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Evangelical Christian statements of belief:
The Lausanne Covenant
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Lausanne Covenant (1974):
The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization (LCWE) is an
"international movement for the purpose of encouraging Christians and
churches everywhere to pray, study, plan and work together for the
evangelization of the world." 1 During 1974,
Fundamentalist Christians and other Evangelical
Protestants from over 150 nations attended the International Congress on
World Evangelization at Lausanne, Switzerland. The Drafting Committee
for the Lausanne Covenant was led by the well known British writer and
theologian, Reverend John R. W. Stott of England. He writes: "The word
'covenant' is not used in its technical, biblical sense, but in the ordinary
sense of a binding contract. For example, in seventeenth century Scotland
there were the famous 'Covenanters' who bound themselves by a 'solemn league
and covenant' to maintain the freedom of the church. The reason the
expression 'Lausanne Covenant' was chosen in preference to 'Lausanne
Declaration' is that we wanted to do more than find an agreed formula of
words. We were determined not just to declare something, but to do
something, namely to commit ourselves to the task of world evangelization."
2
The Covenant discusses many Evangelical beliefs, such as the
inspiration and inerrancy
of the Bible, the Trinity, the Second Coming, The Antichrist, the Great
Commission to witness to the entire world, particularly the two thirds of
the world's population who have not been evangelized, the
exclusivity of Christianity, the continuing "spiritual
warfare with the principalities and powers of evil," concern over
Christian faith groups who have deviated from historical
Christian teachings -- sometimes called "cults," etc. They are committed to ending oppression based
on race, religion, color, culture, class, sex and age. Banning
discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation is noticeably missing. Another
topic that is not discussed is the nature and existence of
Hell.
The text of the Lausanne Covenant follows:
 | INTRODUCTION
We, members of the Church of Jesus Christ, from more than 150 nations,
participants in the International Congress on World Evangelization at
Lausanne, praise God for his great salvation and rejoice in the fellowship
he has given us with himself and with each other. We are deeply stirred by
what God is doing in our day, moved to penitence by our failures and
challenged by the unfinished task of evangelization. We believe the Gospel
is God's good news for the whole world, and we are determined by his grace
to obey Christ's commission to proclaim it to all mankind and to make
disciples of every nation. We desire, therefore, to affirm our faith and our
resolve, and to make public our covenant. |
| 1. THE PURPOSE OF GOD
We affirm our belief in the one-eternal God, Creator and Lord of the world,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who govern all things according to the purpose
of his will. He has been calling out from the world a people for himself,
and sending his people back into the world to be his servants and his
witnesses, for the extension of his kingdom, the building up of
Christ's
body, and the glory of his name. We confess with shame that we have often
denied our calling and failed in our mission, by becoming conformed to the
world or by withdrawing from it. Yet we rejoice that even when borne by
earthen vessels the gospel is still a precious treasure. To the task of
making that treasure known in the power of the Holy Spirit we desire to
dedicate ourselves anew.
(Isa. 40:28; Matt. 28:19; Eph. 1:11; Acts 15:14; John 17:6, 18; Eph 4:12; 1
Cor. 5:10; Rom. 12:2; II Cor. 4:7) |
| 2. THE AUTHORITY AND POWER OF THE BIBLE
We affirm the divine inspiration, truthfulness and authority of both Old and
New Testament Scriptures in their entirety as the only written word of God,
without error in all that it affirms, and the only infallible rule of faith
and practice. We also affirm the power of God's word to accomplish his
purpose of salvation. The message of the Bible is addressed to all men and
women. For God's revelation in Christ and in Scripture is unchangeable.
Through it the Holy Spirit still speaks today. He illumines the minds of
God's people in every culture to perceive its truth freshly through their
own eyes and thus discloses to the whole Church ever more of the
many-colored wisdom of God.
(II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:21; John 10:35; Isa. 55:11; 1 Cor. 1:21; Rom. 1:16,
Matt. 5:17,18; Jude 3; Eph. 1:17,18; 3:10,18) |
| 3. THE UNIQUENESS AND UNIVERSALITY OF CHRIST
We affirm that there is only one Saviour and only one gospel, although there
is a wide diversity of evangelistic approaches. We recognise that everyone
has some knowledge of God through his general revelation in nature. But we
deny that this can save, for people suppress the truth by their
unrighteousness. We also reject as derogatory to Christ and the gospel every
kind of syncretism and dialogue which implies that Christ speaks equally
through all religions and ideologies. Jesus Christ, being himself the only
God-man, who gave himself as the only ransom for sinners, is the only
mediator between God and people. There is no other name by which we must be
saved. All men and women are perishing because of sin, but God loves
everyone, not wishing that any should perish but that all should repent. Yet
those who reject Christ repudiate the joy of salvation and condemn
themselves to eternal separation from God. To proclaim Jesus as "the Saviour
of the world" is not to affirm that all people are either automatically or
ultimately saved, still less to affirm that all religions offer salvation in
Christ. Rather it is to proclaim God's love for a world of sinners and to
invite everyone to respond to him as Saviour and Lord in the wholehearted
personal commitment of repentance and faith. Jesus Christ has been exalted
above every other name; we long for the day when every knee shall bow to him
and every tongue shall confess him Lord.
