Significance of the Lausanne Covenant

Abstract

In his long address called “Why Lausanne?” Dr Billy Graham clearly stated the reason and purpose to have the International Congress on World Evangelization by saying that “we are met to pray, talk, plan and to advance the work of evangelism ,” and he adds: “This is a conference of evangelicals. The participants were asked to come because you are evangelical-concerned with evangelism and missions; and we here tonight stand firmly in the evangelical tradition of Biblical faith.” Here we can find two specific reasons for the congress: to discuss for furtherance of world evangelism and to bring evangelicals together for a united front of the world evangelization. For this purpose the invitations were sent to all over the world. According to statistics published officially by the congress six continents sent their representatives to the congress responding to the invitation though it was sent on individual basis: 458 from Africa, 729 from Asia, 1 115 from North and Central America, 777 from Europe, 180 from South America and 150 from Oceania. Literally it was a world-wide congress. There was never such a large gathering before on a single purpose.