Lausanne Global Leadership Update for June 2014
Gathering of Key Theological Educators
Fifty-six key influencers of global theological education, representing every continent, gathered 2-6 June in São Paulo, Brazil, for the Lausanne Consultation on Theological Education: Toward Biblical Partnership in Global Theological Education. The group included seminary presidents, institutional principals, heads of accreditation bodies, and leaders in theological education supporting agencies. In addition to The Lausanne Movement, the consultation was sponsored by The World Reformed Fellowship, World Evangelical Alliance, Overseas Council, Fellowship of Evangelical Seminary Presidents, Langham Partnership, and International Council of Evangelical Theological Education, and was hosted by Mackenzie Presbyterian University.
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São Paulo, Brazil – 16 June 2014 – Fifty-six key influencers of global theological education, representing every continent, gathered 2-6 June in São Paulo, Brazil, for the Lausanne Consultation on Theological Education: Toward Biblical Partnership in Global Theological Education. The group included seminary presidents, institutional principals, heads of accreditation bodies, and leaders in theological education supporting agencies. In addition to The Lausanne Movement, the consultation was sponsored by The World Reformed Fellowship, World Evangelical Alliance, Overseas Council, Fellowship of Evangelical Seminary Presidents, Langham Partnership, and International Council of Evangelical Theological Education, and was hosted by Mackenzie Presbyterian University.
Chaired by Sam Logan, President of the World Reformed Fellowship, and hosted by Davi Gomes, chancellor of Mackenzie Presbyterian University, the consultation was intended to explore The Cape Town Commitment’s call (section IIF.4) to the world’s theological education institutions to have an active partnership with other theological institutes, with the church, and with the work of evangelism and church planting.
The consultation also served as a follow-up to the first Lausanne Consultation on Global Theological Education in 2012 where 63 key decision makers and leaders of organizations that provide, support, or accredit theological education, from 31 countries, gathered on the campus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA, USA. At that gathering, it was clear that the challenges and opportunities for theological education in the 21st century required the intentional building, and continued working, of a global community. To that end, this consultation in São Paulo was a strategic gathering which allowed for exploration and emphasis on practical steps forward which would enhance South-East-West-North partnerships.
The consultation was organized around a tri-partite structure of: Our Roots, Our Dreams, Our Challenges. Participants had their roots in looking toward Scripture and reflection on the biblical and missional foundation for theological education. Envisioning the unrealized opportunities and possibilities that biblical partnerships could achieve gave space for dreams. Finally, case studies and focus groups were utilized to examine challenges—critical topics such as models of institutional partnerships, partnership in the digital age, the role that accreditation plays in facilitating or hindering partnerships, the sharing of resources, and partnership between formal and informal theological education. Videos of the presentations will soon be available.
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Videos from the European Leaders Meeting
Uniqueness of Christ and Islam in Europe - Evelyne Reisacher Uniqueness of Christ in Europe - Stefan Gustavsson
Freedom of Conscience in Question - Franck Meyer
Scripture Engagement: Disciples of Truth - Lindsay Olesberg
Disciples in Europe Today - Chris Wright
Truth and Righteousness - Anatole Glukhovskyy
Scripture Engagement: Body of Truth - Alain Nisus
Truth and Hope - Jonathan Hanley
Participants from nearly 40 European countries gathered in Vevey, Switzerland, from 6-9 May 2014 for a European Leaders Meeting. Presentations addressed needs, challenges, and opportunities for the gospel in present-day Europe.
See all videos »
40 Anos Depois: De volta a Lausanne
40 Anos Depois: De volta a Lausanne
Dez dias atrás encerramos nossa reunião da liderança internacional, um encontro de líderes europeus e uma celebração de aniversário de 40 anos perto de Lausanne, na Suíça, onde foi realizado o primeiro Congresso Internacional de Evangelização Mundial em 1974.
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Dez dias atrás encerramos nossa reunião da liderança internacional, um encontro de líderes europeus e uma celebração de aniversário de 40 anos perto de Lausanne, na Suíça, onde foi realizado o primeiro Congresso Internacional de Evangelização Mundial em 1974.
Em meio a orações e planejamentos colaborativos para o futuro de Lausanne, fizemos uma pausa para nos lembrar de tudo o que Deus fez nos últimos 40 anos do movimento e agradecer a ele: surgimento de estratégias missionárias como Grupos de Povos Não Alcançados e Missão Integral; nascimento de centenas de redes e parcerias em torno de questões missionárias críticas; conexões geográficas, teológicas e geracionais entre líderes; e muito mais.
Michael Oh with Participants in the 1974 Congress
Cerca de vinte participantes do primeiro Congresso Lausanne em 1974 estiveram em nossa celebração de aniversário numa noite de quarta-feira. Foi uma honra ouvir as histórias sem igual de como Deus os levou ao Congresso e as maneiras pelas quais suas vidas foram impactadas pelo Congresso.
O entusiasmo e a alegria com que falaram do de Lausanne 1974 fizeram reviver no presente a importância e a emoção daquele evento histórico.
