Lausanne Covenant

{{Short description|1974 religious manifesto promoting Christian evangelism}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}

The '''Lausanne Covenant''' is a July 1974 religious [[manifesto]] promoting active worldwide [[Christianity|Christian]] [[evangelism]].{{sfn |Melton|2005b}} One of the most influential documents in modern [[evangelicalism]], it was written at the [[First International Congress on World Evangelization]] in [[Lausanne]], Switzerland, where it was adopted by 2,300 evangelicals in attendance.{{sfnm |1a1=Melton |1y= 2005a |1p=295 |2a1=Melton |2y= 2005b}}

==History==
In July 1974, the original Lausanne conference brought together approximately 2,700 Christian religious leaders from over 150 countries and was called by a committee headed by the American evangelist [[Billy Graham]].{{sfn|Onyinah|2014|p=419}} <ref>{{Cite web| first = Christopher J H | last = Wright | title = Whole Gospel, Whole Church, Whole World|publisher=Christianity Today|url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/october/main.html|date= September 4, 2009 }}</ref> The drafting committee for the 15-point document was chaired by [[John Stott]] of the United Kingdom.{{sfnm |1a1=Melton |1a2=Baumann |1y=2010 |1p=1695 |2a1=Padilla |2y=2010 |2p=6}} In addition to the signing of the covenant, the conference also created the [[Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization]].{{citation needed|date=January 2018}} The covenant is in the form of an [[ecumenical]] [[confession (religion)|confession]],{{sfn|Stott|2009|p=6}} in which the signatories profess their shame at having failed to spread the [[Gospel]] of [[Jesus]].{{sfn|Howard|2011|p=217}} The covenant specifically affirms the beliefs in the [[Nicene Creed]]. The signatories express their intention to be more committed to spreading Christianity throughout the world.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

The original document is in English and has been translated into at least twenty different languages. In 1989, fifteen years after the original Lausanne conference, the [[Second International Congress on World Evangelization]] (sometimes called "Lausanne II") convened in [[Manila]], [[Philippines]], and adopted the [[Manila Manifesto]], an elaboration of the Lausanne Covenant.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

