The Global Conversation

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Unity and Partnership in the Global Church

To facilitate a truly global conversation, we ask Christian leaders from around the world to respond to the Global Conversation's lead articles. These points of view do not necessarily represent Christianity Today magazine or the Lausanne Movement. They are designed to stimulate discussion from all points of the compass and from different segments of the Christian community. Please add your perspective by posting a comment so that we can learn and grow together in the unity of the Spirit.

Considering the Lausanne movement and its development since 1974 from a Latin American missiological perspective, I am moved to thanksgiving to God for its reality and promise. Some of us feared that the Lausanne movement would be taken over by the managerial missiological trend in the USA. But I am glad that the convictions and vision of John Stott, Leighton Ford, and others like them kept the spirit of the 1974 Congress and the Covenant alive and functional in shaping ongoing missiological dialogue and evangelical global mission practice.

I find refreshing the fact that Chris Wright has quoted Visser't Hooft, because a key mark of the Lausanne Movement that I valued was its evangelical openness. In the corridors of the Lausanne Congress in 1974, evangelical stars such as Francis Schaeffer and Bill Bright interacted with people such as Mennonite theologian John Howard Yoder, Baptist missiologist Orlando Costas and Lutheran preacher Oswald Hoffman. These individuals, who moved in churches and organizations beyond evangelicalism, may never have been invited to the average American congress, but they had proved their evangelistic concern. It was the genius and rich world experience of Plymouth Brethren Paul Little and Anglican Bishop Jack Dain that kept the door open to such leaders. Billy Graham's growing willingness to engage a broader context in his crusade policies helped much at this point. I anticipate Lausanne III will provide opportunities for similar dialogue. [Editor's note: Alongside the 4,000 evangelical leaders drawn globally, Cape Town 2010 will also include a small group of personally-invited observers from other traditions.]

We have to thank Chris Wright for focusing on the whole Bible as the foundation for the whole gospel. He has made a rich contribution to evangelical missiology by reminding us of the indispensable need to take into account the Old Testament in order to understand the missionary message of the Bible. I find his argument very helpful in dismantling the dispensational dogma that has impoverished so much theology and mission practice around the world.

A tribute is due to John Stott for his Bible lectures at Berlin 1966, in which he emphasized the Great Commission in the gospel of John, launching a theological reflection that continued at Lausanne 1974 (and carried over to the Lausanne movement), and providing a solid Christological base for our understanding of the gospel and evangelism. This base, enriched by theological reflection from Latin American evangelicals, for instance, made clear the conviction that the qualities of the missionary's presence were as important as his or her message, and that such presence preceded the verbal communication. This was the basis of RenÉ Padilla's outstanding and polemical contribution to Lausanne, and for my effort to articulate its missiological consequences.

Aaron Benscoter, US

May 13, 2011  10:27pm

Encouraging to see that more and more followers of Jesus are identified that the Gospel is bigger than one transaction. A focus on the full biblical message will likely appeal to today's cultural pastors-educators and academica and the media-instead of drawing their (perhaps well-placed) ire. Carry on.

Erin Anthony

March 03, 2011  11:17am

I was so encouraged when reading this article. So many times in Christian/Evangelical churches today, "feel good" messages are preached. While I do believe there is a time and place for these messages, I also think that through time, the Gospel has been watered down to reach people emotionally, rather than preaching the "whole Gospel". Without teaching the effects of sin at the Fall, there would be no need for redemption through Christ's death on the cross. The "whole Gospel" connects through the entire Bible, thus reestablishing our ultimate goal on Earth to bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Trent Ballard

November 17, 2010  4:01pm

Finally, someone talking about the whole gospel from the whole bible. Too many missiologists are NT only which is ridiculous. Mission is rooted in creation as evidenced by Gen 1:26-28--that we are blessed to take the image and realities of God and his kingdom to the ends of the earth. And we must not forget, ROM 1:15 that we are to preach the whole gospel both to the unbelievers and to believers. Grace is not just to get us saved, but from where we live our lives in the resurrection power of Jesus every day. Its time for the sons and daughters of God to be revealed----you are God's people OT and NT ekklesia----live like it!

Suman Aghamkar, India

October 07, 2010  1:31am

I congratulate to you for writing a thought-provoking paper. Yes the Church of Jesus Christ will not grow with paid workers, the whole church needs to take the gospel to the whole world. It will not be done unless we train our laity, encourage them to take the Great commission seriously. Apart from this, we also need to take the market place ministry seriously. There is a huge number of Christians working in secular field and we need to train them, equip them so they can share the Gospel with their co-workers. Thus training and equipping Christians is very important, when we think of reaching the whole world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Danny Pasquale

October 06, 2010  3:05am

The article is inspiring and challenging. It brings balance to a way of living out the Christian faith and evangelization that is solely private and only focused on waiting for the return of Christ. Yet, the call to social transformation as a result of an wholistic faith must never loose sight of the fact that the complete transformation will occurr only when Christ will return. He is the One that will settle all things, bring justice and peace. Our job is to live this reality, testifying of the power and love of Christ, making disciples, but keeping the "not yet" side of the equation always in mind. 1 Thes. 1:9-10 says it best :"you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven..." May God help us to keep the balance!

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For More Conversation

After Lausanne 1974, John R. W. Stott explained the process behind the covenant the Congress had adopted, and its key points of significance.

Chris Wright talks about the breadth and depth of the phrase "the whole church."

Samuel Escobar describes some of the many distinctive contributions from Global South theologians in the wake of the 1974 Congress.

Can Christians address poverty without personal relationships with the poor? Christopher Heuertz suggests why our approach to poverty is often inadequate.