2015 Younger Leaders Gathering to Connect and Mobilize the Next Generation of Evangelical Leaders Worldwide
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nagoya, Japan – 17 February 2014 – The Lausanne Movement is issuing a call worldwide for nominations of emerging leaders in the global church to participate in the Younger Leaders Gathering (YLG 2015) to be held in Kiev, Ukraine, in August 2015.
The purpose of YLG 2015 is to gather, connect, and mobilize the next generation of global evangelical leaders. ‘Nominations have already been received for over 2,000 possible participants, and the quality of these younger leaders is outstanding’, shares Michael Oh, Executive Director/CEO of The Lausanne Movement and a participant in the last Younger Leaders Gathering in 2006. ‘As a Younger Leaders Gathering is only convened every decade or so, we want to ensure every potential younger leader has been nominated for consideration. We are calling on Christians around the world to nominate younger leaders from their own network who fit the participant profile.’
The open nomination process seeks men and women from around of the world who:
- Will have a significant voice for the church nationally or globally in the next decades
- Have an early track record of achievement and an expanding sphere of influence
- Have exemplary character, vibrant spiritual life, and sacrificial service for the glory of God
- Have a passionate vision for global evangelization and a kingdom mindset of cooperative ministry
- Come from a representative sample of church, mission, academy, and marketplace vocations
- Are between 25-35 years old (recognizing there will be cultural exceptions)
‘Our selection team is looking for representatives from every country to participate in the 2015 gathering’, says Richard Coleman, Chair of the participant selection committee and a Senior Director at The Mission Society. ‘Nominated participants will go through a rigorous and de-centralized selection process led by leaders in each region of the world. Those selected will have the opportunity to be mentored by senior leaders actively serving the global church. Participants can expect to build relationships and networks that will remain a significant part of their ministry and support structures for years to come.’
The first time Lausanne brought together emerging leaders to focus specifically on world evangelization was in 1987 when 300 young evangelical leaders from more than 60 nations gathered for Singapore 87: A Conference of Young Leaders. Then in 2006, the Younger Leaders Gathering (YLG-06) held in Malaysia drew 550 young leaders from over 100 countries around the theme ‘Live and Lead like Jesus’.
These gatherings historically have been a part of raising up younger leaders who have gone on to play strategic global leadership roles, including Ramez Atallah (General Director, The Bible Society of Egypt), Doug Birdsall (Former Executive Chair, The Lausanne Movement) Ajith Fernando (Teaching Director, Sri Lanka Youth for Christ), Bethany Hoang (Director, IJM Institute for Biblical Justice), Peter Kuzmic (Co-founder, Evangelical Theological Seminary in Croatia), Yaw Perbi (President, International Student Ministries Canada), Susan Perlman (Communications Director, Jews for Jesus), John Piper (Former Pastor, Bethlehem Baptist Church), and many more.
Nominations are being accepted in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish until 28 February 2014 through the Lausanne website: https://lausanne.org/en/gatherings/issue-based/ylg-2015/nomination-form.html.
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BACKGROUND
Lausanne is a global movement that mobilizes evangelical leaders to collaborate for world evangelization. It grew out of the 1974 International Congress on World Evangelization convened in Lausanne, Switzerland, by Rev Billy Graham and Bishop Jack Dain. The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization (October 2010) in Cape Town, South Africa, brought together 4,000 Christian leaders representing 198 countries. The resulting Cape Town Commitment serves as the blueprint for the movement’s activities.
CONTACT
For interviews or more information, contact Sarah Chang at media@lausanne.org.