Writing these Cape Town 2010 anniversary week blogs has been encouraging, as I’ve worked through not only the videos and resources coming out of the Congress but also gathered reports from groups on activities since Cape Town. I’m amazed and grateful to see how God has worked through Cape Town 2010 and in Lausanne over the past 12 months.
And, I know these reports are just “scratching the surface” as to what is happening.
What has God been doing in your region, in your work – and in you personally Since Cape Town 2010?
What’s most encouraging about all that has happened since Cape Town 2010 is that in each case it’s not one person, or one ministry doing “it” – these reports instead represent new collaboration and new partnerships that are being developed.
To God be the glory!
If you’ve missed any of the anniversary blogs and articles this week, you can access them:
- Sunday –One Year Ago Today: Cape Town 2010 Begins
- Monday – Cape Town 2010: From An Event To A Movement
- Tuesday – Cape Town 2010: Calling Christians To Action
- Wednesday – Cape Town 2010: Africa Responds
- Thursday – Cape Town 2010: John Stott And The Lausanne Movement
- Friday – Cape Town 2010: Priorities For World Evangelization
- Saturday – Cape Town 2010: Living A Life That Is H.I.S.
Pew Research
In June, the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life released the results of a survey conducted on the Cape Town 2010 participants. The survey was conducted by the Pew Forum in nine languages from August to December 2010. Approximately one-half of the Congress participants completed the survey, using either the Internet or a paper questionnaire. The Pew Research Center was interested in surveying Congress participants because of the diversity and breadth represented by the leaders at the gathering.
The Closing Day
Partnership was the topic of Sunday, the final day of Cape Town 2010. After a week long discussion of the major issues facing the Church with regard to world evangelization, it was appropriate to close with a challenge to find ways to “work better together, rather than separately.” As a part of this vision, Cape Town 2010 was held in collaboration with the World Evangelical Alliance.
Cape Town 2010 Congress Director Blair Carlson (who now serves as Lausanne Senior Associate for Proclamation Evangelism) gave extraordinary leadership to the gathering. Blair says he sees progress from the Congress taking place in four areas: in mission; within regions; in the Movement; through connections, adding,
“Cape Town 2010 provided a new platform for our calling to world evangelization, with new inspiration, new partnerships, new strategies, and renewed impetus to seek God’s heart for the lost. Lausanne III continues to offer the grace of Christ to the people today. That is our calling and our privilege. To proclaim – to speak and to live – the wondrous Good News. May we keep on seeking God’s help and direction that all that is done will bring Him glory.” Read More From Blair.
Sunday’s Bible Exposition on Ephesians 6 was given by Ramez and Rebecca Atallah (Egypt). Ramez reminded leaders of the importance of taking up the armor of God, including the shield of faith,
“We have to have faith, a faith that will trust in God as a loving, heavenly Father. A faith that gives us vision for great things that he can accomplish, to envision in his name the ministry that God is calling us and the faith, as we’ve heard many times in this Congress, to have the courage to risk for his sake.”
Watch his presentation, which includes Rebecca’s story of how God’s power overcame the forces of evil in a very poor section of Cairo:
- Bible Exposition: Ephesians 6 – Ramez and Rebecca Atallah
Download a written Session Summary of this session as a PDF
In the next plenary session, Patrick Fung, OMF, said partnership is about God’s concern for this broken world and his desire,” to bring all men and women to himself.” Patrick urged that partnerships be based on reconciliation,
“If reconciliation is the foundation of partnership, then the cross is at the center of reconciliation. The cross symbolizes death in obedience to God. And, therefore, true biblical partnership requires each of us something of a death to self. It may be death to our own ambition in order to see others succeed. It may be death to our own desire to be in key positions of influence or controlling power so that others can be in position of leadership. It could be death to our own opinion or insisting on how ministries should be run, but trusting others to be used by God, for greater work.”