Também ouvimos acerca do impacto daquele Congresso sobre a cidade de Lausanne. Hoje, igrejas e ministérios da cidade reúnem-se uma vez por ano em oração, transpondo mais uma vez limites denominacionais, étnicos e geracionais.
Líderes europeus de quase 40 países também se juntaram a nós nessa semana, concentrados nos desafios e no progresso da evangelização em todo o continente.
Ainda que os desafios sejam muitos e complexos, líderes da Albânia, Eslovênia, Alemanha, França e outros compartilharam relatos acerca do trabalho ativo de Deus em jovens, entre mulheres, por intermédio de reuniões evangelísticas e plantação de igrejas.
Ukrainian and Russian brothers in prayer Um dos momentos mais poderosos e emocionantes da semana foi ter o privilégio de nos juntar em oração aos irmãos ucranianos e russos quando se ajoelharam pedindo a Deus que use este tempo de conflito como oportunidade singular para testificarem de Cristo tanto na Ucrânia como na Rússia.
Enquanto prosseguíamos na reflexão e celebrávamos a obra de Deus no passado, também nos reunimos para planejar o futuro. O que Deus fará nos próximos 40 anos do movimento? Vi um lampejo disso quando me reuni com a Equipe de Líderes Jovens que veio de todas as regiões do mundo a fim de planejar a próxima Reunião de Líderes Jovens que será realizada em 2016. Vê-los foi uma representação de nossa esperança não só no evento, mas da esperança maior de que a geração deles, por todo o planeta, trabalhe junto para exercerem um impacto poderoso na missão divina hoje e no futuro.
Um dos líderes mais jovens disse que a parte mais significativa da semana foi encontrar líderes globais que encarnam o “espírito de Lausanne” conforme herdado de Billy Graham e John Stott — um espírito de humildade, amizade e compromisso sincero com a evangelização mundial. Uma parte importante do futuro do movimento está firmado na capacidade de os líderes atuais servirem como mentores dos líderes emergentes, transmitindo esse “espírito”.
Outra perspectiva de nosso futuro inclui a Missão China 2030, uma iniciativa da igreja chinesa para mobilizar e enviar 20.000 missionários até 2030. Como oferta à igreja global, a igreja chinesa almeja enviar um missionário para cada missionário recebido no país.
Michael Oh
Estamos prosseguindo com maior clareza, entusiasmo e unidade. Nos últimos oito meses, ouvimos líderes do passado e do presente: seus pensamentos e esperanças quanto ao impacto futuro do movimento e tive a oportunidade de compartilhar a resposta disso em nosso tempo na Suíça. Desse processo emergiu um modo muito mais claro de expressar quem é, o que é e por que existe o Movimento de Lausanne, e espero revelar mais dessas respostas nos próximos meses.
Há muito para agradecer e a expectativa pelo o que Deus fará é grande!
Voltamos a declarar o chamado do Congresso de 1974 — Que o mundo ouça sua voz! 40 anos atrás e agora, nós nos dedicamos à colaboração global para que as boas novas de Jesus Cristo sejam compartilhadas em todas as nações.
Até que toda a terra ouça sua voz,
Até que soe a trombeta,
Até que todos os povos sobre a terra conheçam sua salvação,
Continuaremos trabalhando.
Veja fotografias do encontro
Tradução: Lucy Yamakami
Read the English version:
Ten days ago we concluded our international leadership meeting, a European leaders meeting, and 40th anniversary celebration near Lausanne, Switzerland, where the first International Congress on World Evangelization was held in 1974.
Amidst our prayer and collaborative planning for the future of Lausanne, we paused to remember and thank God for all that he has done in the past 40 years of the movement: launching mission strategies such as Unreached People Groups and holistic mission; birthing hundreds of networks and partnerships around critical mission issues; connecting leaders geographically, theologically, and generationally; and much more.
Michael Oh with Participants in the 1974 Congress
About twenty participants from the first Lausanne Congress in 1974 attended our anniversary celebration on Wednesday night. It was an honor to hear the unique stories of how God brought them to the Congress and the ways in which he impacted their lives and ministries through it. The animation and joy with which they spoke of the Congress carried the significance and excitement of that historic event afresh to the present.
We also heard about the impact of that Congress on the city of Lausanne. Today, churches and ministries from the city come together once a month in prayer, again connecting across denominational, ethnic, and generational lines.
European leaders from nearly 40 countries also joined us this week, focusing on the challenges and progress of evangelization across their continent. Though the challenges are many and complex, leaders from Albania, Slovenia, Germany, France, and others shared reports about God actively at work in the youth, among women, through evangelistic meetings and church planting.
Ukrainian and Russian brothers in prayer One of the most powerful and moving moments of the week was having the privilege of joining our Ukrainian and Russian brothers in prayer as they knelt together, asking God to use this time of conflict as a unique opportunity to bear witness to Christ in both Ukraine and Russia.
