The Lausanne Movement to Seoul

Olivier, you've been traveling around Asia for three weeks now, spreading the Good News throughout the region as part of the JC2033 project. In particular, you spent a week at the Fourth Congress of the Lausanne Movement for World Evangelization. For the uninitiated, what is the Lausanne Movement?

The Lausanne Movement was founded by Billy Graham in 1974 in Lausanne. Its aim is to bring together the key players in evangelical missions, churches and movements to join forces for world evangelization. 

The Lausanne Movement hopes to develop a consensus on mission among Evangelical leaders.

Claude, Rija, Annie, André, Matthieu and Olivier from the Table J13

 

From September 23 to 28, you were invited to take part in the Fourth Congress of this movement in Seoul.​​​​​​​ 

Since the meeting in New York in December 2022, JC2033 has been part of the “2033 round table”, the gathering of organizations that have 2033 in their sights. It was in this context that I was invited to take part in the congress. 

What's more, the Lausanne Movement only organizes a congress every 15 years or so. To give you an idea of scale, it's the equivalent of the Olympic Games for sportsmen and women, or a Council for the Catholic Church!  This seven-day congress aims to equip 5400 Christian leaders involved in the church, Christian associations, businesses and all areas of society. So we went back and forth between plenary sessions and workshops to come to grips with the topics discussed in the plenary. We also had the opportunity to exchange ideas and work by nations. It was a great time.

Michael Oh and Rick Warren

It's not always easy to understand the ins and outs of this kind of meeting. Could you explain how this Fourth Congress is helping to advance the JC2033 project?​​​​​​​

The Lausanne Movement promotes the unity of evangelicals to bear witness to the Risen Christ, values shared by JC2033. While we bring the unique aspect of celebration, the raison d'être of JC2033 is to witness to the world the Risen Christ in the unity of His body. By taking part in this congress, I was able to renew ties with certain leaders, solidify partnerships and raise ambassadors. This is essential for spreading the JC2033 vision. It also helped remind participants of the impending arrival of 2033.

JC2033 ambassadors

I imagine that a conference week of this magnitude has its share of surprises; what were the highlights of the conference?​​​​​​​ 

Out of 55,000 registrants, the congress selected only 10%, and JC2033 was one of them. There's a real recognition of the relevance of celebrating together in 2033 to bear witness to the Risen Christ. 

Among the unforgettable encounters, I must mention the one with Rick Warren (Finishing The Task) and Jenny Allen (Gather25). They work, each in their own field, for evangelization and Christian unity. It's an honor to be able to share with them

5,400 Christian leaders meet to work for seven days. What fruit can we expect from this congress?​​​​​​​ 

Each participant signed a personal commitment, the Seoul Proclamation, which addresses “the contemporary gaps that the Theological Working Group (TWG) has deemed necessary to fill in order to strengthen and refine today's global mission ” As with the other three congresses, this reference document combines ethical statements and strategies for the spread of Christianity. 

Following the conference, each nation is responsible for implementing the document in its own country. For Switzerland, a meeting was held in Bern on November 5, 2024.

The 1st Methodist Church in Korea

How can we take part in the road to 2033?​​​​​​​

We have different groups available so that everyone can get involved according to their resources. Whether through prayer, a donation or time, there's a place for everyone! JC2033 ambassadors are proof that there are more ways to prepare for the 2000th anniversary celebrations of the Resurrection than there are Christians!

 

Ready to carry the torch on the road to 2033?​​​​​​​

Join us