The Lausanne Movement has released the Seoul Statement because the Fourth Global Congress on World Evangelism (Lausanne 4) kicked off in Incheon, Korea on September 22. Unlike its predecessors that were published following the event, the statement is supposed to tell and encourage participants’ deliberations throughout the gathering fairly than summarize what was discussed, in keeping with Programme Director David Bennett.
Commenting to the press, Bennett emphasized that the aim of the Seoul Statement shouldn’t be to be a latest stand-alone response to the missional challenges that the worldwide Church is facing today.
Instead, it “stands as a part of the larger collection of key documents inside the Lausanne Movement, constructing on the legacy of the Lausanne Covenant, the Manila Manifesto, and the Cape Town Commitment. It is designed not to interchange, but to enrich these foundational documents, providing fresh insights into contemporary theological and missional challenges.”
The statement also adds additional theological perspectives to the State of the Great Commission report that Lausanne released earlier this 12 months, which identified 40 gaps within the Church’s pursuit of fulfilling the Great Commission of constructing disciples of all nations.
“Four years ago, we began a series of listening calls asking: What are the first gaps that remain unfulfilled regarding the Great Commission? Where are some breakthroughs and innovations? Where there’s more collaboration and research needed? What voices have to be a part of conversation?” Bennett said.
The result was the 500-page report that Lausanne released in April describing it as a document compiling the “best global data and key strategic thinkers to know where the best gaps and opportunities are for the Great Commission’s achievement”, as Christian Daily International reported on the time.
Simultaneously, Lausanne’s Theology Working Group, a collective of worldwide theological thinkers and practitioners, was working on addressing key theological gaps deemed obligatory for strengthening global mission today, in keeping with Bennett. The group was led by co-Chairs Ivor Poobalan (Sri Lanka) and Victor Nakah (South Africa).
Statement laments failure of nurturing believers and training leaders
Acknowledging some positive developments alongside the expansive growth of the Church primarily in Africa, Asia and Latin America, the statement’s preface highlights that the Great Commission shouldn’t be only about sharing the excellent news of Jesus Christ but additionally raise the believers’ faith.
It laments that the Church “has struggled to effectively nurture the religion and discipleship of tens of millions of first-generation Christians” and “not adequately provided the teaching obligatory to assist latest believers develop a very biblical worldview.”
The Church has not sufficiently prepared latest believers to live out their faith in every aspect of live, whether or not they are at church, at home, in school or at work.
“It has also struggled to equip its leaders to reply to trending social values and to distortions of the gospel, which have threatened to erode the sincere faith of Christians and to destroy the unity and fellowship of the church of the Lord Jesus. Consequently, we’re alarmed by the rise of false teachings and pseudo-Christian lifestyles, leading quite a few believers away from the essential values of the gospel,” it says.
Affirming centrality of gospel, faithful reading of Scripture to fulfill today’s challenges
Building on the previous three key documents, the Seoul Statement seeks to renew believers’ commitment to the centrality of the gospel and the faithful reading of Scripture. This will lay the firm foundation that can allow the worldwide Church to fulfill the precise challenges it faces today, the preface concludes.
The principal body of the 20-page statement features seven key themes which can be broken down into sub-sections and ultimately 97 articles. The themes are:
I. The Gospel: The Story We Live and Tell
II. The Bible: The Holy Scriptures We Read and Obey
III. The Church: The People of God We Love and Build Up
IV. The Human Person: The Image of God Created and Restored
V. Discipleship: Our Calling to Holiness and Mission
VI. The Family of Nations: The Peoples in Conflicts We See and Serve for Peace
VII. Technology: The Accelerating Innovation We Discern and Steward
Participants are encouraged to check the statement and consider how various elements apply to the problems they seek to handle as they join issue groups and collaborative afternoon sessions revolving around 25 of the 40 gaps, which the State of the Great Commission report identified.
Bennett leaves open whether or not there will likely be some type of summary of the conversations that happen throughout the week. But the statement’s conclusion already invites participants to affix in expressing their desire to rectify a number of the Church’s shortcomings which have been revealed in recent times.
“We return to our places of service in every corner of the world with a renewed commitment to like as he has loved us, to put aside selfish ambition, to work in gospel partnership, and to grow every day in prayerful dependence on his Spirit and the knowledge of his will, his ways, and his word,” it says in anticipation of the conclusion of the Congress.
This repentance and renewed determination to develop into more Christ-like in pursuing the achievement of the Great Commission is required, the document says, “So that we may declare with one voice the excellencies of the One who alone is the hope and lightweight of the world. So that we may display with one heart the holiness and love of the One who gave himself for sinners. So that we, the church, may declare and display Christ together!”
