Thanks to a worldwide broadcast, President Barry Corey won’t be the only member of the Biola community participating in the 2010 Lausanne conference

Christian leaders from 198 countries are meeting in Cape Town, South Africa this week for the conference. Other Biola faculty are attending with Corey and have invited those unable to make it to attend a two-day simulcast event at Biola: “Communicating Christ in a World of Competing Voices.” This will be the third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelism. Billy Graham convened the first in 1974 in Lausanne, Switzerland, with the second in 1989 in Manila, Philippines.

President Corey and others currently in Cape Town

“This is one of the cutting-edge places for dialogue about Christianity in the 21st century,” said Victoria Smith, associate director of university events. “I know that they limit the number of guests who are invited to the conference, and Barry Corey and several other members of Biola were invited. So Barry Corey is actually in South Africa right now attending this conference on world evangelization, which is fitting because Biola is all about the great commission and reaching the world for Christ.”

Simulcast offered Friday and Saturday

The Cape Town conference will be broadcast in Sutherland Auditorium on Friday night, Oct. 22, and all day Saturday, Oct. 23. Biola student admission is free, and students can receive up to five chapel credits based on how many sessions they attend on Friday and Saturday.

During the event, Biola is partnering with Transform L.A., a network of ministries committed to transforming the city for Jesus Christ. Doug Pennoyer, dean of the Cook School of Intercultural Studies, was on the committee that developed the technology that is allowing the simulcast of the conference. Biola has received VIP access to the event through him.

Talbot professor keynote speaker Friday night

Friday night’s theme will be “The Truth of Christ in a Pluralistic, Globalized World.” There will be video clips of Cape Town speakers, and Biola’s own professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Garry DeWeese, will be a keynote speaker. Saturday’s simulcast event will also feature other Biola professors, as well as other local and international ministry leaders. Themes for Saturday will include “Megacities and Urban Ministries,” “The Broken World” and “Reaching the Unreached.”

“For the simulcast event at Biola, we are not just putting people in a room and having them watch footage of this conference, we wanted to go one step further,” Smith said.

Event will include opportunity to discuss conference broadcast

Biola professors and local area leaders in a variety of fields will be leading discussions about the content that comes up from the broadcasted conference.

“Biola students’ involvement in this evangelism conference is crucial because we are not only fulfilling Biola’s goal for us by impacting the world for Jesus, but we are also fulfilling our purpose as Jesus’ disciples,” said sophomore Janae O’Connor, a Christian ministries major.

Christians and any churches in southern California can participate along with Biola in the event. The cost for non-Biola students is $10 for conference attendance and $25 for conference attendance plus two meals: dinner on Friday, Oct. 22 and lunch on Saturday, Oct. 23. Interested parties can call 562-777-4062 for local church rates.