The_Big_Deal_About_Cape_Town_2010.pdf

Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization: 16–25 October 2010

You might be thinking, “Come on, isn’t this just a ‘missions thing’? Why should the average Bethlehem member care about the Cape Town 2010?"

First, because of Christ’s commission to all of his disciples—not just “missionaries”—to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20), and the host of other biblical mandates (from Genesis 12:3 to Revelation 7:9) that call upon the righteous in Christ to work together with him in reconciling the world to himself (2 Corinthians 5:19–21).

Secondly, Pastor John will be one of the six Bible expositors (representing six different regions of the world) who will speak at each day’s session prior to other world-class international theologians and missiologists who will address one of the six issues confronting the global Church of Jesus Christ in the 21st century. (I myself will have the privilege of being one of the 400 Americans invited to participate in this historical event involving 4,000 Christian leaders from around the world.)

Finally, to help explain why this event merits the engagement of all Bethlehem members and staff, I offer you a brief historical overview.

(The following are edited excerpts from the Cape Town 2010 Web site.)

1910: The Unfortunate Consequences of the First World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland

In June 1910, a major missions conference took place in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was drawn together by the Rev. John R Mott, a visionary with a deep passion for evangelism. In a move to gain wider participation, John Mott agreed that matters of doctrine would not be discussed. It was a lost opportunity to engage with the critical theological challenges of the day. Theological liberalism was to dominate in university faculties and in seminaries for the next several decades. As a result, missions became sidelined in the church. Despite these unintended and unforeseen consequences, there is a sense in which The Lausanne Movement is the “spiritual legacy” of John Mott.

1974: Billy Graham Convenes the First Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization

In July 1974, some 2,700 participants and guests from over 150 nations gathered in Lausanne, Switzerland, for 10 days of discussion, fellowship, worship, and prayer. Given the range of nationalities, ethnicities, ages, occupations and church affiliations, TIME magazine described it as “a formidable forum, possibly the widest-ranging meeting of Christians ever held.” Speakers included some of the world’s most respected Christian thinkers of the time, including Samuel Escobar, Francis Schaeffer, Carl Henry, and John Stott.

Ralph Winter’s plenary address, in which he introduced the term unreached people groups, was hailed as “one of the milestone events in missiology.” Some were calling for a moratorium on foreign missions, but Winter argued the opposite. Thousands of groups remained without a single Christian, and with no access to Scripture in their tongue, so cross-cultural evangelization needed to be the primary task of the Church.

A major achievement of the Congress was the development of The Lausanne Covenant, John Stott being the chief architect. This has proved to be one of most widely-used documents in modern church history. The Covenant has helped to define evangelical theology and practice, and has set the stage for many new partnerships and alliances.

1989: Lausanne II Convenes in Manila, Philippines

The second major congress, known as Lausanne II, drew 3,000 participants from 170 countries including Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, but sadly not China. Lausanne II produced The Manila Manifesto and was the catalyst for over 300 partnerships and new international initiatives.

2010: Lausanne III Convenes in Cape Town, South Africa

We now look forward with anticipation to The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization this October. The goal of Cape Town 2010 is to re-stimulate the spirit of Lausanne, as represented in The Lausanne Covenant, and so to promote unity, humility in service, and a call to active global evangelization.

Some 4,000 leaders from 200 countries have been invited to attend; thousands more will take part in seminaries, universities, churches, and through mission agencies and radio networks globally, as part of the Cape Town GlobaLink.

In preparation for the Congress, forums are taking place in cities across the United States. Already begun, and extending beyond the Congress, is the Lausanne Global Conversation. This is engaging evangelical leaders on every continent.

Christ’s last command on earth has never been rescinded. We want many more to hear and respond to the gospel of Christ, and to grow in their faith, and themselves to become evangelists, for the glory of God. We must work together as we proclaim and defend the eternal message in a contemporary and culturally appropriate manner.

Global Focus 2010 at Bethlehem

Now you may be asking, “Isn’t this all happening around the same time as Bethlehem’s annual ‘Global Focus’ (a.k.a. ‘Missions Focus’)? Will we get to see and hear some of the video from this once-in-30-years, global-historical event that involves our Senior Pastor and our Global Outreach Pastor?” Stay tuned …

For the joy of all peoples in Christ,

Erik Hyatt, Pastor for Global Outreach

Join in the Global Conversation and learn about the Six Critical Issues. To read the documents being prepared for the congress.