An ailing 92-year old Billy Graham…, an original organizer of the first Lausanne Congress on Evangelism in 1974, brought greetings, telling a new generation of young evangelicals…to continue the mandate to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel

To the throb of African drums more than 5,000 participants sang and raised holy hands announcing they are ready to do battle with the spiritual forces of darkness, and seizing the moment to confront globalization, secularism, economic oppression, HIV/AIDS, greed and consumerism with the life-changing message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

An ailing 92-year old Billy Graham, an initial organizer along with the Rev. John Stott, an Anglican priest of the first Lausanne Congress on Evangelism in 1974, brought greetings, telling a new generation of young evangelicals from 198 countries to continue the mandate to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel, placing their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and savior. “Increase your burden for a lost and dying world,” he urged in a letter to eager participants.

Evangelicals, often accused of being spiritually pushy but socially irrelevant, heard one speaker say that this was World Poverty Day and participants should remember those who are without basic necessities.

Doug Birdsall, executive chairman of the Congress, said this is the most diverse gathering ever in the history of the church and the most united expression of the church the world has ever seen. “The Congress is global in scope but African in nuance,” he said.

“Represented here are 198 countries with every stream of global Christianity. We are joined by 100,000 viewers and 700 global links in 96 countries of the world,” he continued.

“Forty per cent of our participants are in their late 20s, 30s and 40s, one third are women, 1,200 are missionaries, 1,200 are pastors and 1,200 scholars as well as 600 from business, government, other ministries and media. We are here as a global gathering with 4,200 participants plus 1,100 stewards.”

Stott, a mastermind behind the original Lausanne Covenant that urged evangelicals to be socially engaged while spreading the life-changing news about Jesus Christ, sent a message saying he was pleased that the conference is being hosted in Africa. “God has poured out his blessing on this land.” Citing St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, – theme book of the Congress – Stott urged participants to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”

Ugandan Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, Lausanne chairman and leader of the second largest Anglican province in the Anglican Communion, welcomed the participants saying he was saved 43 year ago. He added that the congress theme of ‘God in Christ, reconciling the world to himself’ (2 Cor. 5:19) is “beautiful and powerful.”

“Only God in Christ can entrust this message to organize people like you and me…you are right at the beginning of the creation of Africa. I pray God empowers you and gives you a new vision for the 21st century,” he roared.

Geoff Tunnicliffe, Secretary General for the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) the world’s largest association of evangelical Christians serving 420 million people in 128 national evangelical alliances located in 7 regions, said the idea of a Third Lausanne began in a café in London 4 years ago. “We had a deep theological conviction; we were convinced by the prayer of Jesus in John 17 that we must demonstrate our unity in Christ for the sake of the gospel.

“The Church faces unprecedented challenges. We have an AIDS pandemic, children are at risk, our environment has been degraded, rogue nations have nuclear weapons. There is rampant consumerism and widespread corruption with increasing ethical and moral dilemmas. The present time presents a remarkable opportunity to present a witness to Christ as evangelical Christians rooted in the nature of the gospel and the Lausanne Covenant. Our commitment is to seek God’s purposes.”

Tunnicliffe said evangelicals must be God’s agent of reconciliation bringing peace and justice. “At this seminal moment we have gathered to hear Gods voice. We can be a significant catalyst for the advancement for God’s kingdom. In this week we will be heard by hundreds of thousands of churches around the world.”

Birdsall also noted the absence of the Chinese delegation and prayed that God would bless them and open the eyes of the leaders of that nation.

Among the participants are several hundred Anglicans from Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the U.S.

Ugandan Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi serves as chairman of the Congress. He is joined by Middle East Presiding Bishop Mouneer Anis, Nigerian Primate Nicholas Okoh and John Chew Archbishop of Southeast Asia. Also here are ACNA Archbishop Robert Duncan, Bishop John Guernsey (Uganda), and ACNA and Bishop Bill Murdoch of New England.

The cost to put on the congress is $16.5 million, say conveners.

On a related topic, some 230 Chinese evangelicals have been denied visas to South Africa because the Chinese government views the gathering as “anti-China.”

Communist leaders blocked the delegation of Chinese evangelicals at airports across the country thus denying them access to attend the meeting.

Leaders at the Lausanne Congress on Evangelism are reluctant to talk about the situation owing to sensitive political relations between China and South Africa.

When Beijing opposed a visit by the Dalai Lama to South Africa to a peace conference for Nobel laureates, organizers indefinitely postponed the event.

An official statement is expected to be issued Sunday about the Chinese ban on the evangelical leaders.

According to National Public Radio, Church elder Abraham Liu Guan was turned back at Beijing airport customs and blocked from attending the global evangelical gathering.

David W. Virtue is a theologically trained journalist and a pioneer in Internet journalism. He has been a newspaper reporter and editor in New Zealand, Canada and The United States. He studied theology in London, Chicago and Vancouver, and has worked for a number of large non-profit organizations including World Vision International, The American Bible Society and American Leprosy Missions. David’s expert reporting, orthodox theological education and large network of contacts has made VirtueOnline the world leader in Anglican news. www.virtueonline.org