The Lausanne Covenant
The statement of faith and purpose adopted by the participants in the International Congress on World Evangelization at Lausanne in July 1974. In fifteen sections it sets out an evangelical understanding of the Bible, evangelism and social responsibility.
The covenant has an introduction, fifteen numbered sections and a conclusion, each section followed by a list of biblical references. It speaks in the first person plural for church members from more than 150 nations gathered at Lausanne. Section 2 affirms the inspiration, truthfulness and authority of the Old and New Testaments as the only written word of God, “without error in all that it affirms”. Section 4 defines evangelism. Section 5 expresses penitence for having treated evangelism and social concern as mutually exclusive and affirms that both are part of Christian duty, while saying that social action is not evangelism and political liberation is not salvation.
The text was drafted by a committee chaired by John Stott and revised after comments from the participants (see the Lausanne Covenant: An Exposition and Commentary). The Lausanne Movement’s site may refuse automated requests; the page opens in an ordinary browser. See the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization.
Cited in
- 16–25 July 1974, firm date