Oct. 22, 2010
Interview: HCJB Global's Lausanne Delegates Give Impressions of Congress
Source: HCJB Global (compiled by Harold Goerzen)
HCJB Global President Wayne Pederson and Tim Dawson, who serves as a radio trainer for the ministry's Latin America Region, are continuing to produce daily English audio reports of the third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Cape Town, South Africa, Oct. 16-25. Duval Rueda of Radio Station HCJB in Quito, Ecuador, is producing reports in Spanish.
They are part of a communications team led by Arnold Enns, head of COICOM (Ibero-American Confederation of Christian Communicators, Mass Media, Pastors and Leaders).
English Reports
Here are some impressions of the event from HCJB Global's delegates.
Q: What are your initial impressions of the event?
Pederson: Wow! The great diversity and energy of Christ's global church is impressive. It's a great challenge to effectively communicate the message in a broken and complex world.
Dawson: Amazing diversity, just incredible. I really feel like this is something that has never been seen before. I loved the Latin music Wednesday evening (when Latin America and the Caribbean were featured).
Q: What are some of the "outcomes" so far?
Pederson: We've addressed pressing issues of HIV/AIDS, poverty, persecution and world religions. We see evangelical leaders refocus on global evangelization and leaders of the major international radio ministries come together committing their combined resources for collaborative evangelism.
Dawson: The technological load on the conference has been unbelievable—lots of hurdles, lots to overcome. Workers get frustrated but are great about not taking it out on each other, and it's a really fun team all around to work with. Most of us media folks are in the back marshalling lot in trailers (in a parking lot under the highway), and we have our own little city back here.
Q: What has been most surprising to you?
Pederson: How the Christian leaders in the "majority world" really get it when it comes to the priority of uniting for greater effectiveness in evangelization.
Dawson: Even though I read a lot about the conference and its activities beforehand, there are so many more events and gatherings than I had ever dreamed of.
Q: How is the event having an impact on world missions?
Pederson: We will see a global strategy develop, especially in the developing world. We will see followers of Christ getting involved in human suffering and we will see more creative use of new media and social networking to reach this generation.
Dawson: I think people are still sorting that out, which is a big reason they are here—not just to hear speakers, but to wrestle with the struggles and issues of their various regions and people groups.
Q: What impact is the event having on you?
Pederson: It's called me to a deeper, more intentional walk with Christ. It's deepened my commitment to God's calling to world-wide evangelism and discipleship. Personally God whispered to me about a greater authenticity, true humility, more grace, a measured pace and a clear focus.
Dawson: I have never been pushed this much from a radio production standpoint in so little time. Tracking down stories, recording, putting reports together that are creative and informative and interesting plus, I had to learn a whole new editing software program that I had never used before! But I have a team of people praying for me and for the conference. I can really tell they are praying and can see the results. I'm also working on the communications team with some of the nicest, hardworking people. We have truly become friends and fellow encouragers.
Q: How is World by Radio* (WBR) fitting into this event? Any outcomes from the WBR executive committee meetings?
Pederson: The WBR leadership has expressed renewed commitment to advocate for radio as one of the most effective means to reach the unreached. We also want to collaborate more closely with the regional "by radio" groups as part of the global strategy. And we are committed as global media leadership to work and talk together in a truly collaborative way. One more thing: our WBR executive team met with Lausanne leadership so that global radio will be a key part of the Lausanne movement around the world.
*World by Radio is an initiative to make Christian broadcasts available in all of the world's major languages (each spoken by at least 1 million people). The heads of HCJB Global, Far East Broadcasting Co., FEBA Radio, Gospel for Asia, IBRA and Trans World Radio are at Lausanne and attending WBR executive team meetings.
Q: How are the daily audio reports going? What response have you had?
Pederson: It's gone very well. The new technology is amazing. I'm using my iPhone to record the reports. Then I email them as an MP4 attachment to Mission Network News, Ambassador Advertising Agency, Moody Radio and Northwestern Media.
Dawson: Good. People are downloading and even signing up during the conference if they hadn't before. I haven't heard from a lot of stations, but in a way that may be good because hopefully that means things are going fine for them.
Q: What else would you like to add?
Pederson: What a privilege to be part of this movement of God. My prayer is that we would catch the wind of God's Spirit so we can be a key part of fulfilling the Great Commission.
Dawson: I did a story about a pastor from Nepal. As if it wasn't amazing enough that he once went to prison for a month for baptizing new believers, he talked about being in prison like you would talk about going to the store to get a gallon of milk like, "Hey, it's just part of the deal" and "It was no problem." This man was part of the change in Nepal from being a closed country to opening up to the gospel, and his church has birthed 15 other churches!
