Challenges and Opportunities for Global Mission: an African Missionary in Europe’s Perspective

The Fourth Lausanne Congress gathered over 5,000 people from over 200 nations and included multiple generations collaborating to advance global mission. The Congress highlighted reflections, challenges, and opportunities particularly for global mission in Europe.

Implications for Global Mission

We need to cultivate Intergenerational Leadership

During the Global Congress, each participant engaged in a collaborative workshop in four of the afternoon sessions which addressed one of 25 key missional gaps highlighted in the State of the Great Commission Report. Engaging in the afternoon collaborative workshop highlighted the importance of fostering intergenerational leadership. Younger people should be given space to lead considering they know how to reach and engage with their own generation. At the same time, leaders from the older generations need to step into coaching, mentoring, and spiritual parenting roles to encourage and support younger leaders. This creates spaces for mutual learning, understanding, growth, and collaboration.

“Younger people should be given space to lead considering they know how to reach and engage with their own generation”

2. We need to prioritise Discipleship

Throughout the Congress, discipleship was a strong theme in many of the plenary talks. The Lausanne Movement’s three priorities for the next 50 years are disciple-making, disciple-maturing, and digital discipleship, recognising the need to prioritise discipleship to advance global mission.(1) Historically, the global Church has emphasised conversion above discipleship in its evangelistic efforts. However, the global Church must renew its priority of discipleship. Discipleship needs to be intentional, focusing on maturing disciples who disciple others. As the world shifts towards the digital age, we must also adapt our approach to discipleship by engaging with people digitally and in person. Using digital tools to reach, engage, and disciple people to mature in their faith will be key to the future of global mission.

We must also return to using homes as part of the church’s missional engagement. The global Church, particularly in Europe, has also emphasised creating bigger churches with bigger influence and reach. However, one of the speakers attributed their rapid church growth in America to using house churches as their model for thirteen years before ever gathering in a church building. If we want to see the church grow, homes are key spaces to disciple people as they grow in their faith and commit to whole-life discipleship.

3. We need to Prophetically Speak Up Against Injustice

So often injustices are shaped by the stories and narratives that are told which are then embedded and normalised in our culture. This is further endorsed by those who choose to play an active role in the oppression of the innocent, and the silence of those who choose not to speak up. The global Church’s efforts in its response to injustice must be commended; from its humanitarian response to disasters and crises, to its engagement in injustices such as human trafficking and violence. However, there is still more work to be done. Injustice still prevails, and many across the world experience injustice due to the unjust systems that create and fuel it. The global Church’s witness is strengthened by refusing to stay silent in truth-telling and speaking up against injustice, even though it is costly. This involves creating safe spaces for listening, questioning presumed positions to pursue unity, and publicly calling out injustice where it is present.

“The global Church’s witness is strengthened by refusing to stay silent in truth-telling and speaking up against injustice, even though it is costly”

Challenges and Opportunities for Global Mission

We need to listen to Gen Z Voices

During the Global Congress, a plenary session focused on reaching the next generation. Key findings included that Gen Z rejects organised religion, and that more Gen Z are entering the doors of universities than churches. If we are to engage the next generation, universities are key spaces to engage young people in global mission. As a young leader passionate about engaging Gen Z, it was encouraging to hear the importance of reaching the next generation. However, the Gen Z voice was missing from the conversation, especially young diasporas. We needed to listen to the voices of Gen Z sharing how to reach their generation because they know how to reach and engage with them, and the lack of Gen Z representation only amplified the need to realign leadership to engage them intentionally.

Right now, only 3.9% of 21-25 year olds in the UK identify as Christians.(2) Fewer people identify as Christians, while more identify as non-religious and spiritual. If the decline in Christianity continues, we will see the reversal of the First, Second, and Third Great Awakenings by 2050. The global Church must reach and engage with the next generation by creating intentional spaces for intergenerational relationships and discipleship. This includes friendship, vulnerability, mutuality, and collaboration.

2. We need to cultivate Intercultural Churches

During the Global Congress, we experienced intercultural worship where various groups led worship in different languages, which was an amazing experience. I was also encouraged by different people who were invited to pray in their native language before each plenary talk. However, given that over 200 nations were represented at the Global Congress, I felt we could have given space to explore what it means to be a truly intercultural church.

“I felt we could have given space to explore what it means to be a truly intercultural church.”

I also felt, particularly as a young African Diaspora based in Europe, that while there was a strong representation of diversity, cultures and ethnicities, the format still had a strong European-American influence which only emphasised the need for conversations on cultivating an intercultural church.

As global migration increases, the world will become even more diverse and multi-ethnic. While many churches are starting to embrace being multi-ethnic churches, it is not enough to have diversity simply exist within the church. To advance global mission, we must begin the journey to integrate the different cultures in our churches, promoting unity by breaking down cultural barriers and incorporating shared leadership with people from different backgrounds. We must also engage the growing diaspora communities by intentionally fostering cross-cultural relationships within and outside the church.

3. We need to engage in Racial Justice and Reconciliation

During the Global Congress, a session explored reconciliation from different perspectives, including Israel-Palestine, Ukraine, DRC, and Rwanda. However, the common theme is that many of the conflicts are internal conflicts within the nation or between neighbouring nations. What was missing from the conversation was racial justice and reconciliation.

We live in a postcolonial world where narratives around race, inequalities, and racism within structures and systems, still exist. Sadly, this is also seen in the global Church where, particularly in Europe, many churches are still influenced by European-American ideologies that perpetuate racial injustice. The global Church must speak up on racial injustice and name the ideologies the church holds. More importantly, the global Church must engage in racial reconciliation by restoring broken relationships, which includes accountability, repairing what is broken, and restoring dignity.

Conclusion

Overall, the Fourth Lausanne Congress deepened my understanding of global perspectives and the greatest priorities for advancing global mission: intergenerational leadership, discipleship, and justice. The Congress also raised challenges and opportunities to advance global mission: engaging the next generation, cultivating an intercultural church, and engaging in racial justice and reconciliation. Ultimately, advancing global missions will not be due to the strength of one individual or church but all - everyone has a part to play.

Peace Ashenafi

Peace is an ordinand at Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB), completing an undergraduate degree in Theology, Ministry and Missions at St Mellitus College. She is passionate about reaching the next generation, raising young leaders and deepening discipleship.

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