This week in Christian history: First Chinese convert to Methodism, English preacher martyred, Lausanne Conference

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, July 12, 2020

Lausanne Conference begins – July 16, 1974

This week marks the anniversary of when the First International Congress on World Evangelization, also known as the Lausanne Conference, first met in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The multiday gathering was organized by a committee headed by the Rev. Billy Graham and was attended by approximately 2,300 evangelical leaders from around 150 countries.

Get Our Latest News for FREE

Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

Subscribe

In addition to sparking subsequent gatherings, it also produced the “Lausanne Covenant,” an influential modern church document that lays out a statement of Christian faith.

“Therefore, in the light of this our faith and our resolve, we enter into a solemn covenant with God and with each other, to pray, to plan and to work together for the evangelization of the whole world,” concluded the Covenant.

“We call upon others to join us. May God help us by his grace, and for his glory, to be faithful to this our covenant! Amen, Alleluia!”