, humility and forgiveness.
d. Realign leadership to intentionally include younger generations. Do not relegate our young leaders.
e. Revise the view of Jesus’ presence from mere security to inculcate accountability: a life of purity, integrity and honesty is necessary because Jesus is with us. A lack thereof is causing great harm to the church.
Lausanne 4, impressies van dag 3
3.1 Michael Oh: Rejoicing – 50 Years of the Lausanne Movement Championing the Global Church
For 50 years, the Lausanne movement has been a prophetic voice calling the global church to biblical faith and catalyzing strategic collaboration, and will, Lord willing, continue to be that in the next 50 years. Biblical Christianity without fear or compromise, a confident and humble faith, a repentant and teachable people of faith, and a powerful statement of faith captured in the Lausanne covenant 50 years ago that continues to be a sure and steady and inspirational guide and anchor for the global church today. The gospel is simple, but it is also powerful. The simple gospel speaks into the lives of complicated people who live in a complex world. And for 50 years, Lausanne has shared the wisdom and insight of the global church about how the gospel ministers to the complications of life that every person faces and the complexities of the societies in which we live. The sharing of the gospel is simple, but it is not simplistic. It is a communication while also a conversation. It takes speaking, but it also begs for listening. It is about content, but it demands character. It can be one moment in time, but there is even more beauty and effectiveness when it is one life shared with another. The world we live in feels as complex as ever. 117 million forcibly displaced people in the world. 700 million people living in extreme poverty. One billion struggling with mental illness. One out of every three women in the world who have suffered from physical or sexual abuse. There is no challenge in the world that the gospel and the people of the gospel cannot meet. But we must understand these challenges better and endeavor to know the world into which the gospel speaks and connect with the lives of the people into whose heart the gospel will breathe. And this is why the Seoul Statement and the Report on the State of the Great Commission are truly landmark gifts and tools for the global church. They help us to see how we can bring the simple gospel to the lives of complicated people who live in a complex world. They capture in beautiful balance, theology and strategy, biblical truth and insightful data, what God is saying to us and what God would have us do in the world.
For 50 years this has been a hallmark of the Lausanne movement: catalyzing strategic collaboration. These strategic collaborations were innovative. They were data-informed. There was accountability and there was blessing and worldwide fruit. We long for and need much, much more in the next 50 years. What might this look like for Lausanne? What would fresh expression of catalyzing strategic collaboration look like? How can we see the activating of the global church toward the accelerating of global mission together? We remain passionately committed to three D’s: disciple making in the world, disciple maturing of the church and digital. All three dimensions are addressed by the three dimensions of this Congress, the report of the State of the Great Commission, the Seoul statement and collaborative action.
We recognize that the world in which we are living is increasingly a digital world. And the best tools to unite us in disciple making and disciple maturing are digital. It would be to our great detriment and grave danger to ignore digital, either to ignore it foolishly or embrace it naively. Regardless of how we feel about it, it is shaping our young people and shaping our world. One billion TikTok users, 8.5 billion Google searches every day. Digital is shaping what people want, what people know and what they do. We know that the gospel is powerful enough to save and shape lives, what people want, know and do. But young people are hopelessly inaccessible and lost if we do not enter their digital world and engage them with digital tools. This is the world in which young people live. We need strategic intentionality to reach and disciple the younger generations, or we will lose the future.
Digital tools are also critical for our strategic collaboration. Collaborative action in the 21st century requires coordination, training, support and technology. The Bible uses image after image that calls us to wisdom, stewardship, strategy, coordination, collaboration, long-term planning and more. And that is why we are committed to 3D for the sake of today and for the sake of the future. Because ultimately, this week is not about 2024. It’s about the world in 2050. Our world today is a result of people and groups who 30 years ago were dreaming about seemingly impossible changes that they longed to see in the world. And for the last 30 years, they’ve given their blood, sweat and tears to work together to make their dream our world today. Are we as the global church going to just react to the world we’re given? The world that others are giving decades of sacrifice, investment and collaboration toward. Or can we help to shape the world in 2050? Now, shaping the world in 2050 can’t start in 2045. It has to start now.
