Page 5 - LP20-FALL_CUL_MAG-FNL

Rejoicing with the global church

The growth of the church in America has stagnated while it exponentially rises in places like China and
India. While we can lament the decline in our own setting, we must also rejoice to see the power of the
gospel on display in places that seemed impenetrable. The same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead
is active in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chile, in Mongolia and Manila. We have much

And those newly drawn to Christ around the world are our brothers and sisters, not our sons and to learn from
daughters. We have much to learn from them as they follow Christ in the midst of poverty, pressure, the global
and persecution. Their context compels them to seek Christ and rely on the power of His Spirit in ways church as they
unfamiliar to Christians in the relative affluence and stability of the West. We can learn a lot about follow Christ
bearing each other’s burdens from Christians living on $2 per day.
in the midst
As you browse photos of John Stott, you will hardly find a brighter smile than when he was with church of poverty,
leaders in the Majority World. He appreciated and acknowledged them as co-laborers in Christ’s pressure, and
kingdom, exhorting us all to become “global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global persecution.
God.”

Resourcing the global church

As we celebrate the growth of the global church, we have the opportunity to build healthy
partnerships in which each part of the church benefits from the other. John Stott had a vision for the
church in the West to provide financial resources to help the Majority World church raise up its own
scholars, preachers, and literature from and for local contexts. And the western church benefits as we
connect with and sit at the feet of those gifted sisters and brothers who follow Jesus in their cultures.
Langham joyfully continues John Stott’s vision in 2021 and beyond.

It’s been a busy century for churches around the world. As you will see in the pages ahead, these trends
don’t show any signs of slowing down. Praise God! I pray it helps us follow John Stott’s vision of being
globally minded Christians. May that vision be our own.

Grateful,

Benjamin K. Homan
President, Langham Partnership USA

P.S. Langham has two new resources to help as you continue (or start!) your walk
alongside the global church. Visit langham.org/podcast and voices.langham.org to
listen and learn from global church leaders.

langham.org 5