In order to fulfill the Great Commission, every believer needs to be a minister and every workplace a place of ministry.

The words belong to bishop Efraim Tendero from the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA). He was one of the speakers at the Global Workplace Forum arranged by the Lausanne Movement in Manila June 25-29. Together with several others he pointed out how Christians at work is a missing link in accomplishing the great commission.

The Great Commission can never be fulfilled by pastors and missionaries alone. Yet the falsehood of a “sacred-secular divide” has permeated the Church’s thinking and actions, said Michael Oh, the Global Executive Director/CEO of the Lausanne movement.

Apology

In an article published in Christianity Today ahead of the Forum in Manila he asked Christians in all spheres of society for an apology.

I want to repent, on behalf of the 1 percent [in full time work for churches and Christian organizations], for viewing the 99 percent of the church not in professional ministry as existing to support our ministry. You do not exist to support our ministry. We exist to support yours, writes Oh.

Open marketplace

The Global Workplace Forum gathered leaders and representatives from a great variety of professions and workplaces. According to the Lausanne Movement 65 percent of the 900 participants coming from more than 100 nations have their primary place of work outside of Christian organizations and churches. 

The marketplace is becoming increasingly open to the idea of bringing your whole self to work – including your faith, said David Miller at the forum. He is director of Princeton University Faith & Work Initiative.

People must move

Michal Oh does however remind everyone that someone has to move to make the Gospel know all over the world. In his article in Christianity Today he writes

Some very wonderful, well-meaning Christians – even pastors – have sometimes said, “We’re all missionaries.” Part of me smiles when I hear that. Another part of me weeps. Because if we buy into the notion that we are all missionaries, and that we can simply stay where we are and share the gospel with those non-Christians that we know, the three billion people in the world who don’t personally know a single Christian will be counted among those who will perish.

Resources and videos from Lausanne’s Global Workplace Forum can be found at https://www.lausanne.org/gwf.

By Steinar Opheim