In 1966, Billy Graham invited leaders from around the world to Berlin. People were amazed to hear that God was doing such amazing work in places around the world that the Western Christian press did not know about. In 1974, Billy Graham formalized this event in a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. From that was formed the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization (LCWE), now called the Lausanne Movement. Its purpose was to continue exploring how God was working in evangelism and discipleship around the world and to come together every 15 years to report what was found.
One subgroup was created to explore what God was doing in the major cities of the world. That group formed Bakke Graduate University (BGU) in the early 2000s. Between Lausanne and BGU, there have been over three hundred 10-15 day consultations (city immersions) in the largest global cities since 1982. These are primarily listening events rather than large speaking events. The question is asked, “Show us where you think Jesus is alive and well in your city”. City leaders from the seven spheres of business, church, education, government, family, NGO, and media/entertainment showcase God’s work in their cities.
In 1989 in Manila, in 2010 in Cape Town, and in 2024 in Seoul, large Lausanne Movement congress events were held to bring the research to a group of carefully selected global leaders to help them be more strategic in their work in the world for Christ.
Before The Fourth Lausanne Congress event in Seoul, a Christian leader described the Lausanne Movement as “We are the Nick Fury (Marvel films superhero controller) of the Christian world. We know where the most advanced leaders in global Christianity are. We can then direct them to where the greatest needs are.” I had a small part in the large organizing team for the Lausanne event in Seoul. I was worried. I could see Billy Graham frowning. This did not seem like humility. Since the invitation process was very selective, I heard some people talking about their attendance in Seoul as an elite prize that validated their significance.
I arrived in Seoul and got busy doing my assignments. Something strange and unexpected happened. It was almost like God forced a cloud of humility to descend on the event. As participants met new people, they learned of God doing amazing things through others in places they never heard of. Each conversation made their own work seem to be smaller and smaller in the larger picture of God’s global work. Some were depressed as they faced their newfound insignificance. Some were angry. Some tried to exaggerate themselves only to be looked at with sad stares. Then I watched a sense of rest descend on the meeting. As people realized that God was so much larger than they realized before, it became restful to be just a small part of His grand work.
It seems odd to go to an elite event and then leave excited to learn that you are a commoner.
There is rest in not having to carry the world on our shoulders. There is rest in knowing we have a small place, but it is a small place that God has designed uniquely for us. There is joy in knowing that God may give us influence for a season. He may give us mundane for a season or the remainder of our life. But we are at rest in knowing both come from God.
BGU prepares selected, advanced global leaders with graduate master's and doctoral degrees. Many of them come from the Lausanne Movement which founded BGU. This could be a setup for pride and a life of futility chasing self-sought influence. Ray Bakke once said to pastors, “Ordination is not to privilege but to service.” The more knowledge you have, the more you realize what you don’t know. BGU students report studying and journeying together with students from around the world makes them feel smaller as they see a bigger God. And they learn to rest in their smallness as they seek to steward the influence God has given them in their nations.
We are thankful that God has a unique place for us in His work. Please join us in this journey through a year-end donation that will help us learn and teach humility to leaders whom God has, and may or may not, continue to call to positions of influence in their nations.
Dr. Brad Smith
Chancellor