As we reflected on and celebrated God’s work in the past, we also met to plan for the future. What will God do in the next 40 years of the movement? I saw a glimpse of this when I met with the Younger Leaders Team, who gathered from all regions of the world to plan the next Younger Leaders Gathering to be held in 2016. Seeing them was a representation of our hope not just for the event, but the larger hope for their generation across the globe to be connected for powerful impact in God’s mission today and in the future.
One of the younger leaders said that the most meaningful part of this week was meeting global leaders who embodied the ‘spirit of Lausanne’ as inherited from Billy Graham and John Stott—a spirit of humility, friendship, and wholehearted commitment to world evangelization. An important part of the movement’s future lies in the mentorship of emerging leaders by current leaders and the passing down of this ‘spirit’.
Another look to our future includes Mission China 2030, an initiative of the Chinese church to mobilize and send out 20,000 missionaries by 2030. As their gift to the global church, the Chinese church envisions sending out one missionary for every missionary received in their country.
Michael Oh
We’re moving forward with greater clarity, enthusiasm, and unity. For the past eight months, we listened to past and present leaders on their thoughts and hopes of the future impact of the movement, and I had the opportunity to share these results during our time in Switzerland. Out of this process has emerged a much clearer way of expressing the who, what, and why of The Lausanne Movement, and I look forward to revealing more of these results this summer.
There is much to be thankful for and much to look forward to!
We declare again the call from the 1974 Congress—Let the earth hear his voice! 40 years ago and now, we commit to collaborate globally for the sharing of the good news of Jesus Christ to all nations.
Till the whole earth hears his voice,
Till the trumpet sounds,
Till every people group on earth knows his salvation,
Let’s labor on.
[Editor’s Note]
El Análisis Global De Lausana: Mayo 2014
May 2014 Lausanne Global Analysis
The following articles from the May Lausanne Global Analysis are now available in Spanish.
Bong Rin Ro
Repercusión de la Asamblea General del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias: Superación de las divisiones en la Iglesia de Corea y estímulo a la cooperación entre evangélicos a nivel global
The X General Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC GA) was held in Busan, Korea from October 20 to November 8, 2013 Some 4,000 participants from 140 nations met under the slogan. "living God, lead us to righteousness and peace. " The Korean Preparedness Committee had the support of 2.8 million members of the powerful Tong Hap denomination Presbyterian Church of Korea, ecumenical court.
Divisions in the Korean church
In 2011 the conservative evangelical churches and denominations began to oppose WCC GA. There were demonstrations in Seoul and Busan criticizing liberal theology and religious syncretism of WCC, interfaith dialogue, emphasis on the socio-political gospel without spiritual conversion and promotion of homosexual practices.
Leading the opposition was the Tong Hap Presbyterian Church of Korea, considered the largest conservative Presbyterian denomination, with three million members and 11,000 churches. Other conservative denominations, including the Presbyterian denomination Koryo, the Reformed Church, the Presbyterian denomination Puniel of Busan, and more, official statements made anti WCC GA. Even brochures strong counter WCC published.
In the history of the movement since 1948, the World Council of Churches (WCC) has never experienced such a passionate and well-organized opposition.
Conservative theology
The Korean church is one of the most theologically conservative churches of Asia and the world:
Each has a large denominations Research Committee Anti-cult to control unbiblical doctrines and theologies.
The church has been very sensitive to theological questions, especially liberal theologies WCC.
Most Korean churches pastors and even within the more liberal Tong Hap denomination, are theologically conservative and often critical of liberal theology WCC.
However, these Korean evangelical leaders chose to stay within the Tong Hap denomination liberal to provide a more positive evangelical influence within the WCC family. In contrast, the name Hap Tong, more conservatively considered compromising any collaboration with liberal WCC.
Economic Considerations
Despite this environment, leaders of WCC in Geneva Korea selected to host the X General Assembly of WCC for two basic reasons:
With a continuing decline in members in Europe and North America and a financial crisis in WCC-Geneva, the Korean church was chosen primarily for their spiritual vitality and economic strength (Korea holds 23 of the 50 mega churches in the world).
Members of WCC consider five major ecumenical denominations of the National Council of Churches Korean-Presbyterian Church (Tong Hap), the Presbyterian Church (Republic of Korea), the Methodist Church, Full Gospel Central Church and the Anglican Church-could financially support GA for WCC.
Importance of the Global South
The WCC General (GA WCC) Assembly in Busan highlighted the growing importance of the Church in the Global South, particularly in Asia where rapid church growth has taken place. The overwhelming growth of the church in Korea between 70 and 90 and in China today, has attracted the attention of the churches of the world to the Asian church. While the proportion of churches in the northern hemisphere has fallen from 80% in 1910 to 37% in 2010, the Global South now represents 60% of the Christian population.
The future leadership of the Christian world organizations like WCC, the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) and the Lausanne Committee for Evangelization (LCWE) 1, are in the hands of church leaders from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Even the Catholic Church elected a Pope Argentina in early 20132 and the WEA General Assembly in principle was to be held in Korea in October 2014.
