Gathering

Lausanne I: The International Congress on World Evangelization

16 - 25 Jul 1974 Lausanne, Switzerland

The International Congress on World Evangelization was held in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1974.  The gathering was called by a committee headed by Rev. Billy Graham and drew more than 2,300 evangelical leaders, from 150 countries.

With the theme, “Let The Earth Hear His Voice,” leaders participated in plenary sessions and Bible studies as well as discussions and debates over theology, strategy and methods of evangelism.  The gathering produced The Lausanne Covenant, a declaration that is “intended to define the necessity, responsibilities, and goals of spreading the Gospel.”  Since 1974, the Lausanne Covenant has challenged Christians to work together to make Jesus Christ known throughout the world.  Also, hundreds of organizations use The Lausanne Covenant as their ministry Statement of Faith.

The Billy Graham Center Archives has more on Lausanne including a 30th Anniversary celebration that features photos and audio recordings from the 1974 Congress. Our thanks to the Billy Graham Center for making this collection available online.