Global Missions
GEARING UP FOR LAUSANNE!
By Alex Pettett, World Witness Executive Director Could the Lausanne Movement be the most influential movement for world evangelization in the 20th century? In 1974, John Stott and Billy Graham founded a conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, aimed at bringing together the world’s evangelical leaders with the focus on global missions and the evangelization of all people. This was called the First Lausanne Congress. The second occurred in Manila, Philippine Islands in 1982.
In 2010, I attended the Third Lausanne Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, where those attending from the West were in the minority, as the Global South (e.g., (Asia, Africa and South America) clearly dominated in number. This conference represented the largest, most diverse gathering of evangelicals in the history of the world, highlighting a massive shift in understanding that missions was no longer “from the West to the rest” but was instead, “everywhere to everywhere.” The concepts and ideas of that congress mobilized missions in extraordinary new ways, as the West began focusing on training national pastors to not only plant indigenous churches but to also take up missions.
In September of this year, the Fourth Lausanne Congress took place in Seoul, South Korea. As of this writing, I will not have yet attended, so please look for the next ARP Magazine article in Jan/Feb to receive a full account of that congress! For more information, go here: https://lausanne2024.mice.link
RWANDAN CHURCHES By Lee Shelnutt, Missionary & Team Leader The SEED Ministry Team would like to thank all those praying for our brothers and sisters in Rwanda, as they face governmental closure of so many of their churches.
It is estimated that since August, nearly 6,000 churches and mosques have been shut.
As for our students, most of their churches have been closed – not due to the educational requirement of the law but rather, due to issues like building, hygiene, and safety requirements. To this point, praise God, it seems like the government is showing favor upon our educational program. As for other requirements, many are good, like the provision of toilets, fire extinguishers, etc., while others, like parking pavers for rural churches, aren’t realistic. Please continue to pray because, financially, it is a herculean task for poor congregations to meet even reasonable requirements.
Gratefully, pastors are challenging their congregations, and many are responding, giving sacrificially, and making efforts to do what needs to be done. We have been blessed to witness such efforts. Rwandan problems need at least some Rwandan solutions. That said, most churches are unable to fulfill the requirements alone.
Of the churches initially closed, some (likely less than 100) will never be allowed to reopen. According to trusted government sources, these are churches and faith-based organizations whose buildings were truly in dangerous conditions, groups with bizarre, cultic, harmful beliefs, or those who conduct politically charged activities. One must remember Rwanda’s genocide history that is always a factor. What is encouraging, though, is the closings list is relatively small. In these cases, the government argues it must protect the lives of citizens.
Thankfully, it is allowing some closed congregations to reopen who have made good-faith efforts to meet code and is being lenient on some who made efforts, before enforcement began, to provide their communities with social, educational, or health programs.
We thank you for your donations this October to help us help our brothers and sisters and their congregations. May God be glorified in all we do for His Church in Rwanda!