(Gal. 1:6-9;Rom. 1:18-32; I Tim. 2:5,6; Acts 4:12; John 3:16-19; II Pet.
3:9; II Thess. 1:7-9;John 4:42; Matt. 11:28; Eph. 1:20,21; Phil. 2:9-11) |
| 4. THE NATURE OF EVANGELISM
To evangelize is to spread the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins
and was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures, and that as the
reigning Lord he now offers the forgiveness of sins and the liberating gifts
of the Spirit to all who repent and believe. Our Christian presence in the
world is indispensable to evangelism, and so is that kind of dialogue whose
purpose is to listen sensitively in order to understand. But evangelism
itself is the proclamation of the historical, biblical Christ as Saviour and
Lord, with a view to persuading people to come to him personally and so be
reconciled to God. In issuing the gospel invitation we have no liberty to
conceal the cost of discipleship. Jesus still calls all who would follow him
to deny themselves, take up their cross, and identify themselves with his
new community. The results of evangelism include obedience to Christ,
incorporation into his Church and responsible service in the world.
(I Cor. 15:3,4; Acts 2: 32-39; John 20:21; I Cor. 1:23; II Cor. 4:5;
5:11,20; Luke 14:25-33; Mark 8:34; Acts 2:40,47; Mark 10:43-45) |
| 5. CHRISTIAN SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
We affirm that God is both the Creator and the Judge of all men. We
therefore should share his concern for justice and reconciliation throughout
human society and for the liberation of men and women from every kind of
oppression. Because men and women are made in the image of God, every
person, regardless of race, religion, colour, culture, class, sex or age,
has an intrinsic dignity because of which he or she should be respected and
served, not exploited. Here too we express penitence both for our neglect
and for having sometimes regarded evangelism and social concern as mutually
exclusive. Although reconciliation with other people is not reconciliation
with God, nor is social action evangelism, nor is political liberation
salvation, nevertheless we affirm that evangelism and socio-political
involvement are both part of our Christian duty. For both are necessary
expressions of our doctrines of God and man, our love for our neighbour and
our obedience to Jesus Christ. The message of salvation implies also a
message of judgment upon every form of alienation, oppression and
discrimination, and we should not be afraid to denounce evil and injustice
wherever they exist. When people receive Christ they are born again into his
kingdom and must seek not only to exhibit but also to spread its
righteousness in the midst of an unrighteous world. The salvation we claim
should be transforming us in the totality of our personal and social
responsibilities. Faith without works is dead.
(Acts 17:26,31; Gen. 18:25; Isa. 1:17; Psa. 45:7; Gen. 1:26,27; Jas. 3:9;
Lev. 19:18; Luke 6:27,35; Jas. 2:14-26; Joh. 3:3,5; Matt. 5:20; 6:33; II Cor.
3:18; Jas. 2:20) |
| 6. THE CHURCH AND EVANGELISM
We affirm that Christ sends his redeemed people into the world as the Father
sent him, and that this calls for a similar deep and costly penetration of
the world. We need to break out of our ecclesiastical ghettos and permeate
non-Christian society. In the Church's mission of sacrificial service
evangelism is primary. World evangelization requires the whole Church to
take the whole gospel to the whole world. The Church is at the very centre
of God's cosmic purpose and is his appointed means of spreading the gospel.
But a church which preaches the cross must itself be marked by the cross. It
becomes a stumbling block to evangelism when it betrays the gospel or lacks
a living faith in God, a genuine love for people, or scrupulous honesty in
all things including promotion and finance. The church is the community of
God's people rather than an institution, and must not be identified with any
particular culture, social or political system, or human ideology.
(John 17:18; 20:21; Matt. 28:19,20; Acts 1:8; 20:27; Eph. 1:9,10; 3:9-11;
Gal. 6:14,17; II Cor. 6:3,4; II Tim. 2:19-21; Phil. 1:27) |
| 7. COOPERATION IN EVANGELISM
We affirm that the Church's visible unity in truth is God's purpose.
Evangelism also summons us to unity, because our oneness strengthens our
witness, just as our disunity undermines our gospel of reconciliation. We
recognize, however, that organisational unity may take many forms and does
not necessarily forward evangelism. Yet we who share the same biblical faith
should be closely united in fellowship, work and witness. We confess that
our testimony has sometimes been marred by a sinful individualism and
needless duplication. We pledge ourselves to seek a deeper unity in truth,
worship, holiness and mission. We urge the development of regional and
functional cooperation for the furtherance of the Church's mission, for
strategic planning, for mutual encouragement, and for the sharing of
resources and experience.
