To all of you around the world who have sent your words of congratulations, shared your joy and excitement, and prayed for The Lausanne Movement and for me this week I say from the bottom of my heart – THANK YOU!
There is a sense of celebration as well as sober anticipation for the challenges and blessings ahead. Your words of encouragement and support give me great HOPE that the Lord is preparing and mobilizing His people for wonderful days to come.
Many of you have been involved with Lausanne in the past and understand the legacy of truth and trust. You have been blessed to see God work through Lausanne to unite the church and call the church to the critical task of world evangelization. I invite your continued commitment and involvement.
Others of you are new to Lausanne but recognize God’s hand upon the Movement. Perhaps you hold a common vision to see “the Whole Church taking the Whole Gospel to the Whole World” with a spirit of humility, integrity, prayer, partnership, study, hope and passion. I invite you to get to know The Lausanne Movement (lausanne.org) and want to particularly highlight some of the wonderful talks from the historic Cape Town 2010 Congress. The testimony from the North Korean high school girl had me weeping in my seat. I’ll never forget that moment.
My official start date as Executive Director/CEO of Lausanne is 1st March. My first priority is to fast, pray, and seek God’s purposes and power in this new transition. I invite you to join me. Apart from Christ we can do nothing. There’s no better place to start than to humble ourselves and to bow before our Lord in prayer. My second priority is to get feedback from Christian leaders around the world regarding their hopes for how God might use Lausanne into the future.
In the coming months we will seek to find ways to introduce Lausanne afresh to a new generation of Christians and leaders around the world. I’m particularly excited to begin preparations for the 3rd Lausanne Younger Leaders Gathering in 2015. In 2006 in Port Dixon, Malaysia at the 2nd Lausanne Younger Leaders Gathering, I, myself, was a younger leader inspired by the history and vision of Lausanne.
The challenges ahead are great, but our God is even greater. His purposes are sure and He will surely have the victory. What a privilege and joy it is to be a part of God’s plans together with wonderful brothers and sisters around the world like you.
May God bless you.