Lausanne World Pulse – Themed Articles – The Whole Gospel as Focus of Lausanne Theology Working Group Consultation
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Thirty-one participants representing twenty countries were in attendance for the 5-day “The Whole Gospel” consultation in Chiang Mai. |
From 11-15 February 2008, the Lausanne Theology Working Group (LTWG), in partnership with the World Evangelical Alliance Theological Commission, convened its working consultation on “The Whole Gospel” in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This was the first in a 3-year project led by LTWG chair, Dr. Christopher J. H. Wright. The series focuses on three expressions used in the Lausanne Covenant: the whole gospel (2008), the whole Church (2009), and the whole world (2010). Key theological and missiological challenges facing the Church will be discussed in preparation for the Third Lausanne Congress to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2010.
Thirty-one participants representing twenty countries (with sixty percent of the countries represented being from the Global South) were in attendance for the strategic 5-day meeting. Three members of the Lausanne Strategy Working Group were also present to encourage robust communication, cooperation, and cross-fertilization between the two working groups.
“The Whole Gospel” consultation followed closely the tone set by the LTWG’s 2007 Limuru consultation on “Following Jesus in Our Broken World.” The group discussed theological issues, missiological implications, and case studies along six main themes:
- The gospel in biblical revelation
- The gospel and the achievement of the cross
- The gospel and the power of the Spirit
- The gospel in historical reception
- The gospel in mission and culture
- The gospel and ethics
Participants grappled with identifying what the whole gospel is, where it is manifested, how it is communicated, and above all, how it is demonstrated in changed lives and communities.