1974–1989

The Lausanne Movement for World Evangelization

In July 1974, 3,000 participants from more than 150 countries gathered in Lausanne; nearly half came from the "third world." They met to discuss the theme "Let the Earth Hear His Voice."

A drafting committee chaired by John Stott produced the "Lausanne Covenant" – the most authoritative statement of evangelical belief. It combines fidelity to biblical authority with repentance for past neglect of social responsibility. It affirms evangelism and social action as equal Christian duties.

Lausanne's significance for the evangelical movement has been compared to Vatican II's for Catholicism. It established evangelicalism as a "third force" alongside Catholicism and the World Council of Churches.

Subsequent Lausanne Committee consultations followed: Willowbank (1978), on gospel and culture, and Pattaya (1980). They culminated in the second International Congress in Manila (1989), with about 4,700 participants from 173 countries. The congress adopted the "Manila Manifesto."