7th Chinese Congress on World Evangelization Marks 200 Years
The seventh Chinese Congress on World Evangelization (CCOWE) will convene in the region where the gospel was first brought to the Chinese people 200 years ago to allow Chinese Christians around the world an opportunity to ‘‘rethink in light of the Bible the significance of the holistic gospel of Christ to the Chinese Church’’ and to renew their understanding of the mission of the church.
CCOWE will take place in Macau on July 17-21 with “The Holistic Gospel of Christ” set as the main topic of the Bible Exposition in the morning session. According to reports from the Chinese Coordination Centre of World Evangelism (CCCOWE), the center organizing the event, the conference has nearly reached its target number of 2,500 participants.
The 7th CCOWE will explore how the holistic gospel of Christ can bring about “Renewal of Life,” “Renewal of Society,” “Renewal of Culture,” and “Renewal of All Nations” - the four daily themes of the Congress.
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“We will be holding our Congress on Chinese soil for the very first time,” said CCCOWE General Secretary John Kao on the group’s website. “There is great significance in this! Symbolically, this commemorates the arrival of the gospel of Jesus Christ 200 years ago, bringing spiritual and cultural renewal to the Chinese people. There, in Macau, we could trace our spiritual and cultural roots.”
In July 1974, some seventy Chinese Church leaders who attended the International Congress on World Evangelism in Lausanne, joined together to create CCCOWE. In August 1976, the first Chinese Congress on World Evangelization was held in Hong Kong.
“For the last 200 years, Macau and Hong Kong have been [connecting] the West with the East,” said Cao. “They have been entry points into China as well as exit points from China to the outside world. With our next Congress being held in Macau, it is our prayer that Macau will once again be a launching pad [for new ideas, resources, and workers].”
Keynote speakers include Philemon Choi, General Secretary of the innovative Hong Kong youth culture & service organization “Breakthrough” and the Chairman of “Commission on Youth;” Philip Jensen, dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney and founder of the Ministry Training Strategy; and Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church and author of best-seller The Purpose-Driven Life.
The conference will also feature workshops such as “The P.E.A.C.E. Plan: Purpose-Driven-Missions” with Rick Warren; “Calling/Recruitment of Full Time Gospel Workers” with Joseph Shao; “The Faithful Finish: Leading with Integrity and Finishing Well” with Philip Jensen; and “Effective Leadership: Communication Links between the 3 lines of leadership pin a Chinese Church” with Eugene Hor.