The Korean Church pro or anti WCC certainly was privileged to meet many leaders of churches in the world. Most Korean Christians who did not know much of WCC, they heard through the General Assembly held in Busan. This General Assembly will have many positive and negative consequences on the Korean Church.
Disappointing Outcome
A known ecumenical pastor in Seoul Hap Tong evaluated the WCC General Assembly GA as a failure for three reasons:
Preparation Korean Committee ended with a huge debt because some ecumenical denominations were unable to provide the funds to cover the fee they promised.
Not one Korean pastor was elected to the Central Committee of WCC, denying the influence of the Korean church within WCC. The only choice of a Korean church leader was as Chairman of the Committee of WCC Asia.
The General Assembly made no official statement on human rights in North Korea, despite the request of the leaders of the ecumenical churches WCC Central Committee. In the past WCC had been very active in human rights issues in the world. Many Korean Christians were dismayed by the silence of WCC regarding North Korea.
An even greater disappointment raised the official statement of the General Assembly (GA) in terms of theology. The cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ is omitted from the statement that defines evangelism as restoring the living beings in His fullness of life according to the leadership of the living God. The World Council of Churches did not change its basic theological position in Busan.
Deeper divisions
After the General Assembly of WCC, the Korean church probably going to be more divided than ever; the gap between the two largest Presbyterian denominations (Hap and Hap Tong Tong) will deepen. The first major division in the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) occurred in 1959, mainly due to the issue of whether or not to support WCC. The X General Assembly in Busan, highlighted the differences between conservatives and liberals, making things worse.
Impact of WEA
The February 11, 2014 it was announced that the next meeting of WEA had been postponed. The statement cited "internal divisions within the evangelical community of Korea":
WEA was working with the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) the largest evangelical body covering Korean conservative denominations.
CCK is under the control and influence of the conservative denomination Hap Tong, who reported the WCC GA.
In March 2013 there was a split in CCK. A new Korean Churches Association (KCA) controlled by Tong Hap and many evangelical denominations CCK left to join KCA was established.
WEA leaders had been preparing for their General Assembly in October in cooperation with CCK. The key question was whether the current leaders of CCK were willing to work with all the evangelical leaders in Korea, in and out of WCC.
Many evangelical pastors from different denominations do not support major WCC for theological reasons. The key question was whether WEA and CCK include these leaders of evangelical churches in the WEA General Assembly
Looking long term
The WCC General Assembly has shown that the center of gravity of the ecumenical movement has gone from Western Christendom declining to thriving churches in the Global South. Many of the rising names as the Anglican Church in Africa and Tong Hap Korea belong to the WCC ecumenical movement. The loss of church members in the West and the growing financial crisis in Geneva, suggest that the leadership of WCC has to return to its original vitality of the 50s working closely with the leaders of the Global South.
Global leaders in WCC have maintained control in the areas of church administration, finance and seminars. In these changing times in the history of the church, the evangelical leaders from Asia, Africa and Latin America have to increase their spiritual influence in these three areas within WCC.
The deepening divisions enter the Korean Christians, particularly among and between CCK and KCA Hap Hap Tong Tong and must be healed. It will take a miracle to unify the church on the basis of biblical and historic Christian faith.
The role of the Lausanne Movement (LCWE) will be increasingly important in the future. LCWE can provide unity among evangelical churches and evangelical leaders WEA within WCC who are dissatisfied with the theology and practices of WCC.
Suggested answers
Evangelical leaders LCWE can work closely with WEA for cooperation among evangelical churches around the world. The Lausanne Congress last three are good examples of meetings that bring together leaders of evangelical churches around the world, inside and outside of WCC to discuss the task of world evangelization.
One way is to work closely with churches related through WEA WEA Committees (Theology, Missions, Women, Youth, Religious Freedom, Information Technology IT Info). This cooperation will get the support base of the churches and church leaders who are associated with different national evangelical alliances and communities. One area that has already been done, it is encouraging cooperation between evangelical seminaries 1,000 out of WCC Asia, and then opening the doors to cooperate with evangelical seminaries within WCC ecumenical denominations.
LCWE leaders can also open their doors to evangelical pastors and churches within WCC, because most of the churches within the ecumenical movement in Asia, Africa and Latin America are theologically conservative and evangelical seek cooperation:
Most ecumenical leaders from the Global South are evangelicals who have observed the downward movement of the WCC, particularly in the West and want to be part of a global evangelical movement.
However, it is difficult for them to become members of WEA because their churches are already members of the ecumenical WCC.
The key task for the evangelical churches, whether or not affiliated with WCC, we work together for the sake of the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). The whole church must take the whole Gospel to the whole world.
_________________________________________________________________
Bong Rin Ro, DD, is a professor of Church History and Missions in Hawaii Theological Seminary. He has served as Secretary-General of ATA-Asia Theological Association (1970-1990) and Secretary General of the WEA Theological Commission (1990-96). He is currently advisor and Dean of ATA International Asia Graduate School of Theology in Korea.
