This is the Church
Reflections from the 4th Lausanne Congress in Seoul, Korea
By Owen Lee
I recently had the incredible opportunity to attend the 4th Lausanne Congress in Seoul, South Korea. It was about three weeks ago in September, and honestly, it was one of the most spiritually revitalizing experiences I’ve ever had. God surprised me in so many ways, and I came back with a deeper love for the global church and a renewed commitment to the mission of Christ.
Some of you might be wondering, “What is the Lausanne Congress?” Let me give you a quick overview. The Lausanne Movement began in 1974 with the 1st Lausanne Congress, organized by Billy Graham and John Stott, in Lausanne, Switzerland. More than 2,400 Christian leaders from 150 nations gathered, with the goal of uniting the global church around the Great Commission—the unfinished task of proclaiming the Gospel to all nations. The theme of that first Congress was “Let the Earth Hear His Voice.” It marked the birth of a worldwide movement for missions.
Fast forward to 1989. The 2nd Lausanne Congress took place in Manila, Philippines, with over 4,000 leaders from 173 nations gathering under the theme “Proclaim Christ Until He Comes: Calling the Whole Church to Take the Whole Gospel to the Whole World.” Then, in 2010, the 3rd Lausanne Congress was held in Cape Town, South Africa, with the theme “God in Christ, Reconciling the World to Himself.” Again, over 4,000 Christian leaders from 198 nations came together. And last month, the 4th Lausanne Congress was held in Seoul, Korea. This time, more than 5,400 Christian leaders from 202 countries gathered, making it the largest and most diverse Congress ever. The theme this time was “Let the Church Declare and Display Christ Together.”
To be honest, before I went, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. But God surprised me in ways that are hard to put into words. It was truly a life-changing experience. I’m still processing all that God laid on my heart. I came back not just more in love with the global church, but also with a renewed commitment to world missions. I want to live differently because of what I experienced, and I want to lead our church in a way that reflects that.
There are so many things I could talk about, but what struck me most powerfully at the Lausanne Congress was this fresh realization: We belong to the global church. The local church that I belong to—Christ Central Presbyterian Church in Centreville, VA—belongs to something so much bigger, so much more glorious than what I typically get to see on Sundays. The reality that we belong to the global church has shifted my perspective on life and ministry.
I have two main reflections about the global church: first, its awesome and beautiful diversity, and second, its precious unity.
The Awesome and Beautiful Diversity of the Global Church
One of the most moving moments in Scripture is in Revelation 7, where the Apostle John is given a vision of the church in heaven. In verses 9 and 10, he writes:
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
The church in heaven will be made up of people from every nation, tribe, people, and language—redeemed by the blood of Christ. It’s not just multi-ethnic; it’s pan-ethnic, pan-national. And while I’ve always known this as a theological truth, it’s another thing entirely to see a glimpse of that reality at the Lausanne Congress.
The emotions while witnessing 5,400 Christian leaders from 202 nations—people from Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America, and Australia—was nearly indescribable. People with different skin colors, wearing different styles of clothing, speaking in different languages and accents. The sheer diversity was breathtaking. I had moments where I couldn’t hold back the tears—tears of joy, tears of wonder, and tears of gratitude. I kept thinking, “THIS is the church. I belong to THIS!”
I’ve been to many Christian gatherings, conferences, and conventions, but this was on another level. It was the most gloriously diverse Christian gathering I’ve ever been a part of. Seeing that diversity with my own eyes made me realize that the global church is even more beautiful than I had imagined.
And it wasn’t just racial or ethnic diversity—there was generational diversity, gender diversity, and even theological diversity. We had Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Z, all together in unity. Men and women from every part of the world. Presbyterians worshipping alongside Pentecostals. People who believe in believer’s baptism and people who believe in infant baptism, all worshipping together. People who believe in the continuation of spiritual gifts and people who believe in their cessation, all affirming one another in Christ. People who believe that God calls only men to serve as pastors and people who believe that God calls both men and women to serve as pastors, all in loving fellowship with one another. The theological differences that seem so significant here in America felt so minor and insignificant in the context of the global church.
