If we are open to hear the voice of the global Church, to receive its help, and to serve it; then Europe still has a key part to play in the evangelisation of the earth.
Lausanne Congress 4./[link]Lausanne Movement.[/link]
Fifty years have passed since the International Congress on World Evangelisation which ultimately gave rise to the Lausanne Movement.
The theme of that first Congress in Lausanne, Switzerland, was “let the earth hear his voice” and back in 1974 many European churches and mission agencies were among the key players in responding to the challenge of evangelising the world.
The Fourth Lausanne Congress, held in Incheon-Seoul, South Korea from 22nd to 28th September 2024, brought together 5394 Christian leaders from over 200 nations and territories.
Among the delegates were 750 Europeans, the third largest regional group after North America and East Asia, yet there was no escaping the reality that Europeans are a minority voice in the global Church of the early 21st Century.
So as European missiologists and Co-Directors for Lausanne Europe, what did the Congress look like from here? What challenges did the Congress bring that have particular relevance for our European context today? And how might European churches and mission agencies continue to play their part in fulfilling the Great Commission?
The Fourth Lausanne Congress provided proof, if ever it were needed, of the extension, vitality, and diversity of evangelical Christianity today. The Lausanne congresses have had a part to play in spurring the world Church to evangelisation.
Yet alongside this and as throughout history, the Holy Spirit has used the migration of Christians to further extend Christian witness. Today there are more Christians in more countries than at any time in human history.(1)
Furthermore, the most vital churches and mission movements are to be found in the Majority World not in the West.
For years, Christians in Europe have been praying for revival, yet could it be that a revival is already underway?(2)
[destacate]The Fourth Lausanne Congress provided proof, if ever it were needed, of the extension, vitality, and diversity of evangelical Christianity today[/destacate] An acceleration in church planting, revival movements among Europe’s youth, and more than anything else, the arrival of millions of Majority World Christians into Europe in the last few decades, has changed the face of European Christianity.
Many of us worship alongside Africans, Asians, and Latin Americans in our existing churches. Many more Majority World Christians resident in Europe gather in their own diaspora churches.
At the Third Lausanne Congress in Cape Town in 2010, there were almost no Majority World representatives in the European regional gathering.
Fourteen years later, in Seoul, two thirds of the European national delegations had participants that originated from outside of Europe and North America.
Many delegates at the Fourth Lausanne Congress were inspired by the vision of the global Church that they saw in Seoul. “It was a taste of heaven”, they said. Yet the global Church worships alongside us in towns and cities across Europe. “The Kingdom of God is near”, said Jesus (Mark 1:15).
European Christians need to look for heaven closer to home and recognise the challenges and opportunities for partnership with diaspora churches in our neighbourhoods today.
The theme of the Seoul Congress was “let the Church declare and display Christ together” in an apparent acknowledgement of Lausanne’s position on integral mission.
At the First Lausanne Congress, the Ecuadorian evangelical theologian and missiologist René Padilla challenged the delegates to not dichotomise evangelism and social action but rather to take seriously the social justice implications of the Christian Gospel.
Ultimately the argument for “integral mission” seemed to prevail but at each of the subsequent Congresses, to a greater or lesser extent, the tug of war between those who see evangelism as primary and ultimate, and those who argue for a necessary and active engagement in social justice has continued.
The centre-point of the rope has moved back and forth in different Lausanne statements, but the tension remains.
On the second day of the Seoul Congress, Ruth Padilla DeBorst, René Padilla’s daughter, was invited to speak on the issue of Justice.
Despite having only fifteen minutes, her wide ranging address touched on poverty, the discrimination of women and the disabled, racism, ecological destruction, and war - specifically Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
Her speech triggered a reaction from those who objected to her critique of dispensational eschatology, her assertion of Israel holding hostages, and her lack of mention of Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7th October 2024.
Lausanne issued a rushed apology and a fierce debate ensued among some delegates and in the media.
Following the Congress, articles were written in defence of Padilla DeBorst, on justice issues, and integral mission, whilst others argued that the Seoul Statement was not strong enough on the primacy of evangelism.(3)
The tug of war between evangelism and social responsibility continues. Yet perhaps that is how it is meant to be; a tension that must be maintained. Like so many paradoxes in Scripture, two apparently contradictory truths must both be held in tension.
To deny one truth is to lose something vital and ultimately leave us all on the floor as often happens when one side “wins” in a tug of war.
[destacate]The tug of war between evangelism and social responsibility continues. Yet perhaps that is how it is meant to be; a tension that must be maintained [/destacate]Mission is contextual. In any given moment, different regions of the world, and even different countries in a given region, may need the Church to pull more strongly in one direction or another on this matter.
In many European countries today, there is a need for a bolder proclamation of the Gospel. Many Christians are timid in their evangelism and many churches focus their mission budgets on social justice projects rather than evangelism and church planting.
Yet in other countries the Church may need to be bolder in denouncing injustices towards the poor, women, refugees, asylum seekers, and the disabled.
