In 2020, the Lausanne Movement embarked on a global listening initiative, engaging Christian leaders from around the world in over 1,800 hours of dialogue. These conversations revealed a deep need to anticipate and prepare for the trends and challenges that will shape the world—and the church’s participation in God’s mission—by 2050—from this effort emerged the State of the Great Commission Report, which identified 10 pivotal questions and 40 aligned trends likely to influence the course of global mission in the decades to come.
To provide a theological foundation to this forward-looking report in the unchanging truths of Scripture, the Lausanne Movement and its strategic partners invited theologians and missiologists from around the globe to contribute to the State of the Great Commission Report – Theological Foundation Papers. This collection of essays offers a robust biblical and theological foundation for the insights presented in the State of the Great Commission report, providing critical reflections that connect timeless truths with the pressing realities of our time.
This seminal project has been carefully curated to ensure depth, clarity, and theological integrity. Under the editorial leadership of Julius Kim and Philip Chung, who serve as the general editors, this work brings together a diverse range of voices and perspectives, offering a comprehensive and thought-provoking contribution to the field.
The primary goal of the Theological Foundation Papers is to ensure that the global church’s mission remains firmly rooted in Scripture. As the name suggests, these papers provide a biblical foundation for addressing the critical questions and trends identified in the State of the Great Commission Report. By bridging theology and practical ministry, the papers connect eternal biblical truths with the realities of contemporary mission, equipping churches, organizations, and individual believers to navigate challenges such as engaging unreached people groups, leveraging digital technologies for evangelism, and discipling the next generation with both faithfulness and relevance.
The primary goal of the Theological Foundation Papers is to ensure that the global church’s mission remains firmly rooted in Scripture.
The Theological Foundation Papers are organized around the 10 key questions identified in the State of the Great Commission Report, addressing the critical challenges and opportunities the global church will face by 2050. The collection includes 17 essays authored by renowned global theologians, pastors, and missiologists, each focusing on a specific theme or question. Key topics include:
- Polycentric Christianity: Understanding the unity and diversity of the global church in a polycentric world.
- Hope and Trust: Exploring the biblical foundation of hope and truth in a world marked by secularism, propaganda, and challenges to objective reality.
- Emerging Demographics: Addressing global aging, youth populations, and cultural shifts in the context of discipleship and mission.
- Community and Justice: Defining biblical community and justice, and their implications for ethnic diversity, religious freedom, and serving marginalized groups.
- Sustainability and Mental Health: Providing theological perspectives on discipleship, creation care, and compassionate ministry in the face of global challenges like mental health.
- Humanity and Digital Life: Examining the implications of artificial intelligence, gender and sexuality, and digital technologies for the Great Commission.
Each paper poses a focused theological question, connecting timeless biblical principles to pressing contemporary issues. For example:
- How should Christians understand presence in a digital age where technology erases physical boundaries?
- What is the biblical basis for serving those on the margins, and how does this fulfill the Great Commission?
- How does the Bible define humanity, and why does this matter in the face of AI and transhumanism?
The Theological Foundation Papers will be published as Lausanne Occasional Papers, with a new paper released every other week. The first in the series, written by Tite Tiénou, is now available along with an introduction video. Each paper and its corresponding introduction video will be accessible on the Theological Foundation Papers collection page and the video series page, where contributors provide an overview of their paper and its key themes.
Publication Schedule
The upcoming releases will follow this schedule:
| Topics | Contributor | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|
| Polycentric Christianity: Theological Multiplicity and Unity | Tite Tiénou | January 2025 |
| Understanding Global Change and Cultural Shifts in the Religiously Pluralistic Context: A Crucial Aspect in the Contextualization of the Gospel | Wilson Paluri | February 2025 |
| God’s Saving Truth: The Foundation of Trust | Peter A. Lillback | February 2025 |
| What are the Emerging Demographics? | Craig Ott | March 2025 |
| Passing on the Faith to the Next Generation | Lloyd Kim | March 2025 |
| Ethnic Diversity in Community | Victor Nakah | April 2025 |
| Biblical Justice & The Great Commission | Soong-Chan Rah | April 2025 |
| Discipleship and the Great Commission | Ivor Poobalan | May 2025 |
| Mental Health and the Church: Strategies for Faithful and Compassionate Ministry | Wen-Pin Leow | May 2025 |
| Christian Mission and a Theology of the Body | Timothy Tennent | June 2025 |
| Technology and Missions: How Technology is Changing our Lives and Why it Matters for the Great Commission | Stefan Lindholm | June 2025 |
| Ministry in a Digital Age: How Should Christians Understand ‘Being Together’ in Digital Space as It Relates to Church, Worship, and Discipleship? | Darrell L. Bock | June 2025 |
| Hope is Not a Dream | Michael S. Horton | July 2025 |
| Discerning Trustworthy Truth: How God’s Word and Spirit Form Christian Judgment | Kevin J. Vanhoozer | July 2025 |
| Biblical Community and the Great Commission | Wanjiru M. Gitau | July 2025 |
| Scripture, Sex, and Gender: Part 2: How should Christians understand disorders of sexual development, gender dysphoria, and transgender identities? | Rebecca McLaughlin | August 2025 |
| Scripture, Sex, and Gender: Part 1: What are the biblical foundations of sex, marriage, and singleness? | Rebecca McLaughlin | August 2025 |
| Digital Life: Reframing Christian Presence in a Technological World | Uday Balasundaram | September 2025 |
Each paper represents a significant contribution from leading theologians, missiologists, and scholars from around the world. Their insights reflect a diversity of cultural, regional, and theological perspectives, ensuring that this collection is both academically rigorous and practically relevant to global mission efforts.
As you engage with the Theological Foundation Papers, we invite you to read them alongside the State of the Great Commission Report. Our hope is that these reflections will not only deepen your understanding of God’s Word but also inspire you to act with clarity and conviction as you pursue the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Whether you are a church leader, mission practitioner, scholar, or believer seeking to make a difference in your context, we pray that these papers will equip and encourage you for the work ahead.
As the Lausanne Movement continues its mission to accelerate global mission by connecting influencers and ideas for the sake of the Great Commission, may these papers serve as a resource to help us all remain faithful to Scripture and united in our shared calling to proclaim Christ to every nation, tribe, and tongue.
This project would not have been possible without the generous support of Sarang Church in South Korea, especially through the leadership of the senior pastor, Rev. Dr. John Oh. Sarang Church’s unwavering commitment to the mission of Lausanne and their vision for advancing the Great Commission have been instrumental in bringing the Theological Foundation Papers to fruition.
As the Chairman of Lausanne Global Partners, Rev. Oh has provided not only financial support but also a strong endorsement of this initiative. His leadership and the partnership of Sarang Church exemplify the collaborative spirit at the heart of the Lausanne Movement, demonstrating how local congregations can play a vital role in strengthening global mission efforts.