The Other Cheek asked several Australians who took part in the gathering of 5,000 evangelicals at the Lausanne Conference in Seoul, South Korea to reflect on what they learned there. The Lausanne Movement aims to connect influencers and ideas for global mission. Seoul was the fourth gathering of the conference founded by Billy Graham and first held in Lausanne in 1974.
1)Tell me about someone you met in Seoul, and what you talked about?
Gordon Preece Director of Ethos and Editor of Zadok Prespectives I met a relatively young man from the US in passing, as I met someone I knew. I foolishly cracked a joke about politics and instantly was barraged with an earnest and zealous Trumpian plea to take seriously the terrible current situation in the US and the need for change not based on candidates’ character but policies – an argument many Trump voters have used. I again risked a reply saying that Trump had already changed his views on abortion and his policies, leaving it to the states, and sniffing the direction of wind needed to win. At least this time, compared to the 2019 Manila Global Workplace Conference, there was no Trump (or other) endorsement and dismissal of any concerns from the platform.
Jeri Jones Sparks outreach minister at St James Anglican Croydon and St Lukes Burwood North and Concord I met a bunch of likely collaborators. Someone in Berlin I’ll work alongside to develop a resource on evangelising Gen Z across the secular contexts of Europe, Australia and NZ. Meet some amazing women from India who I’ll connect with a South Asian woman connected to Satya Network so that they can adapt/develop culturally suited DFV training.
Megan Powell du Toit Senior Pastor at Rouse Hill Baptist Church and Podcaster on With All Due Respect I met members of the persecuted church and talked about how they were living for the gospel in their context. I can’t give their names, but it powerfully reminded me about what it is to live for the gospel
2) What bunch of Christians from another country stick in your memory? What ministry of theirs struck you as praise worthy.
Gordon Preece The South Koreans and their story about their 1907 Revival, their falling on hard times more recently, and their determination to repent and be restored to a robust faith in the Gospel and its reconciliation. This applies obviously to its North but also to and through the older Korean layman/elder in my table group who was gently trying to learn how to be open himself and with his fellow elders to their youth at a time of massive decline of birth rates and church attendance. The 1000 Koreans at the conventions centre were joyful servants. From the Korean side my only disappointment was in the very loud and repetitive band which didn’t seem in tune with the content on a couple of nights. They compared poorly with the Getty Family Band.
Megan Powell du Toit Again to avoid details as it was a persecuted context but someone in such a context who was running a large medical ministry. I was impressed both with how this met the needs of the poor and gave opportunity to talk about faith.
Marty Woods of Fusion International serving in Japan Most of the 500 participants were moved by the way 1000 Korean volunteers served us. Many took the week off work to join us. I was most struck by those who just held up signs that said, “God bless you.”
From my side the conference ran like clockwork. Years of preparation from organizers and it came together
Worshipping with people from nearly every tribe and tongue- without a doubt each worship session was a glimpse of what awaits us in heaven.
The privilege of being with over 5000 global church leaders from 210 countries. It felt historic. I was humbled and like others I was thinking what am I doing here? It was like a massive family reunion.
The fearlessness of Iranian leaders – stories of persecution and jail – yet thankful for the privilege of suffering for the Master.
3) What leader in Seoul in Seoul had a message that you wished the rest of us could hear?
Gordon Preece I wished the daughter of Latino Lausanne ‘saint’ Rene Padilla, Ruth Padilla du Borst’s message on the Tuesday night along with other excellent speakers on topics of social, ecological, and missional concern would have been heard and not abruptly apologised for by the Conference convenor. The apology was deemed necessary because of Ruth’s allegedly one-sided short application on social justice issues to the Israeli – Palestinian situation of mutual suffering, hostage-keeping, war, and over 35,000+ victims so far. Pressure from Jewish groups was applied, Padilla clarified helpfully, but it was something of a repeat of Padilla’s poor treatment at Lausanne III in Capetown in 2010 by John Piper re-exegeting her challenging address on Reconciliation and Principalities and Powers in Ephesians 2. Many, especially women, were enraged by that treatment. It was only doubled by Seoul 2024.
Jeri Jones Sparks The repentant hunger for God to being revival again is something we heard from Sarah Breuel and the Korean church that is churning in my Spirit.
Megan Powell du Toit Sarah Breuel speaking about the importance of repentance for revival
Marty Woods On the first full day of the Conference, for a whole morning, we heard a variety of speakers making us hungry as they dug into revival stories.
What struck me most was Sarah Breuel from Revive Europe. She spoke powerfully on revival. (From Wood;s notes “Revival is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, an accelerator to the ‘norma’l”” work of the Spirit. Only God can send revival. We need travailing prayer – like a woman in childbirth, like Hannah weeping in prayer. Africa 100 years ago had 9 million believers – today half a billion. A roar in the African church.
