Under the theme ‘Let the Church Declare and Display Christ Together’, the Lausanne 4 Congress – held in Incheon, South Korea (22–28 September 2024) – concluded with 5,000 present and many attending virtually.
Among the participants and representing The Salvation Army were Commissioner Jane Paone (International Headquarters), Lieut-Colonel Tai-suk Kang (Secretary for Programme, Korea Territory), Captain (Dr) John Clifton (corps officer and Justice and Reconciliation Officer, United Kingdom and Ireland Territory) and Rebekah McNeilly (Women’s Ministries, Canada and Bermuda Territory).
Lausanne’s fourfold vision is the gospel for every person, disciple-making churches for every people and place, Christlike leaders for every church and sector, and Kingdom impact in every sphere of society. It is a message that the Lausanne Committee on World Evangelization has been promoting for decades. Founded in 1974 by Billy Graham, John Stott and Leighton Ford, the first congress was held with 2,500 leaders in Lausanne, Switzerland, and now the movement is simply known as ‘Lausanne’. Global congresses have since taken place in Manila (1989) and Cape Town (2010).
25 missional gaps
The emphasis of the speakers was on numerous topics, including: the empowerment of the Holy Spirit; missional community as God’s new society; persecution and faithful witness; Christian witness in the workplace; leadership as servanthood and intergenerational disciple-making; and the gospel to the ends of the earth. Many sessions were geared to 25 missional gaps in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19), which are under-explored opportunities for global mission that Lausanne has identified. Salvationists participated in these teams on the themes of ‘people on the move’, ‘sexuality and gender’, ‘urban communities’ and ‘the next generation’.
Evangelism in the workplace was highlighted with a healthy representation of Christian leaders from all professions, since that is where 99% of evangelism happens. The wisdom and experiences of young people and women from the global South were also centred in discussions. Korean churches hosted a special evening, dramatically portraying the history of their churches. At the same moment, in nearby Seoul, the 100th anniversary of the Korean National Council of Churches took place. The Territorial Commander Commissioner Man-hee Chang represented The Salvation Army.
Better together
Lausanne 4 provided an opportunity for evangelicals to network and commit together to making a difference in the world. It was challenging to see how vibrant and confident people were ‘gossiping the gospel’, including those from places where there is persecution. Regional Lausanne groups will continue to meet, and a European youth event (Lausanne YLGen Europe) will be held from 14 to 17 November 2024 in Durrës, Albania.
At the conclusion of the congress, each participant committed to collaborative action: ‘I believe the global church as the Body of Christ is better together and I aspire to build deeper relationships and explore opportunities for synergy and collaboration.’
Reflecting on the congress, Commissioner Paone said, ‘As The Salvation Army, we have a network and funding opportunities within our movement which many evangelicals would love to have. May we keep as our aim to declare and display Christ in the 130-plus countries where incarnational ministries prevail – a privilege we should never forget.’
