It has only been one month since the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization began in Incheon, South Korea, and ChinaSource, for good reason, has already posted a variety of reflections about the gathering—Listening to the Echoes, by Xiaoli Yang; A Post Lausanne IV Reflection; Reflections on Lausanne’s Fourth Congress on World Evangelism by Andrew Lee; and Closing the Gaps by Brent Fulton. The Lausanne Covenant continues to stand as a global church biblical manifesto defining and calling the church to worldwide Christian evangelism. This at a time when the term evangelical has been distorted and diluted and is defined in many Western nations as a political voting bloc more than anything else.
All four Lausanne congresses have sought to flesh out the theological meaning and application of the Lausanne Covenant and its missional heart. It continues to unite Christ followers around the world who are on a mission to be faithful to Christ’s Great Commission. The theme of the Fourth Lausanne Congress was “Let the Church Declare and Display Christ Together.” The goal was to explore key congress themes, network with fellow participants, prepare to collaborate, and take action.
At the end of the Congress, participants signed a Collaborative Action Commitment which began with this statement: “I believe the global church as the body of Christ is better together and I aspire to build deeper relationships and explore opportunities for synergy and collaboration.” The commitment included the following:
- Actively seek to remove duplication and silos by celebrating others and collaborating with them to address challenges facing the global church.
- Do this with a focus on raising the next generation of leaders who will take this movement from generation to generation.
The commitment ends by saying: “Together we trust in the purpose, power, and grace of God to empower us towards this.”
As the full commitment statement is lived out around the world by the universal body of Christ, we will see powerful answers to Christ’s prayer for us in John 17 with this breakthrough result: “I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me,” John 17:23.
For many years now, a simple ChinaSource credo in the China ministry space has been “Engage, Collaborate, Serve.” Our Vision Statement seamlessly aligns with the Lausanne Collaborative Action Commitment: “We aspire to see the church in China and the global church learning and growing together, engaging in ministry that powerfully advances the kingdom of God.”
In her recent post (see above) Xiaoli Yang revealed that the congress leaders rephrased the congress theme “in a more elaborative term, the body of Christ as the Bride is to be unified and beautified to accelerate the global mission.” With this as our goal, the Lausanne Collaborative Action Commitment is timely and worthy of our heartfelt investment.
Kerry Schottelkorb
President
Ways to Pray
- Praise the Lord that ambassadors of reconciliation through Christ from throughout the globe gathered last month in Incheon, South Korea for the Fourth Lausanne Congress on Evangelization, where they were able to grow in unity, purpose, and focus for the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
- Praise the Lord that God loves the cities of China (see China’s Cities-Should We Not Be Concerned by Peter Bryant) and that there are resources available to guide us in praying for them.
- Praise the Lord for those in the body of Christ who wait on him and listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd. This is especially important in the aftermath of the 4th Lausanne Congress.
- Praise the Lord that he loves us even more than we can love those who are dearest and closest to us. Read a testimony to that fact in “From Darkness to Light: A Journey of Grace and Redemption,” by Gregory Wu.
- Pray for a great harvest of kingdom fruitfulness to be the result of this year’s Lausanne gathering.
- Ask that God will use ChinaSource to facilitate oneness in Christ, collaboration and teamwork, as we serve the church in China and the diaspora.
- Remember Catholics in China, as they face many challenges from the government, as well as divisions within their communities.
News and Notes
ChinaSource Quarterly, 2024 Autumn Issue
The Catholic Church in China, guest editors Michael Agliardo and John A. Lindblom
We are pleased to announce that the latest issue of ChinaSource Quarterly has been published. For this issue, all the contributors are Catholic Christians who have long experience in China. John A. Lindblom starts the issue with an overview of the history of the Catholic Church in China. Next, Anthony E. Clark discusses some of the more recent history of Catholics in China—particularly how Catholics have coped with the restrictions of the New Era. Historian Cindy Yik-yi Chu takes readers on a deep dive into the Maryknoll Sisters, whose convent school provided Christian witness and education for many children and their families. John A. Lindblom shares the life and work of Wu Jingxiong (John C. H. Wu), who worked not only on translating the New Testament and Psalms into literary Chinese but also saw in Christian mystics many resonances with the Confucian tradition.
