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Preamble
We, participants of the Lausanne Workplace Forum for Africa and the Middle East, gathered in Accra under one conviction: Jesus Christ is Lord of every sphere of life. The workplace is not outside God’s mission — it is central to it.
We have been reminded that work is part of God’s good design and is holy; that worship means both bowing before God and serving Him through our work; and that every believer is called to bear witness to Christ wherever God has placed them.
We have heard Jesus call us to abide in Him, bear fruit, love one another, and make disciples. We have been challenged by the examples of Daniel, Joseph, the unnamed servant girl, Naaman, and Gehazi to remain faithful in situations of pressure, uncertainty, opportunity, vulnerability, and temptation.
Africa’s growing Christian presence is both an extraordinary opportunity and a solemn responsibility. The Gospel must shape not only our churches, but our workplaces, institutions, businesses, professions, work in the homes, informal sectors, and societies.
Therefore, as we leave this Forum and return to our workplaces and spheres of influence, we make this commitment together.
Our Commitments
1. We Commit to Abide in Christ
We will make Christ — not our position, profession, income, or circumstances — the source of our identity and strength. “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We will pursue fruitfulness over busyness, character over appearance, and faithfulness over applause. When God prunes us, we will surrender rather than resist His transforming work.
In practice, we will:
- Build daily rhythms of Scripture, prayer, and dependence on the Holy Spirit.
- Return to Christ first when pressure comes — before reaching for strategies or solutions.
- Ask regularly: What is God pruning in me, and am I surrendering or resisting?
2. We Commit to See Work as Worship
We reject the false division between sacred and secular. Our workplaces belong to God, and our work becomes worship when offered faithfully to Him. Whether we lead, teach, build, trade, farm, create, manage, care, research, manufacture, serve, invest, or govern, we will work with excellence, integrity, justice, and love — for His glory. We will not leave our faith at the church door. We will carry Christ to work. In practice, we will commit to being a workplace missionary by:
- Evaluating our work by asking, “Am I doing this faithfully before God?” rather than “Is this religious work?”
- Bringing Christlike devotion to Monday’s tasks that we carry forward Sunday’s worship.
- By working in a manner which glorifies God.
- Always seeking ways to earn the right to be heard concerning our testimony, witness, and relationship to Jesus Christ.
3. We Commit to Make Disciples Where We Work
The workplace is both a mission field and a mission force. We will not measure workplace ministry only by how many people we bring into church buildings. We will make disciples where people already live, work, learn, and lead — and we will urge our churches to equip believers for Monday-to-Saturday discipleship, not only Sunday worship.
In practice, we will:
- Lead at least one small group that we can disciple, mentor, or encourage in our current workplace.
- Multiply — equipping those we disciple to disciple others in turn.
4. We Commit to Christlike Character
We will seek to express the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control — in our workplaces. Our colleagues may encounter Christ through our character before they hear Him through our words. In pressure, conflict, failure, success, and grief, we will let His character be seen.
In practice, we will:
- Ask continually: What kind of witness am I becoming?
- Let how we handle failure and disappointment be as much a witness as how we handle success.
5. We Commit to Integrity
We will not separate our faith from our ethical decisions. We will reject corruption, dishonesty, bribery, exploitation, manipulation, and the misuse of power for personal gain. Like Daniel, we will remain faithful under pressure to compromise. Like the unnamed servant girl, we will witness faithfully regardless of position or status. Unlike Gehazi, we will not let greed or ambition corrupt our witness. Our character must be greater than our opportunity, and our integrity must be stronger than our appetite for advancement.
In practice, we will:
- Practice the presence of God in every decision — financial, relational, and professional.
- Refuse compromise even when it costs us advancement, comfort, or approval.
6. We Commit to Courage and Resilience
Faithfulness does not guarantee immediate success. We may face rejection, missed opportunities, instability, or opposition because of our convictions. We will remain rooted in Christ regardless. When conditions are difficult, we will pray first, return to God’s Word, seek wise counsel, stand courageously for what is right, set appropriate boundaries, and persevere.
In practice, we will keep asking:
- What is this pressure revealing about my roots?
- What might God be pruning that I keep trying to restore?
- Who am I becoming while I wait for circumstances to change?
7. We Commit to Generosity and Stewardship
Our money, skills, relationships, opportunities, businesses, and influence are entrusted to us by God. We will practice generosity — using our resources not merely for personal advancement, but for the flourishing of others and the advancement of God’s Kingdom.
In practice, we will:
- Look for concrete opportunities to invest in people and support Kingdom initiatives, not only when convenient.
- Treat what we steward — time, money, influence — as belonging to God, not merely to us.
8. We Commit to Kingdom-Minded Enterprise
We affirm the workplace as a place to create value, solve problems, employ people, and contribute to human flourishing. We will encourage entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals to build enterprises marked by excellence, innovation, justice, stewardship, and integrity — not merely successful businesses, but businesses that serve people and reflect Kingdom values.
In practice, we will:
- Build and support ventures that measure success by the flourishing they create, not profit alone.
9. We Commit to Transform Systems, Not Only Individuals
Personal transformation and societal transformation belong together. We will seek not only to become better individuals but to identify and reform the systems that produce injustice, corruption, exclusion, poverty, and exploitation — bringing our faith, character, vision, and disciplined execution to bear on our societies’ hardest problems.
In practice, we will keep asking:
- What needs to change, and what system is producing this problem?
- What can I build, improve, influence, or reform — starting now, not someday?
10. We Commit to Build This Together
Workplace transformation will not be achieved by isolated individuals. We commit to collaborating across churches, professions, generations, nations, and networks — sharing what works, learning from one another, and ensuring no Christian worker feels alone in trying to live faithfully for Christ in the workplace.
In practice, we will:
- Stay connected to this network and the wider Lausanne Workplace movement after we leave Accra.
- Share models and lessons with others rather than working in isolation.
Our Covenant
As we leave Accra, we recognize that this Forum is not an ending. It is a sending.
We return to our workplaces not merely as employees, professionals, entrepreneurs, leaders, pastors, or businesspeople, but as followers of Jesus Christ sent into the world as his Agents to transform it.
We go back conscious that our own fruitfulness at the workplace will be the outflow of our own authentic Christian spirituality. Therefore, we will be:
Rooted in Christ. Fruitful in character. Faithful in witness. Courageous in conviction. Generous in stewardship. Excellent in our work. Intentional in discipleship. Uncompromising in integrity. Collaborative in mission. Committed to transformation.
The Kingdom of God is not confined to the church building.
The workplace belongs to God. Our work belongs to God. Our influence belongs to God. Our communities belong to God. Our continent belongs to God.
Therefore, in dependence on the Holy Spirit and confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to Kingdom impact in every sphere of life.
From Accra, we go.
From the Forum, we are sent.
From the workplace, we will serve.
In Christ, we will abide.
Through our lives, we will bear fruit.
And for the glory of God, we will seek the transformation of the workplace and society.
AMEN.