Don't Betray the Gospel, Evangelicals told
Chris Wright, International Director of Langham Partnership International and Chair of the Lausanne Theology Working Group, has warned that the world church must become more “biblical” or else risk “a betrayal of the gospel”.
by Daniel Blake
Posted: Thursday, July 12, 2007, 9:25 (BST)
Chris Wright, International Director of Langham Partnership International and Chair of the Lausanne Theology Working Group, has warned that the world church must become more “biblical” or else risk “a betrayal of the gospel”.
Dr Wright was in Budapest, Hungary last month for the Lausanne International Leadership meeting to launch the process that will lead to a third major Lausanne Congress in October 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa.
The leadership meeting gathered more than 300 people from all over the world, representing several generations of leaders, a Langham Partnership release has stated.
Lausanne's commission of ‘the whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole world’ would require the “whole Bible” too, he warned during the meeting.
He explained that a holistic mission demands holistic use of the Bible.
“For it is in the whole Bible that we hear the heartbeat of God himself – for the last and the least as well as the lost; for those who are dying of hunger, HIV/Aids and war, as well as those who are dying in their sins; for the landless, homeless, stateless and family-less as well as those who are without Christ, without hope and without God in the world," he said.
World renowned theologian and evangelist Rev John Stott is a unique link between the Langham Partnership International and the Lausanne movement. Not only is he the founder and honorary president of Langham Partnership, he was also one of the major figures alongside Billy Graham at the first Lausanne Congress in 1974.
That Congress gave birth to the epochal Lausanne Covenant and the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelisation. Many Langham scholars were represented and took part in the gathering as well.
More than three decades on from the historic origins of Lausanne, Dr Wright is now looking for the Church to reassess its position to ensure it is going forward with the correct focus to fulfil the Great Commission.
“My concern,” stressed Dr Wright, “is not just that the world church should become more evangelical, but that world evangelicals should become more biblical.”
He concluded: “We need repentance and renewal in the church, as well as renewed passion for world mission. Otherwise, we may become as the Lausanne Covenant put it, ‘a stumbling block to evangelism…a betrayal of the gospel.’”
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The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Wednesday, August 1, 2007, 12:58 (BST)
During the early 1980's, whilst I studied at All Nations Christian College, Hertfordshire, England, (with Chris Wright), Martin Goldsmith spoke about 'The conscientising of Christians', so that their actions would reflect their faith, especially in developing economies. Christians have so many challenges in today's world, and it is only when we are on our knees that God can direct us as individuals or groups about how we can put our faith into action. The when, where and how can then be addressed, later, step by step.
J Weinand, Sydney, Australia
Added: Monday, July 16, 2007, 1:36 (BST)
It seems there is a groundswell of discontent with the so-called 'church' today as more and more pursue 'seeker friendly community minded' methods, however this usually means a departure from the pure and untainted Word Of God. The Word says that in the last days there would be a great falling away before Christ returns...Jude is all about apostasy in the church and the way things look right now...we're living in the times foretold. Interfaith is the catch-cry....mingling and mixing seems like unity and sounds good but it's apostasy. Jesus, Peter, Paul and John all warned us to be on guard against deception....and there's only one way to do that....READ YOUR BIBLES TO LEARN THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD. TEST EVERYTHING SPOKEN FROM THE PULPIT AND MEASURE IT AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD. God always leaves a remnant....and they are leaving the organised church in droves...simply to get away from deception and heresy. The true church is going underground once again....that's always been where it's strongest.
I applaud Chris Wright for his courage to call for a return to the Word of God and sound doctrine, but as one of the previous comments noted....Mr Wright needs also to be very careful that those he endorses do actually teach sound doctrine as well.
Mandy W, Brisbane Australia
Added: Thursday, July 12, 2007, 16:16 (BST)
It is always vital that the Bible is handled and understood as the very Word of God. However what Dr Wright sees as a danger has already been with us a long time. Indeed it is right under Dr Wright's nose. I refer to one of the great tragedies of evangelicalism. Rev Dr John Stott is rightly acclaimed for his work but it has not been without error in precisely this point of keeping the whole counsel of God.
First Dr Stott has set a bad example by accepting Roman and Anglo Catholics as well as liberals as being fellow Christians. This was most obvious at the Keele Conference back in the 1960s. Such a policy contradicts Stott's otherwise clear Gospel. Furthermore Dr Stott is well known for his denial of the existence of hell. He is now an old man and it would a great final work if he would finally repent of these errors and put corrections in writing.
Rev Peter Ratcliff, London, UK
Added: Thursday, July 12, 2007, 10:35 (BST)
Well said Dr Wright! Although Christians in today's society focus on good issues such as poverty and hiv/aids, they do not go to the heart of the problem! World mission and a spreading of the word and love of God must be the key to solving society's problems - anything else is superficial compared to this and will have limited affect.
James Timms, Birmingham, England
