Seoul, September 28, 2024
There have been complaints from day one until today, which is the last day: protests from Korean churches outside, calling for the congress to "close ranks" with LGTBI+ people; from some members of the theological committee, who question why they were not consulted during the drafting process; from Zionist groups, upset because justice was called for the Palestinian people on the platform; and from those practicing Integral Mission, who, like myself, called for a social balance in the document, among others.
But it would be wrong to leave the impression that this Fourth Congress has been a tangle of disputes. That version wouldn't align with reality. In Seoul (Incheon), we have sung joyfully, laughed heartily (my closest friends and colleagues and I even laughed out loud at times), and enjoyed the kindness of the volunteers serving us, always with a friendly and helpful smile. In short, it has been a pleasant experience.
The complaints — coming from minorities not always so visible — coexist with the approval of the majority. This is what happens in most local evangelical churches around the world: a majority that upholds and applauds traditional theologies, conservative ideologies, votes for populist leaders (both right and left, though more of the former), and, to avoid making the list too long, prays for Israel while turning a blind eye to the plight of the Palestinian people (a remnant of 1960s apocalypticism).
In contrast, evangelical minorities (including younger people) tend to question these stances: they raise their voices against biblical interpretations aligned with political power, advocate for theologies that emphasize social justice and human dignity, and dare to express their solidarity with marginalized communities, including Palestinians and sexual minorities. In their circles, mission is not seen as unconditional support for certain nations or policies, but as a call to denounce oppression in any context.
But these faces of the evangelical community coexist in most churches. Indeed, as an expression of that “reconciled ambiguity” (I find this phrase fitting), here in Seoul, both sides sang the same hymns with enthusiasm, conversed amicably whenever they crossed paths, sought contact details for new friends, and also wanted a photo with Pastor Rick Warren from Saddleback Church in California. I got mine.
My concern is not with the current evangelical generation. We coexist, even though we differ. My worry is with the new and upcoming generations. The difference among them is not between global mission and integral mission, or between dispensationalist theologies and liberation theology, to give just one example. How many young people know who C.I. Scofield is or have read J.L. Segundo?
These generations have different interests, and perhaps that’s why hundreds leave our evangelical communities every year. Recent statistics show a significant decline in young people's participation in evangelical churches. According to the Barna Group, nearly three out of five young Christians (59%) permanently or temporarily stop attending church after the age of 15.
Another study, revealed by Christianity Today, shows that the pandemic accelerated the trend of church abandonment, especially among young adults aged 18 to 29, with 42% reporting changes in their church attendance and 30% attending less frequently after the pandemic. By comparison, only 28% of adults aged 30-49 and 16% of those over 65 reported similar declines.
In 2026, the global youth gathering of the Lausanne Movement will be held in Brazil. I wonder what will be said there and what its controversies will be. Because Lausanne won’t be the future of the church; that future is in the hands of the new generations.
This concludes my chronicles. I’d like to write a few more after Seoul, but I can’t promise anything. If I don’t, you’ll know why: I’m not part of the new generation, and after more than 30 hours of flight, once I land in Costa Rica, I might not even remember what I promised… or even what the controversies here were. I belong to the "Old Generation Lausanne," like the vast majority of participants in Seoul. Perhaps that’s the reason for Lausanne's anachronisms, its silences, and controversies — a generational issue?
To paraphrase Jürgen Moltmann, each generation has the responsibility to embody the gospel in a fresh way, so that faith does not become an empty echo of previous generations but rather a path toward true hope.
But it would be wrong to leave the impression that this Fourth Congress has been a tangle of disputes. That version wouldn't align with reality. In Seoul (Incheon), we have sung joyfully, laughed heartily (my closest friends and colleagues and I even laughed out loud at times), and enjoyed the kindness of the volunteers serving us, always with a friendly and helpful smile. In short, it has been a pleasant experience.
The complaints — coming from minorities not always so visible — coexist with the approval of the majority. This is what happens in most local evangelical churches around the world: a majority that upholds and applauds traditional theologies, conservative ideologies, votes for populist leaders (both right and left, though more of the former), and, to avoid making the list too long, prays for Israel while turning a blind eye to the plight of the Palestinian people (a remnant of 1960s apocalypticism).
In contrast, evangelical minorities (including younger people) tend to question these stances: they raise their voices against biblical interpretations aligned with political power, advocate for theologies that emphasize social justice and human dignity, and dare to express their solidarity with marginalized communities, including Palestinians and sexual minorities. In their circles, mission is not seen as unconditional support for certain nations or policies, but as a call to denounce oppression in any context.
But these faces of the evangelical community coexist in most churches. Indeed, as an expression of that “reconciled ambiguity” (I find this phrase fitting), here in Seoul, both sides sang the same hymns with enthusiasm, conversed amicably whenever they crossed paths, sought contact details for new friends, and also wanted a photo with Pastor Rick Warren from Saddleback Church in California. I got mine.
My concern is not with the current evangelical generation. We coexist, even though we differ. My worry is with the new and upcoming generations. The difference among them is not between global mission and integral mission, or between dispensationalist theologies and liberation theology, to give just one example. How many young people know who C.I. Scofield is or have read J.L. Segundo?
These generations have different interests, and perhaps that’s why hundreds leave our evangelical communities every year. Recent statistics show a significant decline in young people's participation in evangelical churches. According to the Barna Group, nearly three out of five young Christians (59%) permanently or temporarily stop attending church after the age of 15.
Another study, revealed by Christianity Today, shows that the pandemic accelerated the trend of church abandonment, especially among young adults aged 18 to 29, with 42% reporting changes in their church attendance and 30% attending less frequently after the pandemic. By comparison, only 28% of adults aged 30-49 and 16% of those over 65 reported similar declines.
In 2026, the global youth gathering of the Lausanne Movement will be held in Brazil. I wonder what will be said there and what its controversies will be. Because Lausanne won’t be the future of the church; that future is in the hands of the new generations.
This concludes my chronicles. I’d like to write a few more after Seoul, but I can’t promise anything. If I don’t, you’ll know why: I’m not part of the new generation, and after more than 30 hours of flight, once I land in Costa Rica, I might not even remember what I promised… or even what the controversies here were. I belong to the "Old Generation Lausanne," like the vast majority of participants in Seoul. Perhaps that’s the reason for Lausanne's anachronisms, its silences, and controversies — a generational issue?
To paraphrase Jürgen Moltmann, each generation has the responsibility to embody the gospel in a fresh way, so that faith does not become an empty echo of previous generations but rather a path toward true hope.
Read all the chronicles of Lausanne 4:
About the author:
Pastor and theologian Harold Segura is Colombian, currently residing in Costa Rica. He is the Director of Faith and Development for World Vision in Latin America and the Caribbean and the author of several books. Previously, he served as Rector of the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Colombia.
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