The Lausanne Movement is alive and vibrant and is seeking to serve what God, through his Holy Spirit, is doing. We want to keep in pace with what God is telling his Church around the world. To do so, the Movement is making important changes in its governance structure.
Lausanne’s board and staff structure leading up to Cape Town 2010 was geared towards a large Congress and addressing the exceptional organizational needs of an international gathering. With the Congress behind us, we have faced the following questions:
After much prayer and counsel the Lausanne Board has made several modifications in governance which we pray and believe will support the furtherance of the gospel.
Lausanne is establishing a 50-75 member International Advisory Council. This globally representative body will include men and women from across the globe who represent every aspect of the Church ministry-wise as well as geographically, ethnically and functionally. Bringing a new global breadth, depth and weight of representation to Lausanne, this council will ensure we move forward intentionally in the task of world evangelization.
A Lausanne Nominations Committee, chaired by Esme Bowers (African Enterprise, Chair) is seeking nominations for the Council thorough regional representatives. Under her leadership, the Committee is developing criteria and guidelines not just for the Advisory Council, but for the Board itself. Please be praying for Esme and her Committee as they seek God’s direction.
The minimal requirement for any governing Board is to ensure compliance with fiduciary and legal obligations and good stewardship of the resources entrusted to it. For Lausanne that includes the requirements that come from being a 501(c)(3) registered organization in the United States. Our goal over and above that minimum is a Board that is able to guide the Movement to its next phase, while also building on what happened at Cape Town 2010.
One of the most significant outcomes of Cape Town 2010 is The Cape Town Commitment (CTC). The Lausanne Board is working to ensure that the Movement is focused on the Commitment by concentrating all activities on fulfilling and achieving the goals of the CTC. To facilitate this process David Bennett, Lausanne’s Chief Collaboration Officer and Teaching Pastor, is helping the Executive Chair and the Board review the workings of the various elements that make up this Movement – Working Groups, Senior Associates and Special Interest Committees. David will be making recommendations for the leadership as part of Lausanne’s ongoing governance restructuring.
Additionally, the Board has appointed a new non-executive Board Chair, the position in which I am currently serving. This move allows Doug to focus on his role as Executive Chair of the Movement and releases him from concerns relating to Board governance matters. This change brings Lausanne in line with solid governance practices and provides an important level of support and accountability. Moreover the move offers greater clarity and distinction between the role of the Board and that of the Executive Chair.
Other changes include the establishment of a statutory Audit Committee and a Finance Committee.
We believe these steps allow Lausanne to move purposefully into the coming decade with strong governance practices and provide an even greater degree of transparency and accountability that will enhance the work of the Movement.
As “stakeholders” in this Movement – as Board members, involved leaders, prayer supporters or donors - we have an awesome responsibility to, in the Spirit of Lausanne, serve as good stewards of the amazing energy that has been unleashed since Cape Town 2010 toward the task of world evangelization. Evangelical Christian leaders are praying, seeking and discerning God’s will for the global Body of Christ. It’s my prayer that this next chapter of the Movement’s history will allow us to serve and support these leaders for decades to come so that many more people will come to a living knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