(John 17:21,23; Eph. 4:3,4; John 13:35; Phil. 1:27; John 17:11-23) |
| 8. CHURCHES IN EVANGELISTIC PARTNERSHIP
We rejoice that a new missionary era has dawned. The dominant role of
western missions is fast disappearing. God is raising up from the younger
churches a great new resource for world evangelization, and is thus
demonstrating that the responsibility to evangelise belongs to the whole
body of Christ. All churches should therefore be asking God and themselves
what they should be doing both to reach their own area and to send
missionaries to other parts of the world. A reevaluation of our missionary
responsibility and role should be continuous. Thus a growing partnership of
churches will develop and the universal character of Christ's Church will be
more clearly exhibited. We also thank God for agencies which labor in Bible
translation, theological education, the mass media, Christian literature,
evangelism, missions, church renewal and other specialist fields. They too
should engage in constant self-examination to evaluate their effectiveness
as part of the Church's mission.
(Rom. 1:8; Phil. 1:5; 4:15; Acts 13:1-3, I Thess. 1:6-8) |
| 9. THE URGENCY OF THE EVANGELISTIC TASK
More than 2,700 million people, which is more than two-thirds of all
humanity, have yet to be evangelised. We are ashamed that so many have been
neglected; it is a standing rebuke to us and to the whole Church. There is
now, however, in many parts of the world an unprecedented receptivity to the
Lord Jesus Christ. We are convinced that this is the time for churches and
para-church agencies to pray earnestly for the salvation of the unreached
and to launch new efforts to achieve world evangelization. A reduction of
foreign missionaries and money in an evangelised country may sometimes be
necessary to facilitate the national church's growth in self-reliance and to
release resources for unevangelised areas. Missionaries should flow ever
more freely from and to all six continents in a spirit of humble service.
The goal should be, by all available means and at the earliest possible
time, that every person will have the opportunity to hear, understand, and
to receive the good news. We cannot hope to attain this goal without
sacrifice. All of us are shocked by the poverty of millions and disturbed by
the injustices which cause it. Those of us who live in affluent
circumstances accept our duty to develop a simple life-style in order to
contribute more generously to both relief and evangelism.
(John 9:4; Matt. 9:35-38; Rom. 9:1-3; I Cor. 9:19-23; Mark 16:15; Isa.
58:6,7; Jas. 1:27; 2:1-9; Matt. 25:31-46; Acts 2:44,45; 4:34,35) |
| 10. EVANGELISM AND CULTURE
The development of strategies for world evangelization calls for imaginative
pioneering methods. Under God, the result will be the rise of churches
deeply rooted in Christ and closely related to their culture. Culture must
always be tested and judged by Scripture. Because men and women are God's
creatures, some of their culture is rich in beauty and goodness. Because
they are fallen, all of it is tainted with sin and some of it is
demonic.
The gospel does not presuppose the superiority of any culture to another,
but evaluates all cultures according to its own criteria of truth and
righteousness, and insists on moral absolutes in every culture. Missions
have all too frequently exported with the gospel an alien culture and
churches have sometimes been in bondage to culture rather than to Scripture.
Christ's evangelists must humbly seek to empty themselves of all but their
personal authenticity in order to become the servants of others, and
churches must seek to transform and enrich culture, all for the glory of
God.
(Mark 7:8,9,13; Gen. 4:21,22; I Cor. 9:19-23; Phil. 2:5-7; II Cor. 4:5) |
| 11. EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP
We confess that we have sometimes pursued church growth at the expense of
church depth, and divorced evangelism from Christian nurture. We also
acknowledge that some of our missions have been too slow to equip and
encourage national leaders to assume their rightful responsibilities. Yet we
are committed to indigenous principles, and long that every church will have
national leaders who manifest a Christian style of leadership in terms not
of domination but of service. We recognise that there is a great need to
improve theological education, especially for church leaders. In every
nation and culture there should be an effective training programme for
pastors and laity in doctrine, discipleship, evangelism, nurture and
service. Such training programmes should not rely on any stereotyped
methodology but should be developed by creative local initiatives according
to biblical standards.