1 Also known Lausanne Movement.
2 Editor's note : See article by Norberto Saracco "'Pray for me': Papa Francisco: How should we respond." In the June 2013 in Lausanne Global Analysis http://www.lausanne.org/en / documents/global-analysis/june-2013.html .
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J Stuart Weir
» Ministerio en los Deportes y Evangelismo: Cómo un énfasis encarnacional y de servicio sostiene un evangelismo eficaz
Rev Samuel Ashe, an 18th century English clergyman, clearly saw the need for interaction between church and sport. He used to spend his Sunday afternoons hiding in the trees by the local sports field. He would bide his time until the football came near him when he would catch the ball and pierce it with a pin.[1] He could then go home pleased to have stopped his parishioners from sinning! Hopefully, in this article we can identify more constructive ways of engaging with the world of sport.
No reasonable person can deny the importance of sport in the modern world:
The FIFA Football World Cup takes place in Brazil in June-July this year.
The 2010 World Cup was shown on TV in every single country and territory on earth, with 3.2 billion people around the world, or 46.4% of the global population, watching at least part of it.[2]
Theological catch-up
Christian ministry to sport largely began in the 1950s but has grown exponentially to the point where there are currently over 50 ministries with a specific engagement with sport in the UK alone. Some form of Christian ministry to sport exists in 180 countries of the world. However, the growth has been spontaneous and often uncoordinated. This process has had certain consequences, for example, in terms of theology.
Jim Mathisen, from Wheaton College, has written, ‘The fact that the current [sports ministry] movement still operates in the absence of any clearly articulated theology of sport is troubling . . . no theology or hermeneutics is broadly shared within the movement’.[3] While Mathisen’s comment remains true in the sense that sports ministry still operates from no generally accepted common theological foundation, more and more material on sport and Christianity is being published at an academically respectable level.[4]
Broad scope
Sports ministry broadly falls into two categories—ministry to sport and ministry through sport:
Ministry to sport means serving sport in the name of Jesus; sports chaplaincy[5] is a good example of this. The term ‘serving the people of sport’ is also used. This is helping the (often) elite sportsperson to practise their sport Christianly as well bringing church to them when competition stops them getting to a local Sunday service.
Ministry through sport is seeing sport as an evangelistic opportunity. This might involve running sports events with an evangelistic purpose, starting a church sports team to draw in outsiders, operating a fitness centre for the community as part of the church’s programme, or distributing leaflets or video material with a gospel message in the language of sport, often using the testimony of high-profile Christian athletes.
Sports ministry works at all levels and age groups. The following vision statement of one UK ministry summarizes well the task that the majority of Christian sports ministry organizations are engaged in:
Christians everywhere living out their faith in sports clubs and teams.
Churches everywhere engaging with their local sports communities.
Sportspeople everywhere having the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.[6]
Major event ministry
In recent years, Christians have seen the potential of a major event in their country or city as an opportunity for service and witness. This type of ministry began in the 1990s and has grown significantly over the years, particularly at the Olympics and football World Cups:
A £2 million campaign around the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics involved over 2,000 volunteers from 40 countries serving on mission teams, the production and sale of 500,000 Christian resources and the distribution of half a million free bottles of water.
The athlete family homestay programme hosted 280 guests from 20 nations for 2,000 nights of free accommodation.
Church-organized events attracted over 500,000 people.[7]
Major event ministry has often been very effective but can sometimes lead to problems with the event organizing committee. They may feel that a particular Christian publication conflicts with official publications or could mislead the public into believing that there is an official relationship between the publisher and the organising committee.
A ministry report on a recent major sports event referred to a plan to distribute over 500,000 pieces of spiritual literature with testimonies of faith at three community fan zones in the city. While one may rejoice at this evangelistic enterprise, one might also question how the city authorities view the task of picking up the discarded leaflets and whether the reputation of the Christian community has been enhanced by this exercise—or the reverse.
One may also ask how the organizers of a Christian conference would feel if a commercial or political organization were to leaflet delegates to their event. The potential longer-term effects of a major event evangelistic bombardment and the effectiveness of, say, handing out ‘tracts’ to people who are just wanting to have a fun day out at a sporting event, need to be considered.
Sports chaplaincy
The chaplaincy programme at the London Olympics was arguably the most comprehensive ever conducted at an Olympic Games, with 162 chaplains accredited in three separate categories to serve the athletes and others in the Olympic Village, the workforce and volunteers and the media. This was an excellent example of servant-hearted Christians working with the Olympic organizing committee to add value to the event.
