3 Lessons from Lausanne 4 Congress
Lausanne 4 was the 4th congress of the Lausanne Movement, held in Seoul in September 2024. To our great surprise, Jethro Media was accredited to experience this historical event from the inside.
Why historical? Because since the creation of this global movement by Billy Graham in 1974, it has only gathered four times. The last time was in 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa. And last year, this 4th meeting marked the movement's 50th anniversary.
Lausanne 4 brought together 5,400 people from 200 different countries to advance world evangelization, addressing current spheres and issues as diverse as: cities, diasporas, secularization, digital age, transhumanism, populations in movement, etc. Among these 5,400 people was a balanced panel of pastors, missionaries, laypeople, entrepreneurs, men, women, young and "less young" from all 5 continents.
While countless things happened and were said during these 6 days of congress, we're sharing here what struck us most and what we find most inspiring to remember.
REPENTANCE
The numbers are undeniable: each year, there are more people who have never heard the gospel than the year before. That's why from the start, the opening plenary focused on repentance before God for lack of unity, self-sufficiency, gaps in Mission, arrogance, and scandals. This is a beautiful heart disposition that should inspire us and remind us that biblically, repentance is always the prerequisite for God's glorious action and revival (2 Chronicles 7:14).
COLLABORATION
In the immense plenary hall, the 5,400 participants weren't seated in rows of comfortable chairs. They were gathered in groups of 6 around 900 tables. And it was the same in all workshops, smaller meetings, and breakout sessions. Consistently, collective intelligence and consultation were emphasized, embodying the fact that we need each other and it's very dangerous for churches to believe otherwise (1 Corinthians 12:14-21).
THE WORKPLACE
More than 99% of Christians are not in "ministry." Yet, whether at the office or in the factory, they are alongside non-believers every day. The recognition of the workplace as a mission field was a strong focus of this Congress. This reality was extensively addressed, including during times of repentance when pastors publicly asked God's forgiveness for having long underestimated the role of this vast majority of Christians in Mission. We encourage you to read an article written by Michael Oh, the current president of the Lausanne Movement, where he expresses his apologies to the 99% of Christians on behalf of the 1% of pastors.
Spoken from the platform, these points are very consensual and obvious! No one opposes repentance, collaboration, and embodying God in the workplace. However, in real life, they can sometimes clash with tragic realities:
in how many cities do pastors ignore (at best) or despise (at worst) each other over denominational or liturgical questions?
how many neighboring churches never collaborate to evangelize their city, under the pretext of not knowing "who will get the souls"?
how many Christians endure their work and live their week "holding their breath," without seeing the reality of the mission field where God has placed them?
how many leaders so value service in the church and see any external involvement as competing with "God's work" (when God wants to be at work everywhere)?
There's no judgment or accusatory tone here, but simply clear observations that should make us question ourselves individually and collectively. And invite us to return to lesson #1: repentance and the fruits it promises us (Luke 3:8).
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