The Sino-Vatican Agreement of 2018 remains controversial. Two scholars, Chiaretto Yan and Beatrice Leung, give opposing perspectives on its results, five and a half years later. A Chinese believer in the underground Catholic Church also gives the perspective of underground believers on the agreement. Anthony Chang sheds light on the Catholic view of creation care and the deep connections between our love for God and our care for the Earth he made for us. Michael Agliardo zooms out and examines the ways that both China and the Catholic Church have changed over the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. John Lindblom reviews People, Communities, and the Catholic Church in China, a collection of essays addressing aspects of the Catholic Church and its relationship to the Chinese government. Brent Fulton offers his perspective on this ChinaSource Quarterly, emphasizing that all believer in China, no matter their tradition, face similar challenges and depend on the same faith in Christ. For readers who desire to read more about the Catholic Church in China, there is an extensive reading list.
Be sure to download and read this profound issue of ChinaSource Quarterly—“The Catholic Church in China.”
In-Person and Online Lecture
Our partner, China Academic Consortium (CAC) is hosting the next lecture in our joint series, “Exploring Christianity and Culture in China: Today and Yesterday.” Dr. Lian Xi will lecture on Lin Zhao and his book on her life, Blood Letters: The Untold Story of Lin Zhao, A Martyr in Mao’s China. The lecture will be held on Saturday, November 9 at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, Calvin Room, in Berkeley, CA. All are welcome to this free lecture. A recording will be available to those not able to attend in person.
Get more details and register at the CAC website.
Online Event
Calling all book lovers! Joann Pittman will be leading a book club discussion of her book The Bells Are Not Silent on Wednesday, November 13, 2024. Our partner ERRChina is hosting the event. Visit the ERRChina website for more details and to register.
ChinaSource Opportunities
ChinaSource is growing! We are looking for both a Vice President of Operations and a part-time Fund Development Manager. Please visit our Opportunities page to get more details about both positions and see how to apply.
ChinaSource Team News
- Brent Fulton preached at Home of Christ Church in Newark, CA on October 6.
- From September 22 to 28, Brent Fulton attended the Fourth Lausanne Congress in Incheon, South Korea.
In Case You Missed It
A selection of recently published items:
- Crossing Cultures: Boundary Events and Paradigm Shifts, ChinaSource Blog, October 22.
- China’s Cities—Should We Not Be Concerned, ChinaSource Blog, October 21.
- Listening to the Echoes, ChinaSource Blog, October 18.
- ZGBriefs, October 17.
- From Darkness to Light, ChinaSource Blog, October 15.
- Do Chinese Christians Still Need to Study Theology Abroad in the Online Learning Era?, ChinaSource Blog, October 14.
- The Double Ninth Festival, ChinaSource Blog, October 11.
- ZGBriefs, October 10.
- Reflections on Lausanne’s Fourth Congress on World Evangelism, ChinaSource Blog, October 8.
- Remaining Faithful amid Challenges: Catholics in China, ChinaSource Blog, October 7.
- Trials, Tribulations, and the Formation of a Ministry, ChinaSource Blog, October 4.
- ZGBriefs, October 3.
- Bringing Light to the Mountains, ChinaSource Blog, October 1.
- Closing the Gaps, ChinaSource Blog, September 30.
- Partners in Faith, ChinaSource Blog, September 27.
- ZGBriefs, September 26.
- From Pharmacy to Faith, ChinaSource Blog (CCV), September 24.
- Crossing Cultures: Perspective and Spiritual Maturity, ChinaSource Blog, September 23.
- Witnessing the Gospel Publicly, ChinaSource Blog, September 20.
- ZGBriefs, September 19.
Image credit: Cajeo Zhang via UnSplash.
Are you enjoying a cup of good coffee or fragrant tea while reading the latest ChinaSource post? Consider donating the cost of that “cuppa” to support our content so we can continue to serve you with the latest on Christianity in China.