Sometimes I’ll call it ‘Lausanne III’ but the technical name is “Capetown 2010: The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization.” Either way, the six key topics are:
- Truth — Bearing witness to the truth of Christ in our time: “How do we make the case for Truth and the uniqueness of Christ in a postmodern, pluralistic world?”
- Reconciliation — Building the Peace of Christ in our Divided and Broken World: “How do we articulate and demonstrate the power of the Gospel in the midst of suffering and strife?”
- World Faiths — Living the Love of Christ with Neighbors of Other Faiths: “How do we respond redemptively to religious fundamentalism — Islam and Hinduism in particular?”
- Priorities — Discerning the Will of Christ in our Ongoing Evangelism: “What should our priorities be with respect to the unfinished task of world evangelization?”
- Integrity — Returning to the Way of Christ in Repentance and Humility: “What are the obstacles to world evangelization within the church and how can those be addressed.”
- Partnership — Partnering in the Body of Christ Toward a New Global Equilibrium: “How should the church in the US partner with the church in the rest of the world?”
In the next edition’s BackPage, we’ll pick apart the first theme, Truth. In the meantime, what’s your take on these 6 issues. Do you feel they address today’s heartbeat issues? Do you see themes or perspectives that the Lausanne architects have forgotten? If so, just jot a note in the “Comments” box below.
These themes may sound a bit strange to the American mind, but, having lived in Europe for over five years, I can assure you they are the buzzing topics among missiologists in Europe. We Americans are more do-ers, while the Europeans are more be-ers. They often wonder why we have no time to reflect. A combination of both mind sets can work.
Good insight Mary.
I wanted to let you know that John Stott’s study guide to the historic Lausanne Covenant has just been re-published with a Foreword by Doug Birdsall (Chairman of The Lausanne Movement) and an excellent introduction by Chris Wright, Chairman of the Lausanne Theology Working Group. It is entitlesd ‘For the Lord we Love’.
If you are in North America, you will find it on http://www.christianbook.com/didasko at a discount. It is worth studying in preparation for the Congress – biblical, pastoral and incisive, like all the new Didasko Files.
If you are not in North America, go to http://www.didaskofiles.com to find where to purchase it in your country.