SUBMISSION. Fall 2016 | Page 22

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