Listen to this article
Congress presents “unified expression of the Church.”
Commissioner Christine MacMillan, Salvation Army International Social Justice Commission director, was a featured speaker at the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, which took place Oct. 16-25, 2010, in Cape Town, South Africa. She also conducted a workshop on sex trafficking.
Eighteen delegates from nine Salvation Army territories and International Headquarters attended the event, continuing the strong relationship between the Lausanne Movement and the Army. The total delegation numbered 4,200 people from 197 countries.
The Lausanne Covenant calls for evangelistic clarity with corresponding social action—a perfect setting for The Salvation Army.
The Congress, which is reaching out to young, ethnically diverse, influential evangelical leaders, addressed such issues as pluralism, world faiths and globalization. Each morning began with an in-depth textual study of Ephesians, with an emphasis on biblical exposition and active delegate participation.
“This is the most diverse gathering ever in the history of the Church and the most united expression of the Church the world has ever seen,” Doug Birdsall, executive chairman of the congress, said.
In the closing ceremonies, Lindsay Brown, Lausanne Movement international director, addressed the crowd.
“Our vision and hope was firstly for a ringing affirmation of the uniqueness of Christ and the truth of the biblical gospel; and secondly, for a clear statement on evangelism and the mission of the church—all rooted in Scripture…There is a groundswell of conviction that greater concerted effort is needed to apply biblical truth in these arenas [government, business, academia and media],” he said.
Through the vision of Billy Graham and the scholarship of John Stott—pastor and noted leader of the worldwide evangelical movement—the Lausanne Covenant originated in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974, and is recognized as a standard-bearer for the evangelical Christian community.
Many of the main sessions of the 10-day event are viewable at www.lausanne.org.
From a report by Lt. Colonel Richard Munn
