The Fourth Lausanne Congress: United in evangelism

Captain John Clifton reflects on attending the 2024 Lausanne Congress.

The Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, first convened in 1974 by Billy Graham and John Stott, has long been a landmark event in global Christianity. The gathering in Incheon, South Korea, in 2024 was no exception, drawing more than 5,000 delegates from across 200 nations. It demonstrated the breadth and diversity of Christ’s body and was a bold reaffirmation of the Church’s shared mission to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth.

From a Salvationist perspective, Lausanne was a profound demonstration of how unity in Christ transcends denominational divides. The Salvation Army’s DNA is deeply evangelistic, and the congress resonated with our commitment to being ‘saved to save’. Yet Lausanne was also a reminder that evangelism is not a solitary pursuit: it flourishes when the Church stands united in purpose and action. A key takeaway from the Urban Mission specialism that I attended was that ‘the magnitude of impact the church can have on a city is directly proportional to the strength of relationships among the churches’.

One of the most striking aspects of the congress was its emphasis on a holistic mission. The gospel proclaimed at Lausanne was not one-dimensional. It recognised that word and deed are integral to each other, echoing The Salvation Army’s own conviction that preaching and practical service go hand in hand. Examples shared at the congress demonstrated how churches can address poverty, advocate for justice, and care for the marginalised without losing sight of the central call to proclaim Christ. It reinforced the idea that evangelism is most effective when accompanied by visible expressions of God’s love and that social action is most faithful when the good news of Jesus is proclaimed.

The congress also highlighted the urgency of evangelism in a changing world. Delegates spoke of trends of increasing secularisation, rising hostility to Christian values, and the challenges of cultural fragmentation. Yet the response was not one of defensiveness, fear or isolation, but of boldness and collaboration. As Salvationists, this resonates with our ethos as a Movement willing to adapt and innovate, often stepping into spaces others overlook.

For me personally, the congress was a reminder of the richness that comes from engaging with voices outside my own tradition. Conversations with believers from vastly different contexts – my table included people from Singapore, Kenya, Tanzania and the USA – brought new perspectives, fresh insights and renewed energy for the task of evangelisation. It reinforced the importance of humility and openness in ecumenical partnerships to proclaim the gospel – values that are essential for working together as the body of Christ. Equally, it reinforced my conviction that a confident Salvationist perspective is a gift to the wider Church and world.

Lausanne serves as both inspiration and challenge. It encourages Salvationists to seek intentional opportunities for joint prayer, shared worship services and collaborative outreach efforts with other churches in our communities. It reminds us that unity is not uniformity but a shared commitment to Christ’s mission. The more we work together, the better we can reach the world through different expressions of the same gospel.

The congress ended not with a sense of closure but with a commissioning: a call to return to our communities as ambassadors of reconciliation, evangelists of hope, and servants of the gospel. For Salvationists, that means being confident in our unique calling within the wider Church, working alongside others to proclaim the good news in word and action. As we do, we stand on the promise of Christ’s prayer in John 17:21, ‘that all of them may be one ... so that the world may believe’.