One of the most beautiful moments was when we sang "How Great is Our God" together. To stand in a room with thousands of believers from 202 nations, all singing with one voice about the greatness of our God—it was the closest thing to heaven I’ve ever experienced. There was a moment where I just stopped singing and looked around, and I was overcome with emotion. I thought, “THIS is what heaven will be like.”
The sheer diversity was breathtaking. I had moments where I couldn’t hold back the tears—
tears of joy, tears of wonder, and tears of gratitude. I kept thinking, “THIS is the church. I belong to THIS!”
The Precious Unity of the Global Church
My second reflection is about the precious unity of the global church. Ephesians 4:4-6 says:
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Despite the diversity, there was this undeniable unity at Lausanne. We were all different in so many ways, but we were all the same in the most important way: our shared faith in Jesus Christ. One of the most powerful moments of the Congress was when we all recited together the first question and answer from the Heidelberg Catechism. Thousands of voices, from different backgrounds, confessing together that our only comfort in life and death is that we belong, body and soul, to Jesus Christ. That unity was palpable.
On the last night, we took communion together, led by a Korean pastor and a Japanese pastor. The Gospel reconciles even those who were once enemies and brings them together as a family in Christ. That was a powerful image of what the Gospel can do—not only reconciling us to God but reconciling us to one another, even to those we once hated as our enemies.
Original Image from Lausanne Movement Instagram—https://www.instagram.com/lausannemovement/
I was especially moved on the day we focused on the persecuted church. I realized that if we belong to the global church, then we also belong to the persecuted church—because the global church is the persecuted church. When one part of the body suffers, we all suffer. I learned our persecuted brothers and sisters don’t want our pity; they want our prayers. Not prayers for persecution to end, but for the strength to endure their persecution and suffering in a way that honors Christ.
Hebrews 13:3 says “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.”
I’ll never forget hearing from an Iranian pastor who had been imprisoned for five years simply for being a pastor. As he spoke, I realized that he wasn’t just an Iranian pastor—I saw him as my brother. His suffering was not distant or “other”; it was family suffering.
Pastor Patrick Fung, a Chinese leader who has experienced much persecution, gave one of the most powerful addresses I’ve ever heard. He said, “Do not fear persecution. Fear compromising the Gospel. For persecution never kills the church, but a compromised gospel will.” He’s the kind of pastor I want to be when I grow up. His faithfulness and his fearless example inspire me so much.
Closing Thoughts
So, what is it about the Gospel that makes Christians all over the world willing to suffer for it? It’s this: the Gospel is the message that God so loved us that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins and rise again so that we might be saved and have eternal life with God in the new heaven and new earth. When you see Jesus loving you that much, when you see how far and how low He was willing to go for you, how can you not love Him in return? How can you not be willing to follow Him, even if it costs you?
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us see how great our God is. Let us see how great our Savior’s love is for us. And let us, as Christians and as local churches, commit ourselves to being part of the global church. Let’s be inspired by our brothers and sisters around the world who are living out their faith with courage, with boldness, with joy—even in the face of persecution. No matter where God has placed us, let’s live in a way that reflects the greatness of our God and the beauty of His Gospel.
Owen Lee serves as the Senior Pastor of Christ Central Presbyterian Church in Centreville, VA. He received his BA in Rhetoric at U.C. Berkeley and his MDiv at Westminster Seminary, CA. Before his call to serve as the Senior Pastor of Christ Central in 2012, he served as the English Ministry Pastor of New Life Mission Church in Fullerton, CA from 2000 to 2002, and then as the church-planting pastor of New Life Mission Church in Burbank, CA from 2002 to 2011. He is married to Margaret, and they have 3 children together - Abby, Caleb, and Lizzy.
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