Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization
Encyclopedia
The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, abbreviated LCWE, is an Evangelical Christian
movement that grew out of the 1974 International Congress on World Evangelization
(ICOWE) and promotes active worldwide evangelism
. LCWE is also known as The Lausanne Movement. The Lausanne Covenant
defines the movement’s goals and expresses its commitment to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The movement’s tagline is 'The Whole Church taking the Whole Gospel to the Whole World.'
was organized in part by Billy Graham
and met in Lausanne
, Switzerland
in 1974. Some 2,700 participants and guests from over 150 nations met here to discuss and promote evangelism. One result of this conference was the Lausanne Continuation Committee, which planned to sustain the movement started at Lausanne. This committee formed the backbone for the official inception of the LCWE in 1976. Another organizational backbone of the movement was the Mission Advanced Research and Communication Center (MARC), a division of World Vision International
.
, the current Executive Chairman. Other Board members hail from all over the world.
Its latest conference took place in Cape Town
, South Africa
in October 2010.
The LCWE claims to avoid the bureaucratization that typically occurs within similar movements. It chooses instead to maintain a federated system with dense networks that connect local activists with global leaders.
, which is used by evangelical mission organisations worldwide as a basis for faith, action and partnership.
, written by the chief architect of the Covenant, John Stott
.
: to promote unity, humbleness in service, and a call to action for global evangelization.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
movement that grew out of the 1974 International Congress on World Evangelization
First International Congress on World Evangelization
The First International Congress on World Evangelization held from July 16–25 July 1974, is sometimes also called the "Lausanne Congress", "Lausanne '74", or "ICOWE"....
(ICOWE) and promotes active worldwide evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
. LCWE is also known as The Lausanne Movement. The Lausanne Covenant
Lausanne Covenant
The Lausanne Covenant is a 1974 Christian religious manifesto promoting active world-wide Christian evangelism. One of the most influential documents in modern Evangelical Christianity, it was written and adopted by 2,300 evangelicals at the International Congress on World Evangelization in...
defines the movement’s goals and expresses its commitment to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The movement’s tagline is 'The Whole Church taking the Whole Gospel to the Whole World.'
History
The ICOWEFirst International Congress on World Evangelization
The First International Congress on World Evangelization held from July 16–25 July 1974, is sometimes also called the "Lausanne Congress", "Lausanne '74", or "ICOWE"....
was organized in part by Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
and met in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in 1974. Some 2,700 participants and guests from over 150 nations met here to discuss and promote evangelism. One result of this conference was the Lausanne Continuation Committee, which planned to sustain the movement started at Lausanne. This committee formed the backbone for the official inception of the LCWE in 1976. Another organizational backbone of the movement was the Mission Advanced Research and Communication Center (MARC), a division of World Vision International
World Vision International
World Vision International, founded in the USA in 1977, is an evangelical relief and development umbrella organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good...
.
Organization
The Executive Board of Directors is headed by American Rev. Dr. S. Douglas BirdsallDoug Birdsall
Rev. Dr. S. Douglas Birdsall is the executive chairman of the Lausanne Movement, a global network of Christians launched in 1974. He provided overall leadership for the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Cape Town, South Africa...
, the current Executive Chairman. Other Board members hail from all over the world.
Its latest conference took place in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in October 2010.
The LCWE claims to avoid the bureaucratization that typically occurs within similar movements. It chooses instead to maintain a federated system with dense networks that connect local activists with global leaders.
Significance
The LCWE has spawned significant involvement from agencies and individual Christians. The movement surrounding it has led to hundreds of books on evangelism and theology being published. These include workbooks for choosing strategies with which to evangelize to “unreached peoples”. The document of greatest significance to date is the Lausanne CovenantLausanne Covenant
The Lausanne Covenant is a 1974 Christian religious manifesto promoting active world-wide Christian evangelism. One of the most influential documents in modern Evangelical Christianity, it was written and adopted by 2,300 evangelicals at the International Congress on World Evangelization in...
, which is used by evangelical mission organisations worldwide as a basis for faith, action and partnership.
Publications
The LCWE publishes Occasional Papers on its website. The series of booklets, The Didasko Files, is also published for the Lausanne Movement, and includes a study guide to the Lausanne CovenantLausanne Covenant
The Lausanne Covenant is a 1974 Christian religious manifesto promoting active world-wide Christian evangelism. One of the most influential documents in modern Evangelical Christianity, it was written and adopted by 2,300 evangelicals at the International Congress on World Evangelization in...
, written by the chief architect of the Covenant, John Stott
John Stott
John Robert Walmsley Stott CBE was an English Christian leader and Anglican cleric who was noted as a leader of the worldwide Evangelical movement. He was one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974...
.
Cape Town 2010
At the urging of evangelical leaders worldwide, the Lausanne Movement held the Third Congress on World Evangelisation in Cape Town, South Africa, 16–25 October 2010. The goal of Cape Town 2010 was to re-stimulate the spirit of Lausanne represented in the Lausanne CovenantLausanne Covenant
The Lausanne Covenant is a 1974 Christian religious manifesto promoting active world-wide Christian evangelism. One of the most influential documents in modern Evangelical Christianity, it was written and adopted by 2,300 evangelicals at the International Congress on World Evangelization in...
: to promote unity, humbleness in service, and a call to action for global evangelization.