World evangelization needs to be conducted by both older churches (sending churches) and younger churches (receiving churches) because the distinction between the former and the latter has disappeared. God uses great resources from the younger churches for world evangelization.The church, defined as all Christian churches without regard to denominational distinction, needs to understand the urgency of the evangelistic task. More than two-thirds of mankind have yet to be evangelized and there is a great receptivity to the gospel in many parts of the world. The church should be ashamed that so many souls have been neglected and unreached for Christ.The church needs to understand the significance of evangelism as it relates to different world cultures. Missionaries need to be sensitive to different cultures through which the gospel can be effectively communicated to different people groups. The gospel message needs to be presented in such a way that it can be meaningful to the people.The church needs to develop indigenous leadership to enable native leaders in every country to evangelize their people, plant the indigenous churches according to their needs, and extend God's kingdom. Christian leaders are not born but made through appropriate training and education. The church needs to follow Jesus Christ in terms of making disciples of all nations.The church needs to understand the spiritual conflict involved when the church is active in world evangelization. Churches are engaged in constant spiritual warfare with the principalities and powers of evil seeking to overthrow the Lord's church and frustrate its mission of world evangelization. The church needs to equip itself with the word of God and prayer.The church needs to understand the importance of religious freedom and the seriousness of religious persecution throughout the world. The church needs to pray for world leaders and call upon them to guarantee freedom of thought, conscience, and freedom to practice and propagate religion according to God's will. The church needs to understand the power of the Holy Spirit and to believe the Holy Spirit will help the church to effectively carry out world evangelization. World evangelization calls for conviction of sin, faith in Christ, a new birth, and Christian growth. The church needs to be filled with the Holy Spirit to become the true missionary church.The church needs to believe in the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate His salvation and His judgement. The church needs to remember that God will perfect His kingdom which anticipates the new heaven and new earth where righteousness will dwell and God will rule forever.The Lausanne Movement for World Evangelization is based on the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. The Lausanne theology of missions is based upon the Lausanne Covenant, the Manila Manifesto, and the Capetown Commitment which were officially adopted as the promise, the declaration, and the devotion of the church to carry out the world evangelization until the return of Jesus Christ.

• 홍기영(나사렛대학교, 선교학) | Ki Young Hong