“We serve a God who is in the resurrection business And these challenges… What helps make it happen? A willingness to ask for forgiveness from each other – for our pride, lack of unity, corruption and abuse. What works against it? Revival may happen but if it doesn’t have leaders of character it won’t last.”
Sarah Breuel, raised by Jones Sparks, Woods and Powell du Toit, is the director of Revive Europe. Included in Christianity Today’s ’33 under 33′ list of leaders to watch, Sarah served as chair of the 2016 Lausanne Younger Leaders Gathering. Originally from Brazil and currently living in Rome, Sarah has worked for IFES in four national movements in the last 16 years (Brazil, Canada, Norway, and Italy) and now works in the European region as the evangelism training coordinator. She has a business degree and a MDiv from Regent College, and serves on the Lausanne Movement’s international board of directors. Sarah is married to René. They have planted a vibrant church in Rome and have two boys, Pietro and Matteo.
What was something raised at the conference that we should discuss further?
Gordon Preece What Padilla was brave enough to raise should have been discussed at the conference tables as happened every other night excpt when the most contentuous issues were raised and needed discussion rather than a musical worship rant replacing it. We must be honest about our differences and patiently give time, and listen to, each other on the vexed Jew and lament with each other over the vexed Jewish-Palestinian issues. (see more on Ethos’ Facebook site).
Megan Powell du Toit: Reconciliation as important for shared mission.
Marty Woods: Lack of integrity does great harm to the body of Christ. Biggest weaknesses for leaders are integrity and humility.
In 2015 the global church gave 45 billion dollars into mission. In that same year there was 50 billion stolen and used in financial fraud. The source of this statistic is Gordon Conwell Centre of Global Christianity.
Now that is scary…
Any Other Thoughts?
Jeri Jones Sparks was blown away by what a taste of heaven it was, really profound
– very thankful to God in helping make “only God and only at Lausanne connections” possible I.e. getting some South Asian women collaborating on adapting DFV Training for South Asian communities
– realised being backstage how much diplomacy is needed for a unity movement
– the fact that I was a young South Asian woman meant so much to so many people who related to me in various ways (representation is powerful especially if the person in the position is equipped and competent)
– felt stretched at times meeting people who would have been on the theological edges of the official Lausanne Covenant. Coming from such a word based and heady tradition, I thought and prayed very hard through the statement before I served at the Australia gatherings 18 months ago. It was the basis of my public alignment but I realised others have approached it in different ways.
– as always people doing truly extraordinary things for the kingdom are slightly unhinged
– some of the pushes (honouring the workplace and deep discipleship) that Lausanne was identifying I think the Aussie church has already worked though. We have a lot to offer the Global church.
– what is the Aussie Evangelical identity and contribution to the Global church? We don’t know yet and we need to figure that out. To know who we are we need to articulate our story which is unique in multiculturalism and theological depth but our story is still patchy especially without the truth telling needed about First Nations
– We need to get uncomfortable for the trevailing prayer needed for spiritual renewal, something Sayers has been saying for a while. Where are our tears for the lost? Why can’t the missional imperative move us towards thoughtful collaboration? Comfort is our Idol.- It’s very easy to be critical about a congress like this, and critique can be faithless and cowardly without a willingness to also build up with prayer and contribution.
– God is undeniably on the move, will we be part of what he’s doing?
Marty Woods The theme of the conference was let the Church declare and display Christ together. The word together and collaborate were the most oft-spoken words at Lausanne.
We were reminded often that there is more that unites us than what divides us.
A speaker talked of how Communists often control by division amongst people
The early church figured out ways to listen to each other. We can’t give up. It’s what Jesus commanded us to do
Here were some other moments where God spoke to me.
– If there is a key strategy God has used again and again it is suffering and persecution,
Persecution has never killed the church but a compromised Gospel has and will
Discomfort is needed for growth to happen
Suffering and persecution is a part of the story not the end of the story
Am I willing to be forgotten so Christ can be remembered?
– Vaughan Roberts From St Ebbes in Oxford spoke on sexuality and sexual brokenness, and delight in God’s design. Life is for Christ, God is for sex, sex is for marriage, marriage is for life, life is for Christ,
Of same sex attraction he shared his personal struggle … It is not my identity but an ongoing part of my reality. A relationship with Christ endures any sexual brokenness as we await the bridegroom to come…One day our struggle from this brokenness will be no more – all tears will be wiped away. Till then I want to be gripped by Jesus.
Correction to volunteer numbers.