More broadly, we have a challenge to confront division and pursue unity. Division is not resolved by leaders alone but by theological discussion alongside ordinary believers.
Anne Zaki, professor of preaching and practical theology at The Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo, Egypt, spoke powerfully at the Seoul Congress of the need to restore “the lost art of church discussions, the art of talking and listening to each other, even to those who oppose our views on how to interpret the Bible or how to worship or who should lead in the church or which country to bless and which nation to curse.”
Ongoing discourse is the space for ongoing repentance where intention and impact confront the voices of polarisation. Identifying and resolving real situations of racial, financial, and sexual misconduct instead of remaining silent calls every Christ-follower of every age to honest and transparent accountability.
As Zaki affirmed, “When we are silent in the moment of truth telling, the future of the church is at stake.”
The European chapter of the State of the Great Commission Report begins by highlighting the fundamental epistemological shift that has taken place in Europe over the last 100 years.
Quite simply, Europeans no longer trust the Church. “For many Europeans, the Good News has become bad news: it is morally corrupt, intellectually naïve, and emotionally irrelevant.
The leading question ahead of the Church must therefore be: How can we live and speak of the power, beauty, and truth of the Gospel so that Europeans perceive it as good news?”(4)
Sadly, one of the main reasons for this loss of trust has been the abuses committed by church leaders. In some countries such as the Republic of Ireland, it is impossible to overstate the impact that these cases have had on the credibility of the Roman Catholic Church.
Yet the recent corruption and abuse scandals of prominent evangelical Christian leaders suggest corruption in the Church has a significant impact on Christian mission.
As John Stott put it in the Manila Manifesto, “Nothing commends the Gospel more eloquently than a transformed life, and nothing brings it into disrepute so much as personal inconsistency.”(5)
As we call the Church to a bolder proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel, we must also call it to repentance and to a more faithful discipleship which is one of the key themes of the Seoul Statement. (6)
Brazilian-Italian Christian leader Sarah Breuel said as much in her plenary on revival: “While it is God who brings revival we can posture ourselves for revival by personal and corporate repentance”.
Breuel’s call to repentance highlighted the need for transparency in our leadership.
[destacate] As we call the Church to a bolder proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel, we must also call it to repentance and to a more faithful discipleship [/destacate]There is no doubt that the Church in Europe has lost its position of trust. Abuse and moral corruption have crippled the Church. Corporate repentance and a shift away from hierarchical leadership is required.
At the same time, debates around postcolonialism, racism, and differing opinions on social justice leave little place for the type of discourse that Anne Zaki highlighted as the habit of the early Church.
Surely repentance includes hearing the voices of the marginalised and allowing their voices to challenge us. This can actively motivate us toward repentance which is a necessary condition for the revival of the Church in Europe.
One of the most memorable events during the Fourth Lausanne Congress was an evening when the Korean hosts told their story.
Entitled “A Night for the Korean Church”, this spectacular visual and musical presentation began with the story of how Christianity was introduced to Korea, moving on to review the impact of the first missionaries, the Pyongyang Revival of 1907, the 35 years of Japanese colonisation, the reconstruction after the Korean War, and the explosion of the Church despite all the trial and suffering. It was beautiful but also searingly honest, including confession for the failures of past and present.
The Congress concluded with Korean and Japanese pastors jointly leading a communion service in a powerful symbol of reconciliation.
We could learn much in Europe from the humility of the Koreans in the telling of their story. The Good News will only be heard as “good news” in Europe if the story is seen to be true, and that requires honest assessment and confession of wrongs.
If there is one word that featured more than any other at the Fourth Lausanne Congress, it was collaboration. Drawing on Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12, Lausanne CEO Michael Oh opened the Congress by saying that the four words that were doing the most damage to the global Church were: “I don’t need you”.
Lamenting the isolation and competition between ministries and church leaders, he called the gathered delegates to “incorporate the whole Body into God’s mission.”
The programme was structured to foster collaboration in addressing the 25 issue gaps that were identified in the State of the Great Commission Report. On most afternoons, delegates used a common collaborative process to work in groups towards “closing the gaps”.
Whilst some have suggested that this uniformity of process was a centralising paradigm or even an attempt to control collaboration globally, its designers have stated that the intention was to equip people with collaborative tools they could use at whatever level they are operating.
On the final day, participants were invited to sign a 'Collaborative Action Commitment' to inspire them to explore ways to work together after they leave the Congress.
The focus on collaboration is a challenge to our European individualism. So much of our practice as Christians is at the expense of genuine relational community.
Those that feel unheard and isolated should find the Church to be a place of collaboration and polycentricity that displays and declares Christ together.
[destacate]The focus on collaboration is a challenge to our European individualism[/destacate]What does it mean for churches, mission organisations, and networks to collaborate? It will necessarily involve a change of emphasis, with less attention being given to production and more on relationship.