(Col. I:27,28; Acts 14:23; Tit. 1:5,9; Mark 10:42-45; Eph. 4:11,12) |
| 12. SPIRITUAL CONFLICT
We believe that we are engaged in constant spiritual warfare with the
principalities and powers of evil, who are seeking to overthrow the Church
and frustrate its task of world evangelization. We know our need to equip
ourselves with God's armour and to fight this battle with the spiritual
weapons of truth and prayer. For we detect the activity of our enemy, not
only in false ideologies outside the Church, but also inside it in false
gospels which twist Scripture and put people in the place of God. We need
both watchfulness and discernment to safeguard the biblical gospel. We
acknowledge that we ourselves are not immune to worldliness of thoughts and
action, that is, to a surrender to secularism. For example, although careful
studies of church growth, both numerical and spiritual, are right and
valuable, we have sometimes neglected them. At other times, desirous to
ensure a response to the gospel, we have compromised our message,
manipulated our hearers through pressure techniques, and become unduly
preoccupied with statistics or even dishonest in our use of them. All this
is worldly. The Church must be in the world; the world must not be in the
Church.
(Eph. 6:12; II Cor. 4:3,4; Eph. 6:11,13-18; II Cor. 10:3-5; I John 2:18-26;
4:1-3; Gal. 1:6-9; II Cor. 2:17; 4:2; John 17:15) |
| 13. FREEDOM AND PERSECUTION
It is the God-appointed duty of every government to secure conditions of
peace, justice and liberty in which the Church may obey God, serve the Lord
Jesus Christ, and preach the gospel without interference. We therefore pray
for the leaders of nations and call upon them to guarantee freedom of
thought and conscience, and freedom to practise and propagate religion in
accordance with the will of God and as set forth in The
Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. We also express our deep concern for all who
have been unjustly imprisoned, and especially for those who are suffering
for their testimony to the Lord Jesus. We promise to pray and work for their
freedom. At the same time we refuse to be intimidated by their fate. God
helping us, we too will seek to stand against injustice and to remain
faithful to the gospel, whatever the cost. We do not forget the warnings of
Jesus that persecution is inevitable.
(I Tim. 1:1-4, Acts 4:19; 5:29; Col. 3:24; Heb. 13:1-3; Luke 4:18; Gal.
5:11; 6:12; Matt. 5:10-12; John 15:18-21) |
| 14. THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father sent his Spirit to
bear witness to his Son; without his witness ours is futile. Conviction of
sin, faith in Christ, new birth and Christian growth are all his work.
Further, the Holy Spirit is a missionary spirit; thus evangelism should
arise spontaneously from a Spirit-filled church. A church that is not a
missionary church is contradicting itself and quenching the Spirit.
Worldwide evangelization will become a realistic possibility only when the
Spirit renews the Church in truth and wisdom, faith, holiness, love and
power. We therefore call upon all Christians to pray for such a visitation
of the sovereign Spirit of God that all his fruit may appear in all his
people and that all his gifts may enrich the body of Christ. Only then will
the whole world become a fit instrument in his hands, that the whole earth
may hear his voice.
(I Cor. 2:4; John 15:26;27; 16:8-11; I Cor. 12:3; John 3:6-8; II Cor. 3:18;
John 7:37-39; I Thess. 5:19; Acts 1:8; Psa. 85:4-7; 67:1-3; Gal. 5:22,23; I
Cor. 12:4-31; Rom. 12:3-8) |
| 15. THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly, in power
and glory, to consummate his salvation and his judgment. This promise of his
coming is a further spur to our evangelism, for we remember his words that
the gospel must first be preached to all nations. We believe that the
interim period between Christ's ascension and return is to be filled with
the mission of the people of God, who have no liberty to stop before the
end. We also remember his warning that false Christs and false prophets will
arise as precursors of the final Antichrist. We therefore reject as a proud,
self-confident dream the notion that people can ever build a utopia on
earth. Our Christian confidence is that God will perfect his kingdom, and we
look forward with eager anticipation to that day, and to the new heaven and
earth in which righteousness will dwell and God will reign forever.
Meanwhile, we rededicate ourselves to the service of Christ and of people in
joyful submission to his authority over the whole of our lives.
(Mark 14:62; Heb. 9:28; Mark 13:10; Acts 1:8-11; Matt. 28:20; Mark 13:21-23;
John 2:18; 4:1-3; Luke 12:32; Rev. 21:1-5; II Pet. 3:13; Matt. 28:18) |
| CONCLUSION
Therefore, in the light of this our faith and our resolve, we enter into a
solemn covenant with God and with each other, to pray, to plan and to work
together for the evangelization of the whole world. We call upon others to
join us. May God help us by his grace and for his glory to be faithful to
this our covenant! Amen, Alleluia! 3 |
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References:
-
The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization's home
page is at:
http://www.gospelcom.net/
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John Stott, "The Lausanne Covenant: An exposition and
commentary," at:
http://www.gospelcom.net/
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"The Lausanne Covenant," at:
http://www.gospelcom.net/
Copyright © 2003 to 2005 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Originally written: 2003-OCT-22
Latest update: 2005-SEP-28
Author: B.A. Robinson
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