Discipleship and the Great Commission with Ivor Poobalan

The Great Commission calls us to more than just evangelism—it calls us to make disciples.

In this short presentation, Ivor Poobalan explores why discipleship is the most critical gap in global Christianity today. Drawing from Scripture, history, and a global survey, he highlights the dangers of misbelief and misbehavior when new believers are not properly discipled. True transformation requires both proclamation and teaching, ensuring that believers grow into full maturity in Christ.

As part of The Theological Foundation Papers series, this talk bridges the insights of the State of the Great Commission Report with the urgent need for intentional disciple-making.

Watch now to rediscover why discipleship is essential for the Church’s witness and mission.

00:00 The Urgency of Evangelism
00:13 The Goal of Maturity in Christ
00:49 Lessons from History: Whitefield vs. Wesley
01:20 The Importance of Discipleship
02:03 The Modern Church’s Neglect of Discipleship
02:16 Global Survey on Discipleship
02:45 Threats to New Believers: Misbelief and Misbehavior
03:38 The Unfinished Task of Discipleship

For a deeper look at the ideas shared in the video, read

Lausanne Occasional Paper No. 87

The Theological Foundation Papers video series connects the State of the Great Commission Report with biblical truths, equipping Christians to navigate global mission challenges while staying rooted in Scripture.

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Speaker's Bio

Ivor Gerard Poobalan

Co-Chair, Theology Working Group

Ivor Poobalan has served as the principal at Colombo Theological Seminary (CTS) in Sri Lanka since 1998. CTS is an evangelical, interdenominational, trilingual seminary. Ivor’s first job was as youth pastor for churches in Colombo. He graduated with honours from the London School of Theology (UK) with a BA in theology and from Trinity International University (Illinois, US) with a ThM in Old Testament and semitic languages. In 2015 he was conferred a PhD by the University of Cape Town for his dissertation titled 'Who is "The God of This Age" in 2 Corinthians 4:4?' Ivor is married to Denisa and they are parents to daughters Anisha Eng and Serena.