The chaplaincy opportunity was created by the foresight of the Bishop of Barking who had created the post of ‘Church of England Olympics Executive Coordinator’ five years previously. The person appointed, Duncan Green, describes his journey of service to the organizing committee in a forthcoming book.[8]
Sports outreach
At the grassroots level, some Christian-based sports outreach projects are being recognised by secular sporting networks as valid forms of engagement through sport to tackle problems in society. A good example is the Ambassadors Fathers’ Football project, which won the Beyond London 2012 Innovation award for reaching out to support poor, marginalised immigrant fathers in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.[9]
When the Africa Cup of Nations was held in Egypt in 2006, the organizing committee was short of volunteers. The Christian community rallied round and recruited the required help. A Christian leader was given the role of Head of Volunteers and a place on the organizing committee.
He said afterwards, ‘It was an incredible opportunity that God gave to the sports ministry in Egypt, to be at the heart of such a big sports event. Ninety percent of the people I was working with—volunteers, organizing committee, government—were not Christians. But all of them knew I was from a Christian church. I believe this is real sports ministry—not just working in the church but taking the church outside’.
The London 2012 and Egypt 2006 experiences show how an attitude of servant-hearted support for the organizing committee of a major sports event is often appreciated and can build bridges between the Christian community and the sports administrators.
Disability sport
At the 1992 Paralympics, admission was free, as the organizing committee did not think that anyone would pay to watch disability sport. In 2012 in London the Paralympics were virtually sold out for every event. The quality and the profile of disability sport have increased dramatically over the past few years. However, the Christian community has largely ignored disability sport. In the UK perhaps 2 of the 50 sports ministries explicitly include disability sport within their programme of activities.
If the theological reflection on sport has been sparse, the Christian thinking about disability sport has been almost non-existent. The publication of a book later this year will represent a welcome contribution to the field.[10]
Prophetic engagement
Christians have been criticized for failing to have any prophetic engagement with sport. Tom Krattenmaker,[11] for example, has lamented the lack of interest in issues like racism, exploitation of women, financial corruption, or excessive violence in sport. When the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia brought Russia’s anti-gay legislation into world spotlight, there seemed to be silence from the Christian sports ministry community.
Theological implications
The increased application of theological reflection to sport is to be welcomed. However, it must be recognized that the process has only just begun:
Ministry underpinned by a sound theological base will be stronger and hopefully more effective.
Greater theological understanding will help Christians to interact positively with sports’ governing bodies and to serve them rather than appearing simply to want to use the sports event for their own purposes.
It will also help Christians address and give leadership in relation to the ethical issues which pervade sport.
Ministry which respects the integrity of sport without compromising the integrity of the gospel is likely to reap long-term fruit.
Lessons and suggested responses
The incarnational model emphasis of sports ministry, where Christians enter the world of sportspeople, reflects the Pauline emphasis in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 with a playing, participating, and supporting level of involvement that requires a huge commitment in terms of time, vulnerability, and intentionality in relationships. This is a lesson for other spheres of evangelism that can sometimes emphasise a programme/event/’come to us’ approach.
Being open to supporting an incarnational approach in evangelism, and in envisioning, equipping, and supporting any sportspeople in the congregation to be the church’s evangelists to their sports friends and local sports club, can be an effective strategy to help the church engage with its local sports community. Supporting Christian parents of sporty children as they engage with others around their child’s sport, through alternative church meetings and visiting children at their sports activities, for example, is also essential.
Another lesson applicable to other spheres of evangelism is that the serving emphasis within sports evangelism can break down many barriers and open up doors for other evangelism opportunities. Such an approach may not yield short-term results but the long-term favour that emerges (e.g., through sports chaplaincy) can lead to real growth of influence for the gospel.
Churches should also be open to serve in the community in and through sport, for example, in providing volunteers, coaches, pastoral care, or a meeting place for a local sports club, school, or college. There should be a conscious decision to value and prioritise disability sport more that has happened up to this point.
Seeing sport as a gift from God, valuing it, and seeking to engage with sport as those who care about it, must represent a fundamental part of how Christians see the world of sport in future. Let us get involved in the world of sport and win it for Christ!
J Stuart Weir is Executive Director of Verite Sport (www.veritesport.org), a Christian Mission to the world of sport. He has worked at the Olympics, Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, Football World Cups, and a host of athletics events. He supports Christians in elite sport and has written extensively on sport and Christianity.
[1] Richard Holt, Sport and the British (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989), p 39.
[2] www.fifa.com
[3] Jim Mathisen, A Brief History of Christianity and Sport in Deardorff II, Donald, and John White (eds), The Image of God in the Human Body (Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen, 2008), p 34.
[4] For a list of the main books, see http://www.veritesport.org/index.php?page=topten.
[5] For more details of sports chaplaincy, see Andrew Parker, Nick Watson, and John White, Sports Chaplaincy: Trends, Issues and Debates (Farnham: Ashgate, 2014). To be published late 2014.
[6] www.christiansinsport.org.uk
[7] More than Gold, London 2012 report.
[8] Duncan Green, ‘Sports Chaplaincy at the Olympics and Paralympics: Reflections on London 2012’ in Andrew Parker, Nick Watson, and John White, Sports Chaplaincy: Trends, Issues and Debates (Farnham: Ashgate, 2014). To be published late 2014.
