Dear friends,
It’s like the Olympics for missiologists, and I was sulking about missing it. But the Fourth Lausanne Congress is still going on in South Korea until Saturday, with 5,000 in person and thousands more participating through virtual cohorts. And, though they kept it quiet until the event began, there’s also a livestream for some sessions. Take a look.
Even better, a system offering the videos on demand—so you can watch them with your team or group—will launch in October. Sign up to be notified when it’s available.
A core document from the first Lausanne Congress was the 1974 Lausanne Covenant. It was followed by the Manila Manifesto (1989), and the Cape Town Commitment (2010). Now they’ve published the Seoul Statement calling for a renewed focus on the centrality of the gospel and a faithful reading of scripture as we focus on today’s challenges (learn more).
One thing that seems to be missing in the statement, as Ted Esler, Ed Stetzer, and others point out, is a focus on evangelism. But the event as a whole has a strong focus on recognizing and addressing gaps, and taking the gospel to those with least access to it is a big topic.
We highlighted the State of the Great Commission Report Lausanne released in April. That’s now available as a free, PDF download—more than 500 pages of research data and analysis from 150 contributors. Looks well worth digging into. It will soon be available in six languages.
What will the outcomes from this global congress? Time will tell. But I’m praying for lasting fruit through gospel unity, innovation, and collaboration.
blessings,
Marti