The introduction of the covenant is:
{{quote|We, members of the Church of Jesus Christ, from more than 150 nations, participants in the International Congress on World Evangelization at Lausanne, praise [[God]] for his great salvation and rejoice in the fellowship he has given us with himself and with each other. We are deeply stirred by what God is doing in our day, moved to penitence by our failures, and challenged by the unfinished task of evangelization. We believe the gospel is God's good news for the whole world, and we are determined, by his grace, to obey Christ's commission to proclaim it to all mankind and to make disciples of every nation. We desire, therefore, to affirm our faith and our resolve, and to make public our covenant.{{sfn|Stott|2009|p=11}}}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last=Howard |first= Michael C. |year=2011 |title= Transnationalism and Society: An Introduction |location= Jefferson, [[North Carolina | NC]] |publisher= McFarland & Co |isbn= 978-0-7864-8625-0}}
*{{cite encyclopedia |last= Melton |first=J. Gordon |author-link=J. Gordon Melton |year=2005a |title= International Congress for World Evangelism |encyclopedia= Encyclopedia of Protestantism
|location= New York |publisher= Facts on File |pages =294–95 |isbn=978-0-8160-6983-5}}
*{{cite encyclopedia |last=Melton |first=J. Gordon |author-mask= 3 |year= 2005b |title= Lausanne Covenant |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Protestantism |location=New York |publisher=Facts on File |page=334
|isbn=978-0-8160-6983-5}}
*{{cite encyclopedia |year=2010 |title=Lausanne Movement |editor1-last= Melton |editor1-first= J. Gordon |editor1-mask= 3 |editor2-last= Baumann |editor2-first= Martin |encyclopedia= Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices |edition= 2nd |volume=4 |location= [[Santa Barbara, California | CA]] |publisher= ABC-CLIO |pages=1693–96
|isbn=978-1-59884-204-3}}
*{{cite book |last=Onyinah |first= Opoku |author-link=Opoku Onyinah |year=2014 |chapter=A Pentecostal Perspective on the Lausanne Movement
|editor1-last=Dahle |editor1-first= Lars |editor2-last=Dahle |editor2-first=Margunn Serigstad
|editor3-last=Jorgensen |editor3-first=Knud |title= The Lausanne Movement: A Range of Perspectives |location=Eugene, [[Oregon | OR]] |publisher=Wipf & Stock |pages=419–25 |isbn= 978-1-4982-1722-4}}
*{{cite book |last=Padilla |first= C. René |author-link=René Padilla |year=2010 |orig-year=1985 |title= Mission Between the Times: Essays on the Kingdom |edition=2nd |location= Carlisle, England |publisher= Langham Monographs |isbn= 978-1-907713-01-9}}
*{{cite book |last=Stott |first= John |author-link= John Stott |year= 2009 |orig-year=1975 |title=The Lausanne Covenant: Complete Text with Study Guide |location=Peabody, [[Massachusetts | MA]] |publisher= Hendrickson Publishers |publication-date=2012 |isbn= 978-1-59856-874-5}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite journal |doi=10.1111/j.1758-6631.1999.tb00161.x |title= Review of ''Making Christ Known: Historic Mission Documents from the Lausanne Movement, 1974–1989'', Edited by John Stott |year=1999 |last=Gros |first=Jeffrey |author-link= Jeffrey Gros |journal= International Review of Mission |volume=88 |issue= 350 |page =313}}
*{{cite journal |first1= Robert A. |last1=Hunt |year=2011 |title=The History of the Lausanne Movement, 1974–2010 |journal=International Bulletin of Missionary Research |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=81–85 |doi=10.1177/239693931103500203|s2cid=147864675 }}
*{{cite journal |doi= 10.1177/026537888500200311 |first1= C. René |last1=Padilla|authorlink= René Padilla |title= Evangelism and Social Responsibility: From Wheaton '66 to Wheaton '83 |journal= Transformation |year= 1985 |volume= 2 |issue=3 |pages=27–34|s2cid= 147790374}}
*{{cite book |first1=René |last1= Padilla |authorlink=René Padilla|first2=Chris |last2=Sugden |year= 1985 |title=How Evangelicals Endorsed Social Responsibility |publisher=Grove Books |location= Cambridge, England |isbn= 978-1-85174-009-3}}
*{{cite journal |doi= 10.1177/026537889000700105 |first1= Valdir R. |last1= Steuernagel |title= Social Concern and Evangelization: Our Journey Since Lausanne I |journal= Transformation |year=1990 |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages= 12–16|s2cid= 149317312}}
*{{cite magazine |first=John |last= Stott |author-link=John Stott |interviewer-first=Tim |interviewer-last= Stafford |year= 2006 |title=Evangelism Plus |journal= Christianity Today |volume= 50 |issue=10 |url= http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/october/32.94.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061015051917/http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/october/32.94.html |archive-date= 15 October 2006 |access-date=13 January 2018}}
*{{cite journal |doi= 10.1177/026537889000700104 |first1=Christopher |last1=Sugden |title= Theological Developments Since Lausanne I |journal= Transformation |year=1990 |volume=7 |issue=7 |pages=9–12|s2cid=149002531 }}
*{{cite journal |doi=10.1525/rac.2011.21.1.81 |title=Identity Politics and the Fragmenting of the 1970s Evangelical Left |year= 2011 |last1=Swartz |first1=David R. |journal=Religion and American Culture |volume= 21 |issue= 1 |pages= 81–120 |s2cid=143252626 |issn=1533-8568}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Christianity}}
*[http://www.lausanne.org/covenant/lausanne-covenant Text of the Lausanne Covenant]

[[Category:1974 documents]]
[[Category:1974 in Christianity]]
[[Category:Christian missions]]
[[Category:Evangelical documents]]
[[Category:Manifestos]]
[[Category:July 1974 events in Europe]]