[9] http://www.beyondsport.org/the-awards/entries/view.php?Id=2226 and https://witness.theguardian.com/assignment/51d59f4fe4b07c36b3600238/433744. I am grateful to my friend Davis Oakley, Ambassadors in Football, for this material and other help with the article.
[10] Andrew Parker and Nick Watson (eds), Sports, Religion and Disability (London: Routledge, 2014).
[11] Tom Krattenmaker, Onward Christian Athletes (Turning Ballparks into Pulpits and Players into Preachers) (Lanham: Rowan & Littlefield, 2009).
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Darrell Jackson
» Nacionalismo y Misión Evangélica: Cuestiones para líderes evangélicos
In 1861, the Rev. James Adderley was a member of the British Parliament. His prayer for the "national confession" included the lines: "We're very sorry for past sins of this nation. Contemplate with deep contrition for the sins of the guilty than we are now. "
Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbot, recently attacked ABC, the station founded by the State, for their coverage of the complaint that Australia had been watching the premier of Indonesia. Abbot complained that the ABC "instinctively sides with any less than Australia. . . should not rush to criticize your own country. "Journalists were left wondering if their first loyalty should be to tell the truth as accurately as possible or the national interest.
The contrast could not be clearer.
Dilemma of nationalism
It is a dilemma that is at the center of the global current of nationalism and patriotism growing. Ulrich Beck describes global trends such as "stowaways" arising everywhere when least expected. Often pose headaches for Christian leaders and present particular challenges for the leader of the church or mission agency responsible multinational teams. This simple observation requires our understanding to understand the scope and importance of nationalism in the context of the overall mission.
Emergence of European nationalism
The overall region as the author knows best, Europe is currently facing challenges of nationalist parties that win votes in regional, national and European elections exploit popular concerns about immigrants, Muslims or historical minority groups:
Netherlands : The anti-Islamic Party for Freedom (PVV Party for Freedom) won 24 of 150 seats in the general election of 2010, and until 2012 was a key ally of the minority government. Currently has 4 of the 25 Dutch members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
Hungary : Jobbik , established in 2002, has 43 of the 386 MPs and two MEPs, making it the third largest party in Hungary. Committed to the protection of Hungarian values and interests, described himself, inter alia, as "radically patriotic Christian party". Commentators describe him as "anti-Semitic" or "neo-Nazi".
Italy : The Northern League (Lega Nord), is a separatist and nationalist great power in northern Italy match. It has 41 elected politicians at various levels of the national government and in 2010 controlled 14 provinces. Currently has 9 of the 73 MEPs.
France : The party Front National (FN ), founded in 1972, won 20% of the vote in local elections in 2010 has three MEPs and two members of the National Council.. Often invoked the memory of Joan of Arc as a unifying values and French interests.
UK: The British National Party (British National Party) BNP, founded in 1982, now has two MPs and an MEP. With the rise of the UK Independence Party UKIP, a less extreme form of nationalist politicians, has proved popular. British MEPs are 9 and 220 deputies.
Greece : The Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS), founded in 2000, has two MEPs and controls 121 municipalities. LAOS claims an Orthodox Christian identity allied with a radical nationalist political identity.
Denmark : Since 2001, the Danish People Party (DF), center-left nationalist committed continued policies to protect the cultural heritage of Denmark, including the monarchy and the Church of Denmark. With 22 MPs, an MEP and 186 deputies opposed the promotion of Denmark as a multiethnic society and works to limit immigration and to promote the cultural assimilation of immigrants.
The nationalist parties of Central Europe have tended to capture historical minorities and generally adopt pro-fascist ideologies originating in the thirties. Western European versions are aimed at multiculturalism, immigration and Muslims in particular.
While populist parties raise fear, churches try to express a clear perspective of the kingdom. While Pope Benedict XVI often referred to as a spiritual crisis of values, there is no united evangelical voice that speaks in the midst of economic and political instability. In some cases, churches are portrayed as patriotic allies in the fight to stop the entrance of non-Christian immigrants.
A collection of stories in 2013 for the BBC , the New York Times, Le Monde , Britain's Guardian , the Australian newspaper The Age , refer to cases of nationalism in 35 countries and territories worldwide.
How should we think in terms of nationalism?
Early on in his critique of nationalism, Charles Taylor1 concludes that the nationalists, especially make "a call for differentiation from the homogenizing forces" of global nature involving the nation-state is deeply involved in the global market economy.
Gerard Delanty2 wields the success of nationalism lies in its ability to imagine forms of community that nurture a sense of belonging, intimacy, community, independence and self-determination, they perceive things that have been destroyed by nation-states mined by and weakened political parties, we might add, by global bureaucracies.
The global bureaucracies are often rooted in forms of trans-sovereign which accepts the emergence of forms of markets and increasingly effective trans-national cooperation (including the European Union). The reactions to the European Union Eurosceptics are typically aimed at their bureaucracies-shaped by legal and treaty-supporting political, cultural economic common life. It was during the period that culminated in the signing of the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992 when many right-wing nationalist parties in Europe were founded.
