Theological educator and evangelist Dr. Peter Kuzmic of Croatia said that US Christians must stop acting as if “salvation is in the hands of Americans.” He said that Western Christians have, along with the good, also done damage to the image of Christ around the world, according to a statement issued by the conference.
One hundred twenty-five pastors from a broad spectrum of American churches gathered for the North American Pastors’ Consultation on "The Changing Role of the American Church in World Evangelization," held at Park Cities Presbyterian Church in the city of Dallas in the American state of Texas September 22-23. Similar meetings will be held around the world, leading up to The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, October 16-25, 2010.
THOUSANDS OF PARTICIPANTS
It will include 4,000 participants from around the world, of which 400 of these will be from the United States, organizers said. Churches will be invited to participate via the Internet and to host local gatherings to make it a truly global event and the first of its kind. Program Chairman Ramez Atallah said that he hopes the world community will participate in the meeting as it did during the recent Beijing Olympics “from their own living rooms.”
"The purpose of this consultation was to discuss the changing role of the American Church in world evangelization," said Reverend Doug Birdsall, executive chair of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. "In recent years, many international church leaders have been asking, ‘Is the American Church still with us? Does the American Church have the humility to learn from us, to work together in authentic partnership?’ We answered several of those questions during the week."
While American missions have done a lot of good in spreading the Gospel throughout the globe in the last 100 years, several speakers said that the time has come for a change, said Kuzmic. Western Christians have, along with the good, also done "damage to the image of Christ around the world," he explained.
BERLIN WALL COLLAPSED
He recalled the era following the fall of the Berlin Wall, when Eastern Europe was first open to Christianity. So many different branches of Christianity came in to share the Gospel, Kuzmic said, that people were confused. “How many Jesuses are there in the West?” they asked, after being introduced to the Baptist Jesus, the Presbyterian Jesus, the Pentecostal Jesus, etc.
Africa was represented by Reverend Reuben Ezemadu of Nigeria, continental director of the Movement of African National Initiatives. He said African Christians have appreciated the historic leadership of the United States in mission efforts, but in the last 15-20 years, it seemed as if US Christians were "imposing their structures on the Global South.”" American participation in support roles is still needed, but Africans themselves can more appropriately take leadership roles, he argued. “They ask that Americans recognize the maturity and intelligence of other cultures."
David Ruiz of Guatemala, associate director of the World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission, presented the Hispanic perspective. He said Latin American Christians have felt ignored or overlooked, and want to see more humility from Western Christians about Latin America’s potential for reshaping Christianity worldwide. "Will North American Christians listen to their brothers and sisters from the South?" he asked.
Dr. Patrick Fung, a physician and theologian from China and general director of OMF International (formerly the Overseas Missionary Fellowship), addressed Asian perceptions of American missions. He recalled the story of missions in China in the years following 1949, when all missionaries had to withdraw. Despite no missionary presence, the church grew and thrived. Now the Chinese Church globally is the largest church in the world.
STILL CHRISTIAN NATION
He said America is still perceived as a Christian nation, so when America acts "un-Christianly," it reflects poorly on the Gospel, "as has happened on the homosexual agenda.”"Asian Christians want to work shoulder to shoulder with US Christians and to feel that they have been given an equal listening ear. "A highly significant role Western believers can play is in reaching out to millions of Asian students studying in American and European universities,"he said. Pastors agreed that the role of Western Christians in the world is changing dramatically and that partnership will be key to establishing stronger, mutually supportive links.
Christian leader Tim Keller’s noted tensions between evangelism and social justice issues. He suggested that Christians can neither try to change culture through social activism, withdraw from the culture, nor try to accommodate themselves to culture as cultural relevants to the extent that their own values are compromised. Evangelism must remain the priority, he said, adding that only hearts that are truly changed will lead to cultural transformation. The solution, he claimed, is "gracious, truthful presence in culture."
Organizers said the conference wanted to encourage pastors to think about the role they and their church will play in the upcoming Cape Town 2010 congress. "The Lausanne Movement seeks to serve leaders worldwide by providing a place for theological discussion and the development of practical strategies for world evangelization. Lausanne seeks to encourage and stimulate the involvement of churches, denominations, ministries, networks and individuals," a statement said.
The original Lausanne Congress was held in 1974, bringing Christians from around the globe to focus on world evangelization. A second congress followed in 1989. The fast pace of change in every sphere – from technology to communication and transportation – calls for a new Lausanne Congress to equip the Church for the next decade. It is sponsored by the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization in collaboration with the World Evangelical Alliance. (BosNewsLife’s MISSION WATCH is a regular look at key mission developments in the world and missionaries working in difficult circumstances, including in the two-third world).
