SOUTH HAMILTON, Mass., USA, Feb. 12, 2008 – As planning continues for The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization: Cape Town 2010, the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization today announced the appointment of David Jones to serve in the newly created position of managing director. Jones comes to the Lausanne Committee from John Stott Ministries/Langham Partnership LLC.

The Rev. S. Douglas Birdsall, executive chair of the Lausanne Committee, said, “We are delighted to have David joining our team. He brings a set of skills along with a wealth of global experience that will provide additional strength to the leadership team.” Jones’ first role will be that of director of participant selection for Cape Town 2010.

Bishop Hwa Yung of Malaysia, who chairs this committee, commented, “David traveled the world with John Stott and knows gifted leaders from every section of the globe. John Stott’s mentoring has served to help him develop an understanding of the theological and strategic issues in world evangelization.”

Jones’ secondary role will be to provide leadership for an international fund-raising team that will work in concert with the International Deputy Directors to ensure that resources are enlisted from each region of the world in the funding for Lausanne III.

“I am thrilled with the opportunity to serve as managing director for the Lausanne Committee,” said Jones of his new role. “Throughout my years of service with John Stott Ministries, I was impressed to see the impact that Lausanne has had throughout the world. There are challenging days ahead for the global church — and it is clear that the need for the Lausanne movement is greater now than ever. I am pleased to be able to help this strategic ministry at this important time.”

Jones has led successful start-up or turn-around efforts in politics, business, and nonprofit organizations for over 25 years. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Miami University, he served in politics as a presidential speech writer, legislative assistant in Congress, and as the youngest chief of staff of a state capitol in the country, serving the state of Ohio.

In 1997, Jones helped launch John Stott Ministries in the U.S., serving as its first president (it had operated under the name of the Langham Foundation, without any U.S. staff, for 20 years). In that role, he helped the ministry in its work to provide scholarships, books, and seminars for pastors and church leaders around the world.

As part of the road to Cape Town 2010, Jones joined the Lausanne team for the Participant Selection Conference at their recent meetings in Malaysia. This third international Congress will be convened by the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, whose leadership is pleased that the World Evangelical Alliance has accepted the invitation to serve as a collaborating partner. The purpose of the Congress is to gather mission and church leaders from every part of the globe to address challenges and opportunities that are before the church with respect to world evangelization in the modern era.

The first International Congress on World Evangelization was held in 1974 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The substance of the congress was both strategic and theological in nature, producing the Lausanne Covenant, considered to be the most widely used document for mission partnerships and as the framework for a shared statement of faith.

In 1989, more than 3,600 leaders from 190 nations attended Lausanne II in Manila, Philippines. The resulting Manila Manifesto reaffirmed the Lausanne Covenant and the call to “Proclaim Christ Until He Comes.”

The Third Congress for World Evangelization, Cape Town 2010, will draw 4,000 participants, selected through a careful process. They will include leaders of mission organizations, churches, seminaries and leaders who serve in the realms of business, government, education, medicine and the arts. In addition to the participants who will gather in Cape Town, the Congress is being designed so that unlimited numbers of people can participate from anywhere in the world via a carefully developed simultaneous online congress experience.

The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization seeks to serve leaders worldwide by providing a place for theological discussion and development of practical strategies to address formative issues facing the church and world today with respect to global missions. By holding gatherings that equip Christian leaders, Lausanne seeks to encourage and stimulate the involvement of churches, denominations, ministries, networks and individuals in the cause of world evangelization.

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