The Lausanne Covenant
Thomas Hale
Growing up as a missionary kid, I never really appreciated the extraordinary unity among missionaries overseas. My parents worked with people from across the world, spanning a number of denominations and creeds, and yet that was never an issue. The missionary community put aside their small ���������������������� ����������������������������� the gospel of Jesus Christ. At the time it seemed perfectly normal to me, but having spent a couple years back in the United States I have really come to appreciate the extraordinary environment I grew up in.
What drove that unity? Curious, I asked my father if there was any reason I never noticed denomination- ����������������������������������������������������� I expected him to say that there was some unspoken rule, or that there wasn’ t time for denominational ������������������������������������������������������ ��������������������������������������������������� an interesting, if long-winded explanation of the history of denominational division in missions.
The long and short of his comments was that originally, missions was heavily divided. One church �����������������������������������������������nomination would reach the neighboring one in un- ����������������������������������������������������� the colonial reality of the time. The only problem was that the Church doesn’ t obey regional lines, and as the new churches grew they would eventually ����������������������������������������
The Lausanne Covenant reminds us of all that holds us together; namely that Christ is above all.
All this led up to a theological document: the Lau- ��������������������������������������������������� Congress on World Evangelization, a 2,300-strong international cross-denominational committee was formed to create a comprehensive statement of faith, putting down the very core tenets of Christianity as they relate to missions. The Lausanne Cov- ���������������������������������������������������� Christians generally, reminding us of the core things we hold to be true and that these essential values ������������������������������������������������������ a simple but thorough statement of faith the Lausanne Covenant allows the Church to have a united front in its outreach, prioritizing God’ s work over petty theological squabbles. Most importantly, the �������������������������������������������������
Although the Lausanne Covenant and the International Congress on World Evangelization is primari- ����������������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������������� � the things that hold us together.
https:// www. lausanne. org / content / covenant / lausanne-covenant
Thomas Hale is a sophomore concentrating in Computer Engineering.
22 Fall 2016