The Lausanne Movement will hold its next global gathering in Seoul, South Korea, in September 2024, marking the 50th anniversary of the movement’s first meeting.
Known as the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelism, the 2024 event is expected to bring together thousands of Christian leaders from around the world.
Michael Oh, CEO of the Lausanne Movement made the announcement Wednesday during a meeting of religious leaders at the Onnuri Community Church campus in Incheon.
In the announcement, the Lausanne Movement said it believes the meeting “will be a pivotal moment in Christian history, with the Fourth Lausanne Congress being hosted in Seoul by Korea, Japan and the Asian Church in as a whole, in close partnership with leaders from across Asia. .”
“The global Church finds itself at a critical point where it must consider both its unity and its witness in the world as we seek to realize the vision of seeing the Gospel reach every person, churches discipling every people and every place, leaders in the image of Christ. in every church and sector, and the impact of the kingdom in all spheres of society,” the organization said.
“Seoul 2024 will be a celebration of the Gospel and our loving, forgiving and merciful God who has invited us to join his mission in the world… Our prayer is that the world will be beautifully different in the years and generations to come thanks to Seoul. 2024.”
Lausanne finds its origins in July 1974 when the Rev. Billy Graham organized a multi-day gathering in Lausanne, Switzerland, attended by approximately 2,300 Christian leaders from approximately 150 countries.
Originally known as the First International Congress on World Evangelism, the theme of the 1974 gathering was “Let the Earth Hear His Voice.”
Since this inaugural gathering, two other Lausanne Congresses have taken place in Manila, Philippines, in 1989, then in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2010.
The Cape Town gathering reportedly brought together around 4,000 Christian leaders, representing nearly 200 nations, with thousands more participating virtually.
The movement would eventually adopt a popular statement of faith of the modern Church in follow-up meetings known as the “Lausanne Pact”.
“We are deeply moved by what God is doing in our time, moved to penitence by our failures and challenged by the unfinished task of evangelization. » said the introduction to the Covenant.
“We believe that the Gospel is God’s good news for the whole world, and we are determined by His grace to obey Christ’s mission to proclaim it to all mankind and to disciple every nation. »
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