Evangelism Without Justice Ignores the Words of Jesus

Photo from the second day of the Fourth Lausanne Congress. Photo courtesy the Lausanne Movement. Photo credits for the Lausanne Congress: Michael Bode, Gjermund Oystese, MaryChris Lajom, Grace Snavely, Matthew Lauber, Altin Serani, Jaqueline Baisi, Gersham Girum

Last week, as I attended the fourth Lausanne Congress in Incheon, South Korea, I was struck with how much the global evangelical movement has evolved in the past half century, including the advent of new technologies and the explosive growth of Christianity in the Global South, which has reversed the mission field and shifted the epicenter of Christianity increasingly to Africa, Asia, and Latin America. I was also reminded how much global evangelicalism remains stymied by old debates, including overly narrow conceptions of evangelism. The reputation and witness of the church itself plays a major role in evangelism. Doing justice is integral to the cause of evangelization — a conviction and commitment I wish Christians and churches in the U.S. and around the world more strongly embraced. 

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