Churches in Evangelistic Partnership

Today’s reading is Section 8 of the Lausanne Covenant - Churches in Evangelistic Partnership. Read Here.

We rejoice that a new missionary era has dawned. The dominant role of western missions is fast disappearing. God is raising up from the younger churches a great new resource for world evangelization, and is thus demonstrating that the responsibility to evangelize belongs to the whole body of Christ. All churches should therefore be asking God and themselves what they should be doing both to reach their own area and to send missionaries to other parts of the world. A re-evaluation of our missionary responsibility and role should be continuous. Thus a growing partnership of churches will develop and the universal character of Christ’s Church will be more clearly exhibited. We also thank God for agencies which labor in Bible translation, theological education, the mass media, Christian literature, evangelism, missions, church renewal and other specialist fields. They too should engage in constant self-examination to evaluate their effectiveness as part of the Church’s mission.

Sections 8 and 9 bring us to the heart of the Covenant, focusing on our core purpose—world evangelisation.

Churches

For much of the past two centuries, Christians spoke of ‘sending churches’ and ‘receiving churches’. Traditionally, older churches in the West were sending churches. Through their mission work, God birthed and grew younger churches in other parts of the world. Today, churches from across the globe are actively engaged in gospel mission. This example is evident in Scripture where some churches planted by the apostles quickly became vibrant centres of evangelism—'sending churches' themselves (eg Romans 1:8; Philippians 1:5; 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8; Acts 13:1-3).

This shows that mission is not temporary but a continuing calling. Local and national churches cannot take up this mandate and then set it aside. Only as each church embraces its God-given role in world evangelisation will it mature and truly reflect Christ’s universal Church.

Parachurch Agencies

While the Church is God's ‘appointed means of spreading the gospel’ (Section 6 of the Covenant), parachurch agencies play a valuable supporting role. Often interdenominational and specialist in focus, they help churches diversify outreach—through evangelism, church planting, theological education, renewal ministries, and specialised communication such as Bible translation, media, journalism, and publications.

We thank God for the vital contributions of such agencies. However, unlike the Church, which is God’s eternal creation, agencies are temporary tools, who may outlive their usefulness because of changes in external needs and challenges.

Reflection:

Which churches or parachurch agencies could you commit to pray for in their gospel effectiveness?

Prayer:

Lord, I give you thanks for the many who work tirelessly for your gospel expansion. May they be effective in their efforts.