The first two Lausanne Congresses had a far greater percentage of American mainline Christianity than at next month’s event, Scates said. But he’s still counting on a world-changing experience.

Much has changed since the last Lausanne Congress, which took place in Manila, Philippines, in 1989.

Aside from the onset of the Internet age and the rise of militant Islam, the makeup of the Church is one of many drastic changes that will put a signature on the Lausanne Movement’s Third Congress on World Evangelization in Cape Town, South Africa Oct. 16-25.

As a self-described “poster child” of the Lausanne Movement, Highland Park Presbyterian Church (Dallas) Pastor Ron Scates is excited about the opportunity to be a delegate and to see what the major changes in the world will mean for the future of evangelism.

(Scates is Senior Pastor at the large Highland Park Presbyterian Church and serves on the board of Presbyterians for Renewal.)

“No. 1, the population of world Christianity has shifted back to the south and Lausanne Three is in the hands of the majority world church,” he said. “They are doing all of the planning. The First World church, Europe and America, now goes to sit at their feet rather than running the show.

“We have much to learn from our majority world brothers and sisters about faith and how to do missions and everything else.”

According to the Lausanne Web site, the goal of the upcoming event is to re-stimulate the spirit of the Lausanne Covenant, which was established at the first Lausanne Congress in 1974.

For additional information about the event, visit the Lausanne Web site at www.lausanne.org.

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