3.2 Vaughan Roberts: Sexuality
3.3 Patrick Fung on Acts 8:1-4, 12:1-5: Persecution and Mission
The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. There are two key words here, first disciples and second Christians. The word Christian is only mentioned three times in the New Testament, but the word disciple is mentioned at least 230 times in the Gospels and the book of Acts. The disciples were scattered because there was severe persecution (Acts 8:1). So far the church has enjoyed tremendous church growth, although it faced various challenges. But when we come to Acts 8 and11, the mood changed drastically. In a context of this severe persecution that we see a mission breakthrough, the gospel spreading from Jerusalem to Antioch and beyond. If there is a key strategy or method that God has used again and again in church history for church growth it is suffering and often persecution. For persecution never kills the church but a compromised gospel will. And so we want to discover what happened when the early church faced such a severe challenge.
First the power of the unnamed. Those who were scattered were not the leaders of the church, but the ordinary unknown disciples of Christ. These radical disciples were basically refugees on the run yet they carried the gospel wherever they went. So here is a gospel movement by God’s people, the unnamed, unknown and the uncelebrated ordinary disciples. Just like the archive department in London, where each file represents one missionary who has given his or her life to the Chinese for the sake of the gospel. They lived to be forgotten so that Christ would be remembered. Interestingly, the growth of the early church movement was not initiated by master plans, not charismatic leaders, nor fantastic strategies but by unnamed, committed, radical, fearless disciples of Jesus Christ. First they are fearless in proclaiming the gospel. Second they are willing to cross cultural barriers. they are from Cyprus and Cyrene. These are diaspora Jews who were of Jewish origin but were exposed to different cultures as they live in different places. These Jewish believers who reached out to the Greeks were multicultural in nature and most likely embraced a broader worldview. It was as if God was preparing them for such a time as this, to take the gospel to the Greeks. This required a significant mindset change for the early church. These Jews had to lay down their ethnocentrism. Third, they demonstrate the lordship of Jesus Christ. Luke used the word Lord five times in just seven verses in chapter 11. Luke tells us that these radical disciples of the early church submitted themselves to Christ’s lordship.
So there is the power of the unnamed, but secondly there is also the power of trust. Barnabas, being sent by the Jerusalem church, encouraged the church in Antioch to remain true to the Lord. Barnabas’ ministry was a ministry of encouragement and exaltation, not control. Sometimes by God’s sovereign grace, he forces us to release control to allow the church to grow. In 1951, more than 6,000 missionaries had to leave China. An atheistic government led to a church that became self-reliant. Barnabas chose to trust in Saul, although Saul was not the likely candidate to be a co-worker. By recruiting Saul, Barnabas was seriously jeopardizing his own position of leadership and prominence. Yet Barnabas was not afraid to let go of power, position, and status.
The third point is the power of a faithful witness. For a whole year, Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. These Christians were known to non-believers as they did not keep quiet about their faith, but proclaimed and displayed Christ wherever they went. They gossiped the gospel, so to speak, in word, deed, and character. These early disciples demonstrated a visible faith. They were visible followers of Jesus Christ, visible in word, but also visible in action. In 2015, 20 Egyptian Coptic Christians plus a Ghanaian were beheaded by ISIS militants. he world will never forget the image of those 21 men dressed in distinctive orange jumpsuits along a beach in Libya. There is one crucial element of what is now recognized as the martyrdom of the 21: the faithful, peaceful and resilient utterance of the Lord’s name from their lips as they awaited imminent death. This declaration of their faith has led to a revival of courage and a confirmation of what it means to witness as a Christian. God uses the unknown, unnamed and the uncelebrated to proclaim and display the gospel wherever they go. Persecution can never kill the church and yet how the church responds will make a huge difference.
Lausanne 4, impressies van dag 4
4.1 Julia Garschagen, Lessons from Acts: Christian Witness in the Workplace