The sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation left a profound mark not only on the church of Jesus Christ but also on the history of the Western world and, as a sequel, on the history of the whole world. Today, the state of the Christian church in the West and beyond is such that a similar reformation is urgently needed. A key problem of evangelical churches all over the world today is the unilateral emphasis on numerical growth. For the sake of it the Gospel is watered down, church services are turned into entertainment shows, and Jesus’ commandment to make disciples is replaced by a strategy to enroll as many “converts” as possible.  In this position paper for the 2010 Lausanne Congress in Cape Town, Rene Padilla urges churches to get back to first principles.

by Rene Padilla

A 21st Century Reformation: Back to First Principles