Lausanne World Pulse – LAUSANNE REPORTS – African-American Mission Leaders Emerge to Impact World Evangelization

October / November 2010

African-American leaders are positioned to take a leading role in the future of world evangelism at the upcoming Lausanne III Congress on World Evangelization, an historic and unique gathering of evangelical and other mission-minded believers, to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, 16-25 October 2010.

Over forty African-American delegates, among more than four hundred from the USA and over four thousand worldwide, will come together to advance the gospel of Christ throughout the world, continuing the historical pioneering influence in missions among African-Americans. Consider:

• The first missionary from the United States was African-American.
• The black believers and their churches have engaged in world missions for hundreds of years.
• Communities around the world are waiting and calling for African-American believers to emerge and come share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ.

At Lausanne III: Cape Town 2010, African-Americans will convene with other African-descended leaders from the continent and the diaspora. Led by the Holy Spirit, they will reconcile, fellowship, unite, pray, and strategize on how best to reach African-descended people and the whole world with the gospel of Christ.

“Just as the Church at Antioch sent forth black prophets and teachers to evangelize Asia Minor and Europe in the first century of the Church, the Holy Spirit is renewing his thrust to engage modern day black leaders and congregants to spread the gospel and impact missions worldwide,” said Rev. Dr. Walter McCray, president of the National Black Evangelical Association and author of the Black Presence in the Bible.

In 2007, the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization (LCWE) assembled in Budapest 360 of the world’s top evangelical leaders, representing more than 60 countries, to begin praying, planning, and working together in preparation for Lausanne III in South Africa. Steve Woodworth, chairman of the Lausanne Communications Working Group, said at that time, “This is the first real opportunity for international input into the planning process for Lausanne III: Cape Town 2010. Perhaps the most significant outcome of the meetings so far has been the overwhelming sense of unity.”

Donovan Case, president of International Christian Ministries, was also in attendance at that initial meeting. “In Budapest, I was impacted by the range of speakers from a global perspective and anticipate more of the same in Cape Town,” he said.