Watch his presentation here:
- Partnership – Equilibrium vs. Diversity in Unity – Patrick Fung
- Download a written Session Summary of this session as a PDF
The final session of the Congress included a stirring message from Lindsay Brown, Lausanne International Director, followed by an adaptation of an Anglican liturgy from Kenya. Michael Cassidy, founder of African Enterprise, opened the evening with,
“But beloved if you came [to Cape Town], it was only to go. You only came to Cape Town in order to go out from Cape Town. Yes, to go out into all the world to proclaim the gospel to all creation and to every person. But you know the Bible says that we cannot go out to be witnesses to him unless we do so in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Lindsay reminded leaders that Lausanne is an “unashamedly evangelical, Gospel-centered Movement.” He further added that leaders should leave the Congress having clarity on four things: the exclusive claims of Christ; the meaning of Christ’s death; the necessity of conversion and; the lostness of mankind,
“Christ is not just a Savior; he is the unique Savior of the world. He is not just one amongst many; he is the only Lord and Savior. He does not bear comparison with any other religious leaders. He is incomparable. So our calling by all means possible is to declare Christ in all his glory to the ends of the earth.”
Watch Lindsay’s presentation here:
- Closing Ceremony – Sermon – Lindsay Brown
- Download a written Session Summary of this session as a PDF
Read a transcript of Lindsay’s sermon.
The Closing Ceremony of Cape Town 2010 was a moving time of committing ourselves to the task before us, praying and worshiping together and receiving Holy Communion.
Watch the Closing Ceremony here:
Full Closing Ceremony video, or watch a specific section.
- Closing Ceremony – Gathering Songs and Procession
- Closing Ceremony – Glory Be To God on High and Scripture Readings
- Closing Ceremony – Sermon – Lindsay Brown
- Closing Ceremony – Sermon Hymn, Anthem, Prayers and Pardon
- Closing Ceremony – The Holy Communion
- Closing Ceremony – Distribution of Bread and Wine
Ed Willmington, Director of the Fred Bock Institute of Music and Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts at Fuller Theological Seminary, wrote and directed the music of the opening and closing ceremonies. Ed says he is pleased that a CD has been made of the music because Cape Town 2010 was an exhilarating experience,
“What a feeling in my soul when in October 2010 I raised my arms to start the music, knowing that when my arms dropped, all of these people were going to go into a highly coordinated set of actions – all planned to welcome people to their country and send them into the world to honor God and share the good news of the Gospel!” Read More From Ed.
A complete list of videos from the Sunday (24 October 2010) sessions including the Closing Ceremonies of Cape Town 2010 is available.
The Most Important Thing
In an interview at the close of the Congress, Doug Birdsall, Executive Chair of The Lausanne Movement, said he believes the personal connections made by leaders were among the most important accomplishments of the gathering. Additionally he said leaders were able to sense the magnitude of what God is doing around the world and that together the Church regained its footing and regained its nerve for world evangelization.
Watch a closing wrap up video here:
Cape Town 2010: Looking back at the Congress
Just The Beginning
The call is straightforward – to bear witness to Jesus Christ and all his teaching, in every part of the world – not only geographically, but in every sphere of society and in the realm of ideas. In the next year, Lausanne will: continue to organize the Movement around the calls to action in The Cape Town Commitment, encouraging consultations, books, papers and other resources focused on making a difference in each of these areas; provide a place for ongoing discussions on The Cape Town Commitment issues within The Lausanne Global Conversation; expand global representation in Lausanne and; plan for a Global Forum of leaders in 2013 and a Younger Leaders Gathering in 2015. Read More.
Central to this is praying together and seeking the wisdom of God as we move forward.
Would you pray with us that God’s direction will be clearly evident?
Would you also consider how God may be leading you to be involved locally or regionally in world evangelization?
Let me close by encouraging you to watch this final portion of the closing session of the Congress (including the thrilling rendition of “Crown Him With Many Crowns” starting at about 5 minutes). Together, let’s commit to lifting up the name of Jesus Christ and to love the Lord with our all our heart, soul, mind and strength . . .
“Awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless King
through all eternity.“