CIU had Role at Lausanne Conference on World Evangelization

CIU had Role at Lausanne Conference on World Evangelization

CIU students and members of the community gathered in CIU's Pamplin Auditorium t

CIU students and members of the community gathered in CIU's Pamplin Auditorium to watch the Lausanne Conference from South Africa.

By Lenae Simpson

CIU Student Writer

I got chills as I read Columbia International University's blog on the third Lausanne Conference on World Evangelization. CIU Chancellor George Murray wrote about the many people he met at the conference who have a connection to CIU, over 30 in all. They came from 16 countries and performed a wide range of official duties: from the conference director's administrative assistant, to the six CIU students who traveled to Cape Town to serve the international delegates.

Over 4,000 international delegates from 198 countries gathered at Cape Town, South Africa for the five-day conference. In the tradition of the first two Lausanne Conferences (1974 and 1989), Lausanne III continued with the theme, "the whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole world." Delegates spoke on evangelical issues -- from women's role in ministry to the role of art in mission. Reconciliation was another hot topic discussed around the tables after seminars.

Two things impressed me after reading the blogs posted by CIU's participants. First, the Lausanne Conference attempted to reflect the evangelical demography of the world, making the majority of delegates from the "global south/east." The minority of delegates were from North America or Europe -- a drastic change from evangelical conferences in the United States. Secondly, one CIU blogger wrote about the 50,000 people groups still without Christian witness. The term "people groups" was applied at the First Lausanne Conference in 1974. Today, 36 years later, the need for reaching these people groups is even more apparent.

CIU made it possible for their students in Columbia, S.C. to also participate in this history-making Lausanne Conference via Globalink. "Lausanne III @CIU," included live Web discussions and interviews with Chancellor Murray and CIU Seminary professor Dr. William Larkin. The two led the CIU team in Cape Town.

Our school is making a difference in the world. The biblical education CIU students receive is making an impact on our lives, and consequently on the lives of thousands of others. The world needs Christ, and CIU is preparing workers for that great harvest.

The read the blogs posted by CIU's participants at Lausanne visit: http://lausanne3.posterous.com/?page=1.