In opposing globalization, most nationalisms are worth some alternatives that are mythological narratives, such as:
Mitos de la Frontera (frequent, eg in the U.S.);
Sacred myths of origin (such as the original myths Magyar parties of the extreme right in Hungary);
Heroic myths (such as the ANZAC mythology, so important for contemporary Australian identity);
Myths (common among indigenous peoples worldwide) Creation; and
Myths of Manifest Destiny (including but not exclusive of USA).
Of course, I write in this way will offend some countries where these myths are given greater historical accuracy of this article gives them. This fact alone demonstrates the value of myths, their ability to mobilize public opinion, galvanize action, and ultimately nations to mobilize collective action.
What are the issues for evangelical pastors?
First, the Lausanne Movement is clearly a global expression of evangelical Christianity and therefore exhibits some characteristics of other global movements. The commitment of Lausanne of a vision of a global body of Christ fueled by passion and enthusiasm is entirely provided with the vision of the Kingdom of God. The Lausanne Movement has to constantly balance the general interests and agendas of evangelical groups with global agendas to which leaders are pressing movement.
Second mission teams featured in several parts of the world have, for example, Russian and Ukrainian members. Certainly, Russians and Ukrainians share some empathy regarding the current situation in Ukraine rooted in a broader vision of the Kingdom of God. However, it is such situations, a team leader who has wisdom will prepare for heated discussions within the team when there are faults on collision between patriotic or nationalistic feelings.
This will be expressed in the sense that, according to both parties, my country, usually right, deserves my support and the media in my country are more accurate when telling the truth.
Patriotism over nationalism begins when my convictions become absolute and loyalty to my country demands that refuses to question me and I strive to silence the questions of others.
Third, as an example, the bitter dispute between China and Japan, concentrated in a small islands threatened English class that the author gave to students in China in 2013. A leading question of a student monitor was defused only when the author said that was not widely reported on these issues in other countries. Rarely can report that the vital national interests of each country in other countries. However you need to cross a clever workman will be constantly alert to the specter of nationalism raising its ugly head and threaten to undermine the credible witnesses.
Since then, the curse of nationalism to a faithful follower of Jesus Christ is to the extent that Christianity is mobilized as a unifying source of national identity over and against others. Reporting makers and astute will recognize that the impact of religion in public and political discussions. Without this recognition is difficult to form an intelligent view of the current crisis in Ukraine, for example. The arrival of Orthodox Christianity in Kiev and the "Baptism of Russia" in 988, are key to the Ukrainian and Russian versions of national identity and continue to influence the current crisis there.
A Biblical Perspective
Evangelicals can sometimes choose to express solidarity with their governments and it is always wrong to do so. However, this must be mindful of the advice of the British theologian Esther Reed:
You can not work on the basis of nation and nationality .. ... if that bias or supposed moral superiority policies that deny others the same human rights as its members are marked by hostility and suspicion toward other nations and consent to the violence and destruction that results from these attitudes. 3
This perspective reflects a biblical theology of the nations that are considered top of the creative action of God (Genesis 10:32), laments his incredible arrogance (Genesis 11:4) states that are at the heart of the missionary purpose of God (Genesis 12:2-3); brings together all nations in the body of Christ (Revelation 7:9); however concludes with an eschatological image submission and nations under judgment (Revelation 19:15). Christian identity and loyalty should only be Christ. All other forms of loyalty are temporary and pass away, finally being exposed as worthless by the judge of every tribe and nation.
Suggested answers
First, we need to repent of any bias or instinctively feel superior or demonstrate to employees or to those among whom we work.
Second, we must work hard to identify potential sources of nationalist tensions within our own ministry and mission teams. We should be prepared to address problematic issues that arise from time to time caused by geopolitical events. It is better to raise the issue with sensitivity within a team and treat it in a healthy way always seeking reconciliation secured by Christ through his death and resurrection. The alternative may be the latent resentment.
Third, we must be prepared to provide training teams sent to areas where it is likely to find nationalist tensions. Jesus faced this in his own ministry and answered a crucial question: "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?" With clarity, wisdom and grace. Our advice should be equivalent channel training around the notion "Give your nation owed allegiance to God and loyalty he owed." Christians, however, need to be constantly reminded that loyalty to God is always ahead of loyalty to the nation. This may sometimes require re-evaluate how much a country can expect ultimately a disciple of Jesus, Lord of Lords.
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Darrell Jackson is Professor of Missiology at Morling College, New South Wales, Australia. Baptist Pastor earlier in United Kingdom, served three years in Hungary at the Conference of European Churches. He is president of the Research Network of Intenational Lausanne and serves on the WEA (World Evangelical Alliance) Mission Comission.
"Nationalism and Modernity", Charles Taylor, in The Morality of Nationalism, Robert McKim and McMahan Geoff, eds, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997), p 51.
Community, 2nd Edition, Gerard Delanty (Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 2009), p 151.
Theology for International Law, Esther Reed (London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013), p 220.
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