Younger Leaders on World Evangelization: A Canadian Agenda

As Canadian participants at Singapore ’87, an international gathering for younger leaders committed to world evangelization, we have been deeply challenged concerning the responsibilities of our generation to work for the extension of the Kingdom of God in our age. Seeking to glorify the Triune God of creation and redemption, and out of our love for humanity, we call our generation in Canada to exercise leadership humbly, strategically, and responsibly in obedience to the Great Commission of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:45-48; John 20:21-23; Acts 1:8). As younger leaders we covenant together for the following agenda, praying that God would call other younger Christian leaders in Canada to share in this vision.1.    We commit ourselves anew to the Lausanne Covenant as a biblical and theological basis for world evangelization.

2.    We commit ourselves to fervent prayer and intercession for world evangelization, believing that the Lord will send out workers into his harvest field (Matthew 9:38).

3.    We commit ourselves to cooperation in the advancement of the Kingdom of God in Canada and around the world, striving to express the unity which is ours in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God has called us to be “kingdom seekers” and not “empire builders”. Our prayer is that church denominations, parachurch organizations, pastors, teachers, and evangelists will work together in the task of world evangelization. We recognize that organizational unity may take many forms, but are convinced that we who share the same biblical faith should be closely united in fellowship, work and witness.

4.    We commit ourselves to learn from senior leaders who have faithfully engages in the task of world evangelization. We pray that God would give them an increasing burden to disciple younger leaders for the work of the ministry.

5.    We commit ourselves to a greater partnership in mission in the worldwide church of Jesus Christ in the work of world evangelization. In the spirit of partnership we ask the church in the Two Thirds world to help us evangelize Canada. We will endeavour to send out our most dedicated and qualified cross-cultural servants in consultation with the Two Thirds world to cooperate in their ministries (Acts 13:1-3).

6.    We commit ourselves to a responsible stewardship of the resources entrusted to us for the work of world evangelization. Our time, talents, material possessions, and total lives belong to the Lord to be used as he wills. We pray that our generation will recognize that God is calling us to a sacrificial life or Christian discipleship in the face of the rampant materialism of our culture (Matthew 6:33).

7.    We commit ourselves, in the grace of God, to lives of personal holiness. The ministry of world evangelization must be marked by the integrity of the Gospel. The challenge before our generation is to live out the ethics of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 5-7).

8.    We commit ourselves to an understanding of world evangelization which embraces proclamation, justice, and mercy. The Word of God speaks to our personal and social situation. We abhor and are grieved by such things as racism, sexism, religious persecution, economic injustice, environmental exploitation, the nuclear arms race, and abortion. We will seek to proclaim the whole Gospel to the whole person for the whole world (James 2:14-17).

9.    We commit ourselves to the local church as the biblically designated agency of God for the work of world evangelization. In the context of a congregation the whole people of God are called to discipleship and spiritual growth, equipped, and sent out for the evangelistic task.

10.    We commit ourselves to the task of evangelization in the midst of increasing secularization which makes people apathetic and/or hostile to the Gospel. We oppose all philosophies and ideologies which deny the glory of the Sovereign Lord, and relegate religious faith to the private spheres of life. The challenge before us is to pray that God would use us to call men and women out of sin and unbelief and into the glorious freedom of the Kingdom of God.

11.    We commit ourselves to the task of evangelization in the midst of the new Canadian context of religious pluralism. We deny that the Good News of Jesus Christ is only one way among many, and call on our generation to proclaim the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ so that the adherents of other religions will hear the Gospel (John 14:6).

12.    We commit ourselves to the task of evangelization in our cities. Increasing urbanization requires concerted effort to reach the city for Jesus Christ.

13.    We commit ourselves to the task of evangelization in the midst of a multi-cultural society. Cross-cultural evangelism is called for as we seek to reach out to those from other lands who have made Canada their home, especially refugees fleeing oppression in their own countries.

14.    We commit ourselves of promoting the proclamation of the Gospel in both of our official languages, French and English. We rejoice at what God is doing in the Quebecois church, and pray that cooperation and mutual respect will mark our witness.

15.    We commit ourselves to the work of evangelization among our aboriginal peoples, proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ in their language and culture. We recognize that this demands we address the issues of social, economic, and political injustice relevant to their context (James 2:14-17).

16.    We commit ourselves to the work of evangelization from shore to shore, recognizing the regional diversity and disparity of our nation. A new generation of younger Christian leadership must be representative of the whole country.

17.    We commit ourselves to engage in the constant spiritual warfare with the principalities and powers of the demonic, who are seeking to overthrow the church and frustrate its task of world evangelization. We pray that God would call younger leaders to oppose both the interest in the occult in Canada and the systemic evils of our society.

18.    We commit ourselves to the development of theologies and strategies for evangelization which are indigenous to Canada but grounded in the Scriptures. We pray that God would call and encourage younger Canadian leaders to take up this challenge. Recognizing that for too long we have relied on leadership from other countries, we will endeavour to encourage Canadian theologies, strategies, and leadership appropriate to the Canadian context.

19.    We commit ourselves to a variety of methods in the work of world evangelization. God uses relational evangelism, congregational evangelism, crusade evangelism, and media evangelism in the extension of his Kingdom. We will endeavour to strengthen these means of evangelism and to be creative in developing new methods and strategies for our age.

20.    We commit ourselves to greater dependence on the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit in the work of world evangelization. The preaching of the Word of God must be accompanied by a sense of the Spirit’s presence and power without which modern men and women will not be persuaded of the need and relevance of the Gospel for their lives.

Our faith in Jesus Christ compels us to identify this agenda, to enter into this solemn covenant with each other, and to pray that God would call our generation t an increasing vision for world evangelization. May God by His grace help us to be faithful. To God be all glory, honour, and praise, now and forever. Come, Lord Jesus, Come. Amen!

June 10, 1987

We have invited the other Canadians in attendance at Singapore ’87 to join us in signing this agenda.