The Seoul Statement: What Are the Church's Priorities?

[Carson]

Hi friends,

At Lausanne 4, hosted in Seoul, Korea, the Lausanne Movement released "The Seoul Statement."

In the introduction, the authors write:

We rejoice over what God has done through the church’s commitment to the great apostolic priority of proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ in order to bring salvation to people lost in sin. Even so, the task of evangelization remains urgent as billions remain outside the reach of the message of God’s love and grace in Christ. Moreover, in the face of this expansive growth, the church in many parts of the world has struggled to effectively nurture the faith and discipleship of millions of first-generation Christians.

In the commission of the Lord Jesus to the apostles in Matthew 28:18-20, he made clear that the mandate given to the church—to “make disciples of all nations”—involved two equally important priorities: the evangelistic task of “baptising them into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” and the pastoral task of “teaching them to obey all that [Christ] had commanded.”

Both these priorities are evident in the apostle Paul’s mission strategy in the book of Acts and in his many epistles. He was passionate about reaching the lost with the message of salvation, and he was equally passionate about strengthening the faith of believers so that they lived lives worthy of the gospel and were able to oppose false teachings that threatened to undermine the truth of the gospel. As he summarises: “We proclaim him; warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ” (Colossians 1:28).

We regret that during the last 50 years of evangelistic harvest, the global church has not adequately provided the teaching necessary to help new believers develop a truly biblical worldview. The church has often failed to nurture new believers to obey Christ’s call to radical discipleship at home, at school, in the church, in our neighbourhoods, and in the marketplace. It has also struggled to equip its leaders to respond to trending social values and to distortions of the gospel, which have threatened to erode the sincere faith of Christians and to destroy the unity and fellowship of the church of the Lord Jesus. Consequently, we are alarmed by the rise of false teachings and pseudo-Christian lifestyles, leading numerous believers away from the essential values of the gospel.

Some leaders have criticized the statement.

For instance, Ed Stetzer, an American missiologist, wrote on X:

A stronger statement on the priority of evangelism would help the Seoul Statement. These statements will influence a generation, far more than the congress itself, so let’s make it stronger and not leave #L4Congress without the world knowing that we know mission drift happens— and is already happening in many places in evangelicalism. Let’s help an entire generation know that we are deeply committed to holding evangelism central to the mission.

(He auto-deletes his posts, so I haven’t linked to it).

However, it seems to me that the Seoul Statement is very emphatic about the importance of evangelism, and provides a Biblical basis for the church to emphasize both evangelism and discipleship as equally essential priorities.

If we make evangelism a greater priority than discipleship, eventually, our lives will lack integrity. We will hollow out our inner lives to reach others - whatever it takes.

If we make discipleship a greater priority than evangelism, then we will atrophy. The lack of mission - and the missing risk, courage, and love of neighbor required to proclaim the gospel - will stifle our spiritual growth.

I think Lausanne’s leaders provide an appropriately holistic, balanced, and mature view of what it means to follow Jesus.

But what do you think?

Should the church prioritize evangelism more than discipleship?

Is discipleship more important than evangelism?

Should we value each in equal measure?

Or is the Seoul Statement missing another essential component of responding to God?

Please create a free account if you want to share a reflection or ask a question.

[blake (Blake Thompson)]

I think, in this introduction, The Seoul Statement really nails the importance of both evangelization and discipleship. The Great Commission in Matthew 20:18-20, as they pointed out includes not only baptizing but also teaching and discipleship and I think, at least from what I have seen within the US, they’re right in pointing out that these pieces have often been absent or lacking.

It need not be, nor should it be, one or the other - but both evangelism and discipleship. Thus, by emphasizing discipleship and noting its absence over the past 50 years, the Seoul Statement does not devalue evangelism, but instead calls us toward a more holistic obedience to the call to make disciples of all nations in Matthew 28.

I think The Seoul Statement as a whole does a very good job of calling out and addressing several of the teaching areas that have been missing in the past. Crucially, these failings have impacted the witness of the church and thus, not only its effectiveness in teaching and discipleship, but also it’s effectiveness in evangelization.

I have been studying through first and second Corinthians lately and they both deal extensively with church discipline. Lately, I have been hearing and seeing many failures within church and Christian leadership that have been met with a lack of transparency in the response by the Church or organization. Frequently, it seems that charisma and the ability to speak well, perhaps like that of the “super apostles” in 2 Corinthians 10 - 12, is valued over the character of the leaders. So, I was particularly grateful for this section in the in The Seoul Statement regarding the impact of failing to integrate the command to be and make disciples into our evangelizing efforts:

As a result, despite our claim to be followers of our crucified Lord, we have often failed to live in keeping with the holy pattern of life he gave to us and to teach others to do the same. The result has been a steady stream of reports of financial mismanagement, of sexual misconduct and abuse, of abuse of power among leaders, of efforts to cover-up these failures while ignoring the pain of those who have suffered because of them, and of spiritual anaemia and immaturity in evangelical churches around the world. We grieve these failings; we lament our sin; we humbly repent and confess our profound need for the ongoing grace of the gospel to produce in us the holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Heb 12:14).

Certainly, failing to pay attention to teaching, discipling, and disciplining well in these areas has harmed the witness and effectiveness of the Church’s evangelism. Indeed, in looking at Paul’s Ministry to the Corinthians, he did not rely on eloquent speech but the power of God (1 Cor 2:1-4), the plain statement of the truth (2 Cor 4:1-2), and the fruits of the Spirit lived out in his life. It is in this discipleship, his integrity through the worst of circumstances, that he acts as an ambassador for Christ. Indeed, he evangelizes not only through his words but through his way of life, constantly living out the message and faith he proclaims. As seen following his call to the Corinthians to be reconciled and find salvation in God (2 Cor 6:1-2).

3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. (2 Cor 6:3-10)

So, in the letters to the Corinthians, as in all his other letters, he seeks for them to know and follow God. Not simply from their first professions or their baptisms, but to hold fast and live that out in their lives and thus be ambassadors for Christ to lead others into reconciliation. So, teaching, discipleship, and discipline within the church are not issues peripheral to evangelization, but a key component which goes hand in hand with the proclamation of the gospel to lead others to reconciliation and life in Christ.

So, I am so incredibly grateful for all within the Seoul Statement that is recognizing this truth and calling us toward faithful teaching and living to go along with faithful proclamation of the truth.

I’m curious to hear other thoughts too and see what stuck out to people within the Seoul Statement! It’s been both wonderful and edifying to read, so, thank you for bringing it to my attention and I’m looking forward to more conversations and reflections to come!