Alertly Rooted! Energetically Engaged!

Chris Wright
International Ministries Director Langham Partnership
Title: Alertly Rooted! Energetically Engaged!

It is a privilege to be invited to deliver this keynote address at this ICETE International Consultation for Theological Educators. The Consultation theme: Rooted in the Word: Engaged in the World, seeks to capture the double purpose of the Cape Town Commitment: a) to provide a fresh articulation of our biblical faith in such a way as to show that all mission has its roots in the Bible (Part 1 “The Cape Town Confession of Faith”), and b) to reflect the range of issues, challenges, and contexts with which the Third Lausanne Congress in Cape Town 2010 sought to engage (Part 2 “The Cape Town Call to Action”).

Many from the ICETE family took part in that amazing Congress. The Lausanne Movement is committed to world mission. ICETE is committed to global theological education. It is very encouraging that both movements are taking note of each other and recognizing the strong links between them. On the one hand, the relevance of theological education for the mission was recognized in Cape Town and included in the Cape Town Commitment, and on the other hand, ICETE has chosen to use the two parts of that document as a broad template for this 2012 Triennial and to provide all participants with a copy of it.

Part 1 was prepared before and presented to the Congress, at the request of Lindsay Brown (International Director of Lausanne), by myself working with an expanded and international Lausanne Theology Working Group. Part 2 was generated and written up during and after the Congress itself, with the help of the Statement Working Group, a group of 8 men and women from all continents.

The Cape Town Commitment has been translated into 25 languages so far and is being used as a ‘road map’ for the Lausanne Movement for the coming decade. I trust it will be well used in the seminaries and churches represented here at ICETE.

To read the full document, click here.