In some ways, Lausanne Congress is the contemporary equivalent of our ancient ecumenical church councils (Nicea, Chalcedon, Constantinople etc) and like those councils, controversy, disagreements and differences were part of the Congress. However, there was also a deep sense of a common vision and a common goal; a common commitment to be a witness to the gospel to the ends of the world till the end of this age.

I attended the Lausanne 4 Congress (L4) in Seoul as part of my role in the Worldwide International Students Ministry Network (WINS). It has taken me a while to reflect on the congress and in the meantime, many have written wise reflections about the L4. In particular, I commend to you Jay Matenga’s, Grace Lung’s, Rei Lemuel Crizaldo’s and Robert Chao Romero’s. You will read of both unity and division, of a common vision and different approaches, worries for the state of the great commission and yet deep commitment to persist. Allow me to add some humble reflections relevant to our situation here in Aotearoa.

A major theme of the Congress was that of collaboration. We were organised into groups and told to look for ways in which we can collaborate. Reflecting on that exercise where collaboration itself was the goal, I realised three things. Firstly, collaboration isn’t what we are forced into as a way to overcome obstacles or resource constraints which we cannot overcome on our own. Instead it is a virtue that should be an important component of our plans and programmes. Secondly, the desire to collaborate leads to deepening relationships. An invitation to work together is an expression of goodwill and trust. Finally, collaboration prioritises relationships over programmes. We stop asking, “What can you do to help my project?” and ask instead, “What projects can we do together because I want a relationship with you?” We invite people to be full participants in our programmes not because we require their assistance, but because we enjoy and treasure them.

In the relatively small ecology of Christian ministries in Aotearoa, collaboration should be more widespread because we have so much in common and our networks are so much tighter. Collaboration will allow us to work more closely with friends that we are already meeting regularly.

The decline in the number of Christians in Aotearoa is well documented and undeniable. One of the implications for us is that we will find it increasingly difficult to find leaders for our ministries. I believe that we will reach a crisis point in about 5 to 10 years as Baby Boomer leaders exit our organisations. This is not a sudden crisis but one that has been in the making for many years.

L4 had an emphasis on developing The Next Generation but in some crucial ways, its intentions were undermined by its own actions. Although young leaders were on stage, they were mostly/only there as presenters, musicians and performers. Few of the speakers were identifiably ‘Next Generation”. While the wisdom of our elders as speakers is undeniable, it was a missed opportunity to make space, to platform and encourage younger leaders. One Gen Z leader pointed out the incongruity of a presentation about Gen Z given by a non-Gen Z speaker.

The church in Aotearoa has for a long time sought to invite the younger generations into leadership. However, for the invitation to succeed, we need three changes. Firstly, we must hand over the reins even if we think that the next generation is not ready. This requires courage and trust in God that he who provided wisdom for older leaders, will do so also for the younger generation. Secondly, we must exit the room so that the younger leaders can fully occupy and direct the ministry as God leads them. Too often, we open the door for younger leaders and then stand in the doorway supervising or ‘advising’ them; ever ready to take the reins back. Is it any wonder that they decline to be leaders in our ministries? Finally, if we have not been able to develop and bring on young leaders, we must have the courage to close our ministries so that funds and resources (already scarce) might go towards those ministries that have successfully transitioned to or were started by the next generation[BP1] .

The next Congress will not be led by the current generation of leaders. The current leaders will have to step aside and hand over the reins and the longer it takes to happen, the less likely it would be that there will be a next Congress. If our ministries in NZ were to survive, we must similarly be prepared to hand over the reins, get out of the room or in some cases, close our ministries so that green shoots have the resources to grow and thrive. This requires courageous leadership.

It is undeniable that L4 gathered from across the globe, a beautifully diverse gathering of faithful men and women from many ethnicities and cultures. I doubt that there are any other gatherings of Christians that are as multiethnic. However, being multiethnic does not equate to being multicultural. What was clear throughout the Congress was that L4 is very much an American enterprise. From its slick production, to the songs, to the drama teams, to the hype and vibe, to having paintings done concurrently at each session, it was an American consumerist religion on display.

Thus one of the most multiethnic gatherings of the Global Church was disappointingly, distressingly and distastefully monocultural. This was hammered home when one of the speakers plaintively explained that he had offered to speak in Spanish; his native tongue but was firmly told that it had to be English. In a testament to conveyor line efficiency and preference for programme over people, an elderly speaker was politely ushered off the stage in mid-speech because he had gone on longer than his allocated time. Distressingly, the time saved was so that the American drama team could perform.

Having people of different ethnicities in our ministries does not make it multicultural even if they are on the leadership team. For a ministry to truly be multicultural, the ministry must intentionally have as a normal part of its life, multicultural elements like language, food and behaviour. And this requires the dominant culture to make space, to put aside their own preferences like so many minority cultures have done for so long.

In Aotearoa, many ministries are already intentional about developing an ethnically diverse team. It might be just as important to consider introducing culturally diverse practices into our ministries. In this way, ethnic minorities will find it easier to accept an invitation to the team.

Like so many other conferences and meetings, the value of L4 ultimately lies as much in the programming as in the relationships made and the willingness to act upon what God has revealed to me. I am incredibly privileged to have attended the Congress. Now I have the responsibility to act. I will actively seek collaborations in ministries, help ministries transition to younger leaders and encourage more diverse cultural practices. Let me know if you are interested in any of this. I am here to help.