Lausanne Movement

Geoff Tunnicliffe, international director of the World Evangelical Alliance, spoke to The Christian Post this week while in Washington, D.C., to attend the National Prayer Breakfast, among other events. During the interview, Tunnicliffe addressed the controversy surrounding the WEA’s recent visit to China, the group’s role in the upcoming Lausanne conference, and what its members are doing to help Haiti.

The following are excerpts from the interview.

CP: WEA leaders met with the TSPM/CCC (Three-Self Patriotic Movement/China Christian Council) church leaders in November. Did you also meet with house church leaders? If not, why not? more >>

WASHINGTON – The world does not see a distinction between the United States and Christians, said a former humanitarian worker who served in South Asia and Africa and worked with refugees when he returned to the United States.

“America is seen to be a Christian country,” said Galen Carey, now director of governmental affairs at the National Association of Evangelicals, at the Lausanne Movement Conversation held on Capitol Hill on Friday. “So, for example, in Indonesia, a mostly Muslim country, after the tsunami people would say, ‘We thank you Christians for bringing aid,’ when they meant the Americans and to some extent the Europeans."

“So on the one hand we got credit for a lot of work we weren’t actually doing, since a lot of the agencies weren’t Christians, and on the other hand we got blamed for a lot of things we weren’t doing because the aid agencies weren’t Christian,” Carey said, drawing laughter but also nods of agreement. more >>

The growing prevalence of the prosperity gospel around the world, and particularly in Africa, has prompted a group of theologians to release a statement of concern and a call for further reflection.

While recognizing that "there are some dimensions of prosperity teaching that have roots in the Bible," the Lausanne Theology Working Group says its overall view is that "the teachings of those who most vigorously promote the 'prosperity gospel' are false and gravely distorting of the Bible."

The statement was released this month through Christianity Today and is derived from a number of papers that were discussed at the group's meetings in October 2008 and September 2009. more >>

Leaders of a Christian movement focused on world evangelization marked the one-year count down to their third major gathering in over three decades Friday.

“It's hard to believe we're one year out,” wrote Lausanne Movement spokesperson Naomi Frizzell to supporters on Friday. “It's both encouraging and scary!”

In less than a year now, around 4,000 Christian leaders from more than 200 countries will gather in Cape Town, South Africa, to confront the critical issues of today as they relate to the future of the Church and world evangelization. Thousands more, meanwhile, will participate in Cape Town 2010 online and through other media. more >>

A series of booklets written by well-known Bible teachers is making its way around the world to nurture believers and equip them as Christ’s ambassadors.

Named after the Greek word for “teach,” The Didasko Files have been circulating for the past year and have already six titles in print, with more to come.

Writers of the booklets include John Stott, Sir Fred Catherwood, Ajith Fernando, and James Philip. Topics so far include Bible reading, Christian giving, spiritual leadership, business practices, the cross, and the Lausanne Covenant – a theological document that has inspired the faith statements of hundreds of ministries throughout the world for the last three decades. more >>

Christian leaders in South Korea are hosting this week a key gathering of leaders from the Lausanne Movement, which birthed a document more than three decades ago that has served as the basis for hundreds of ministries’ statements of faith throughout the world.

Starting Monday, some 200 Lausanne leaders will gather from 60 countries for the movement’s biennial meeting at the Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary (PCTS) in Seoul.

While leaders hope to maximize the fellowship of the international Lausanne constituency during the June 8-12 meeting, most pressing on the agenda will be the confirming of plans for Cape Town 2010, the third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization. more >>