Lausanne Group Sets Theme for 1989 Meeting

Meeting in Pine Mountain, Georgia, the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization (LCWE) has adopted in principle the theme “Christ the Lord: The Hope of the World” for its second international Congress on World Evangelization. The committee left open the possibility of minor alterations.

The second Lausanne congress is set for July 1989 in Lausanne, Switzerland, 15 years after the landmark 1974 Lausanne event. The Georgia meeting also witnessed the inauguration of Thomas Wang as the LCWE’s third international director.

Wang, formerly the director of the Hong Kong-based Chinese Coordination Center of World Evangelism, will this summer undertake the task of moving the LCWE international headquarters to Lausanne from Charlotte, North Carolina. In his inaugural address, he pledged to encourage the internationalization of the Lausanne movement, which has been dominated by Western influence (see interview on p. 52).

As LCWE gears up for the 1989 congress, it is preparing to enlarge both its staff and financial backing. The committee adopted a $1.8 million budget for 1987, three times the annual budget of recent years. Finance chairman Thomas Zimmerman told the group the cost of running the congress and related events could run to $21 million.

LCWE chairman Leighton Ford said hope is an appropriate theme for the event “in a world of many dreams and nightmares.” Said Ford, “The only solid hope is in Jesus Christ, the Lord of history.” Although the second congress will be held in the same city as the first, Ford said the passing of time has dictated some significant differences. He expressed the hope that the 1989 event will help bring to the surface younger leadership in the worldwide church, as well as “new constellations of cooperation committed to biblical evangelization.”

In Pine Mountain, the committee was introduced to Paul McKaughan, the new LCWE director of ministries who will double as program director of the congress. McKaughan will work with Lausanne by arrangement with the Presbyterian Church in America. He has served as coordinator of the church’s missions program.

By Lloyd Mackey in Pine Mountain.

Our Latest

From Our Community

Storing Up Kingdom Treasure

Greenbriar Equity Group chairman and founding partner Regg Jones urges fellow Christians to invest in the next generation of Christ followers.

Gen Z Is More Than Anxious

What the church gets wrong—and what it can get right—about forming a generation shaped by screens and longing for purpose.

Don’t Pay Attention. Give It.

Attention isn’t a resource to maximize for productivity. It’s a gift that helps us love God and neighbor.

Faith-Based Education Is Having a Moment

I’m excited to see churches—particularly Black congregations—step boldly into teaching.

Being Human

Sex and Porn Addiction, Misconceptions That Prevent Healing with Matt Wenger

Porn addiction: An intimacy issue, not just a sexual one

The National Guard Debate Needs a Dose of Honesty

Criticizing federal overreach while remaining silent about local failures does not serve the cause of justice.

High Time for an Honest Conversation about THC

Legal cannabis may be here to stay, but the Christian conversation is just getting started.

News

Saudi Arabian Prison Frees Kenyan After ‘Blood Money’ Payout

A Christian mother relied on the Muslim practice of “diyat” to bring her son home alive.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube