The human fascination with time travel goes back a long way and I am no exception.

I came back from the future! And yes, technically the sun rises from the East. The 4th Lausanne Congress (L4), held in Incheon-Seoul, South Korea from 22 to 28 September 2024, is 12 hours ahead of my beautiful Buenos Aires.

Believe me, I couldn't get used to it. When in Buenos Aires it was 10 PM on Saturday, in Korea it was 10 AM on Sunday.

In addition to this astronomical fact, I could experience walking through its streets that it is also at the forefront of communication, industry, transport, infrastructure. They have left behind old painful histories and are focusing on building a just and prosperous society, and they are succeeding!

I came from the future also because I had the opportunity to connect with relevant issues for the coming years of the Global Church. This L4 celebrated 50 years since the creation of the movement.

The influence of the movement is globally recognised. For example, when the 10/40 window was described or Billy Graham anticipated that at this time the world's centre of innovation, development and prosperity would be in the Middle East and Asia, abandoning the Russia-USA axis.

What is being discussed at L4 is highly relevant because of its scope and foresight. Prior to the Congress, 25 gaps were identified for the fulfilment of the Great Commission.

The aim was to discuss, work and project spaces for collaboration towards the reduction of that breach, with the year 2050 as the time horizon.

AI & Transhumanism

I was participating in the AI & Transhumanism gap. For four days we discussed its scope, challenges and opportunities along with other brothers and sisters from the Philippines, India and Norway.

We drew very valuable conclusions that open up future discussion and reflection.

"Transhumanism is the attempt to substantially transform human beings through the direct application of technology" (1).

We look at advances in health, for example, and it amazes us. On the one hand, external prostheses have substantially improved on those of the past. On the other hand, there are people who suffered from Parkinson's and now stop moving because of the insertion of a chip, or hearing impaired people who start to hear.

Transhumanism raises the hypothesis of the post-human as we know it, an enhanced version with the integration of technology. We do not yet know if it is feasible, but the possibility exists.

This development can be seen as a threat or an opportunity. We are challenged to have a theological reflection of transhumanism that provides answers to this new reality that is coming.

I told you I had travelled to the future! I will share more on this engaging topic later.

L4 a call for collaboration

During the L4 Congress, a number of issues were raised during the 8 days of meetings. Some generated more controversy than others.

I would like to briefly present the most outstanding ones that provoke a call for the Global Church, leaving the critical aspects for another time.

• L4 called for genuine repentance that cultivates true revival. Sarah Breuel emphasised, "Only God can send revival. We can't do it alone, but we can take a stand, pray for it and remove the obstacles through personal and corporate repentance. Revival is not just mass conversions, but rather social transformation.
• L4 called for one-on-one, close and intimate discipleship. "Discipleship is not just another strategy, it is GOD'S STRATEGY." Radical discipleship is a humble and loving lifestyle that transforms lives and relationships in the simplicity of the everyday.
• Another key aspect for the present and future of God's mission is the so-called "secular" Christians. L4 called to invest in them. 99% of Christians work in the market place.It is necessary to change the mentality by making disciples through them. There is no distinction anymore between clergy and secular. There are no full-time or part-time workers.There are no second-class citizens who participate in the kingdom of God. Let us recognise that God's mission happens with ordinary, unrecognised and uncelebrated people so that Jesus is truly known.
• L4 called for us to recognise and help those who are being persecuted. They are part of our Church too. The world system wants to silence us, but on the contrary, persecution amplifies the Gospel. Farshid Fathi, Iranian pastor, concludes: " persecution is not the end of the story. It is part of God's divine plan to build His Church".Iran has suffered the martyrdom of seven pastors in the 1990s. After going through that dark period, today it is one of the fastest growing churches with 1 million Christians. Persecution has never limited the Church.
• L4 called for humble service and integrity as a way of life. We need more of Jesus and less of us. We need to talk more about Him and less about us. The Gospel is about Jesus, not about us as leaders or our ministry achievements.
• L4 called for intergenerational work. We need each other. God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. While the new generations are boldly out in the field gaining ground for the Kingdom, the more experienced ones must accompany them with their experienced counsel.
• L4 called for reconciliation. Those peoples, nations and ethnic groups who have suffered painful situations have the opportunity to find a new meaning in Christ.Rolando Lidorio was on mission in Amazonas. During a meeting, there were two tribes who were in conflict with each other. There was tension in the atmosphere. Everyone expected a violent reaction, but the two tribes did not react. On the contrary, they overcame their differences thanks to Christ and shared the meeting as brothers. The Gospel redeems our old enmities by healing the cultural histories that bound and limited us.

Conclusion

The Church is beautiful. Of course there are things we need to correct, but it is up to us to choose which part we keep.

If we work together it is more effective and beautiful. L4 called for us to unite in the great commission by COLLABORATING in healthy and generous ecosystems. We need to break down the barriers that separate us in order to complete the task Jesus gave us.

For Michael Oh, global executive director of the Lausanne Movement, "the Fourth Lausanne Congress will not just be a historic event, but a historic collaboration: a collaborative action of the Church declaring and showing Christ together.

In response to that challenge, Dr Bill Wilson, president of the Global Pentecostal Fellowship and Oral Roberts University, called for collaboration, "God willing, in the 21st century there will be an ever-increasing collaboration between evangelicals and Spirit-filled believers to bring the Good News in word and deed to the nations".

The suffering of the persecuted Church is a call to every believer to wake up. To seek in repentance the presence of Jesus that ignites our hearts for the lost and God-hungry people, abandoning our little kingdoms to embrace God's dream for creation.

I came from the future. That's right, to challenge us together to build today the Church I would like to see tomorrow.

Will we be the generation that spreads the Gospel to every tongue and nation? Will we be able to preach Jesus in every language and dialect there is? Will we be able to go outside the four walls to take the Gospel to where people are hungry for God? Will we leave the internal fights to embrace the Great Commission?

Today we have the opportunity to do so. The world has shrunk, technology applied to communication and infrastructure allows us to reach more people in more places.

Just as the apostle Paul used the Roman roads to spread the Gospel, plant churches and bring the testimony of Christ to the core of the Roman Empire, let us do the same today.

Let us use the channels that technology enables us to finish the Great Commission. Jesus is still waiting for us to do so. Yes Lord, we accept the challenge, here we are.... Send us.

Amilcar Matosian, pastor in Buenos Aires, Argentina.