Christian Witness : A Life Worthy of the Gospel of Christ
The 2019 Lausanne-Orthodox Consultation
The consultation was held in Egypt from 5-8 November 2019, at the invitation of the Coptic Church. The theme was taken from Philippians 1:27, and the gathering was structured round a series of Bible studies on Paul’s letter. For an overview of how the theme developed, see the closing reflections below.
Participation was by invitation only, with about fifty Orthodox and Evangelicals present from various countries within and beyond the region.
We hope you will enjoy the 2019 Gallery. (Photographers: Kathy Richards Bhatia, Mae Elise Cannon, Tim Grass, Nathan Hoppe, Mark Oxbrow, and Irini Thabet) It illustrates the gathering, the wonderful venue, and the visits we made to the monastery of St Bishoy and (before the consultation) to places such as the Cave Church and the Bible Society of Egypt.
In the programme below, click on the speaker’s name to download their paper. (We agreed not to make any recordings at the conference this year.)
Sunday 3rd
8.30 Optional visits: Coptic Cathedral and Cultural Centre, Anglican Cathedral; Hanging Church; St George’s Greek Orthodox Church; Ben Ezra Synagogue; Ma’adi Church
Monday 4th
8.45 Optional visits: Center of Love, Moqattam; Cave Church; Bible Society of Egypt; Pyramids
Arrivals and registrations at the hotel
Tuesday 5th
Breakfast at hotel
9.00 Transfer to conference centre
12.45 Lunch
2.00 Opening Session
- Word of Greeting from the Coptic Orthodox Church – His Holiness Pope Tawadros II
- Welcome – His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos and Mrs Grace Mathews (LOI co-chairs)
- Introduction to the consultation, including practical matters – Dr Tim Grass (LOI facilitator)
3.00 Opening Bible reflection: Philippians 1 ‘A life worthy of the Gospel’: Bishop Mouneer Anis
3.30 Refreshments
4.00 Key Note Address ‘St Mark: From Mission to Martyrdom’ – Rev. Canon Mark Oxbrow (+ PowerPoint), with respondent Dr Irini Thabet
5.00 Evening Prayer (Coptic Orthodox)
6.00 Dinner
7.30 Plenary: Witness through the media – George Makeen
Wednesday 6th
7.45 Breakfast
9.00 Bible Reflection: Philippians 2 ‘A life patterned on Christ’ – Kathy Richards Bhatia
9.30 Plenary: Encouragement and faithfulness – Mrs Leslie Doll and Archbishop Angaelos
10.45 Coffee break
11.30 Tour and talk about the history of the monastery
12.45 Lunch
2.15 Groups: these took up themes from the sessions, and questions were provided.
3.30 Refreshments
4.00 Plenary: Reflecting Christ’s Light in Darkness – Archpriest Stephen Platt (Orthodox) and Dr Sara Afshari (Evangelical)
5.15 Evening Prayer – Bishop Samy Shehata (Anglican)
6.00 Dinner
7.30 Plenary: How do we handle, explain, and witness to our differences? – Dr Jim Stamoolis (Evangelical) + Dr Nathan Hoppe (Orthodox)
Thursday 7th
7.45 Breakfast
9.00 Bible Reflection: Philippians 3 ‘A life which looks forward’ – Metropolitan Youhanon Mar Demetrios
9.30 Plenary: Understanding the blessing of persecution – Archbishop Angaelos
10.45 Coffee break
11.30 Word of Greeting from the Lausanne Movement – Dr Michael Oh [recorded]
Plenary: Understanding the blessing of persecution – Dr Myrto Theocharous
12.45 Lunch
2.15 Discussion
3.30 Refreshments
4.00 Plenary: The martyrdom of St George as a source of resilience for the Palestinian Christian Church – Salim Munayer [by Skype]
5.15 Evening Prayer – Coptic Orthodox
6.00 Dinner
7.30 Plenary: What can we learn from three centuries of Orthodox-Evangelical encounter in the Middle East? – Tim Grass
Friday 8th
7.30 Breakfast
9.00 Bible Reflection: Philippians 4 ‘A life lived in fellowship’ – Grace Mathews
9.30 Summing up – Nathan Hoppe and Myrto Theocharous (reflectors)
10.00 Close, farewells, photograph
11.00 Return to airport