Rather than a focus on results, shortcuts to success, and value for money, collaboration challenges us to strengthen and develop trusting relationships that will enable us to serve the Lord of the Harvest together.
The stories of persecution that were shared at the Congress gave another perspective on collaboration. Within Europe, persecution that causes danger to life is rare.
However, Europe has become the home for persecuted Christian refugees from elsewhere. Lesser degrees of persecution persist amongst migrants who convert to Christianity from other religions.
This may be in terms of isolation from their families and communities or experiencing difficulties with securing a stable home or job. More broadly, many Christians in Europe experience more subtle persecution or discrimination as a result of their decision to take biblical ethical positions in an increasingly secular society which rejects the Bible as a moral authority.
The prophetic challenge to the Church in Europe lies in how we choose to work together as Christ followers regardless of the differences in the challenges we face.
Another aspect of the Congress was its focus on the use of digital technologies for the fulfilment of the Great Commission.
A large space was dedicated to showcasing digital technologies and how they could be used in mission. The Digital Discovery Center (7) allowed delegates to engage with innovators who are exploring how digital tools could accelerate the fulfilment of the Great Commission.
This was accompanied by a strong emphasis in plenary sessions on the necessity of using digital tools, and particularly Artificial Intelligence, if we are to reach the younger generations.
Those familiar with the Lausanne Movement’s history will know that the discussion around the use of strategies, technologies, and quantitative approaches to measuring progress, have been going on for many years. (8)
Samuel Escobar’s warnings about the dangers of “managerial missiology” after the Second Lausanne Congress sparked a lively debate and the response to Lausanne 4 suggests that many were uncomfortable with the “industrialised” rather than “indigenised” emphasis. (9)
Examples of a counternarrative were also evident in the stories of the persecuted Church. This is a prophetic challenge to our Western confidence in new technologies.
In the powerlessness of persecuted Christ-followers, their weakness becomes the means through which the Spirit demonstrates God’s power.
The fundamental question is: when it comes to the fulfilment of the Great Commission, do we trust in the power of technology or in the power of the Holy Spirit? And when it comes to the younger generation, is it really the case that we can only reach them if we connect with them digitally.
[destacate]When it comes to the fulfilment of the Great Commission, do we trust in the power of technology or in the power of the Holy Spirit? [/destacate]Today’s younger generations have access to a world of online theological and academic resources. Previously, theological discovery was located exclusively within their church or academic experience.
Global connectivity allows the younger generation to interact in spiritual and theological discussions amongst their peers that were once confined to the meetings of professional ministers.
Nevertheless, our experience of Lausanne Younger Leader Gatherings in Europe is that young leaders today continue to thirst for “real community” not just virtual connections. Discipleship is all about intense, intentional, intimate relationships.
Technology cannot reproduce that, nor can Artificial Intelligence authentically accelerate it.
The Edinburgh 1910 World Missionary Conference brought together 1215 delegates from around the world. Of the 1215 participants 500 were from Britain, 500 from the USA and 170 from continental Europe.
There was one participant from Africa, and none from Latin America. One hundred and fifteen years later, Europe may well receive more missionaries from the Majority World than it actually sends.
They may not be “official missionaries” but who can ignore the new mission reality we have in Europe today?
It might seem that, from the perspective of World Christianity today, the Church in Europe is weak. Yet humility can also be a strength.
We would do well to remember Paul’s words to one of the first churches in Europe, the church in Corinth: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9,10)
If we are open to hear the voice of the global Church, open to receive help from the global Church, and open to serve the global Church; then Europe still has a key part to play in the evangelisation of the earth.
Jim Memory, co- regional director of Lausanne Europe and a founding editor of Vista.
Usha Reifsnider is co- regional director of Lausanne Europe.
1. Zurlo (2022), Global Christianity: A Guide to the World’s Largest Religion from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic
2. Memory (2021), Europe 2021: A Missiological Report, p.26ff.
3. Atencio (2024), “A Speech on Justice Criticised Israel: The Global Evangelical Conference Apologisted”, Sojourners,; Stetzer (2024), “Declaring, Displaying, and the Future of Lausanne”, Church Leaders,
4. Lausanne Movement: State of the Great Commission Report – Europe Regional Report
5. Lausanne Movement: Manila Manifesto
6. Lausanne Movement: Seoul Statement
7. Lausanne Movement: Digital Discovery Center
8. Escobar, “A Movement Divided: Three approaches to world evangelization stand in tension with one another”, Transformation, Vol.8, Issue 4
9. Cruickshank (2024), “Technology and the Holy Spirit: The Role of AI in Global Church Strategy”, Church Leaders,
Vista is an online journal offering research-based information about mission in Europe. Founded in 2010, each themed edition covers a variety of perspectives on crucial issues for mission.
Download the latest edition or read individual articles here. This article first appeared in the December 2024 edition of Vista Journal.
Las opiniones vertidas por nuestros colaboradores se realizan a nivel personal, pudiendo coincidir o no con la postura de la dirección de Protestante Digital.
