In May 2010, over 900 mission leaders representing 85 countries met for four days in Tokyo. The time was spent celebrating the achievements of the past 100 years in mission, grappling with contemporary issues, and strategizing for the future. One of the lasting fruits produced by the conference is the clarion call of the “Tokyo 2010 Declaration.” This laser-sharp document, focusing on making disciples of all peoples, is one that will influence missions for years to come. As you read through it you will see why. 

Signatories of the Tokyo 2010 Declaration

Global Mission Structures
Ethne to Ethne
Global Network of Mission Structures
Globe Serve
Lausanne Committee For World Evangelization
Muslim Unreached Peoples Network
Nomadic Peoples Network
Third World Mission Association
World Evangelical Alliance – Theological Commission
World Evangelical Alliance – Mission Commission

Regional Mission Structures
Asia Mission Association
Association of Christians Ministering among Internationals (ACMI)
COMIBAM International (pending ratification)
Evangelical Association of the Caribbean
Evangelical Missiological Society of US and Canada
CrossGlobal Link of North America
MANI (Movement of African National Initiatives)
SAMA Link
SEA Link
SEA Net

National Mission Structures
AMTB - Associação de MissõesTransculturais Brasileiras (Brazil)
Ghana Evangelical Missions Association
India Missions Association
Japan Evangelical Missionary Association
Japan Overseas Missions Association
Korean World Missions Association
Nigeria Evangelical Missions Association
Philippine Missions Association
Singapore Centre for Global Mission
Swedish Evangelical Alliance
The Mission Exchange, USA
AFCM-OWM (USA)

Download PDF of the Tokyo Declaration

Tokyo 2010 Declaration
Making Disciples of Every People in Our Generation

Preamble
We affirm that mission is the central theme of Scripture, through which God reveals Himself
to be a God who communicates and works through us by action and word in a world
estranged from Him. Furthermore, we recognize that fulfilling and bringing completion to
Jesus’ Great Commission (Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15; Lk. 24:44-49; Jn. 20:21; Acts 1:8) has
been the on-going responsibility of the Church for 2000 years.

In this era of missions, we of the Tokyo 2010 Global Mission Consultation value and
commemorate the 1910 Edinburgh World Missionary Conference, a hallmark event which
stands out as an inspiration and impetus to the modern global mission movement. We
celebrate a legacy of 100 years of mission that has transpired since that first world
missionary conference.

However, the world has dramatically changed since that conference was convened a century
ago. Missions is no longer the predominant domain of Western Christianity. Rather, the
preponderance of mission activity today is being engaged by Majority World Christians
outside of the West. Christ’s ambassadors are coming from everywhere around the world and
going to anywhere and everywhere in the world. We rejoice that today’s mission force is
global in composition, bearing a diversity of thought, practice and resources that enriches and
energizes Christ’s global Cause as never before.

Yet, the corresponding reality is that the present day mission task is so large and complex
that no one church, agency, national missions movement, or regional mission block can take
it on alone or independently. Also, the understanding of the essence of what is entailed in the
remaining task has altered considerably in recent years.

Declaration

We, representatives of evangelical global mission structures, being intent on fulfilling the
ultimate objective of the Great Commission, have gathered in Tokyo May 11-14, 2010 at this
Global Mission Consultation to make the following declaration. We set forth this declaration
in obedience to Christ’s final command, as a means of calling Christ-followers everywhere to
whole-heartedly embrace and earnestly engage in “making disciples of every people in our
generation.”

Mankind’s Need
We affirm that all people are lost apart from faith in Christ. The clear statements of Scripture
reveal that every individual, without exception, is a sinner by nature, choice and practice
(Rom. 3:9-18, 23). As such, all are under God’s wrath and condemnation (Jn. 3:18) because
their sin is an affront to the perfect and holy nature of God (Rom. 1:18; 2:2-5). The tragic
result of sin is man’s alienation from God, leading to everlasting death (Rom. 6:23), and
creation’s bondage to corruption, subjecting it to futility (Rom. 8:18-21).

God’s Remedy
We further affirm that out of love, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:16), to
reconcile the world to Himself, so that mankind’s sin will not be counted against them (2
Cor. 5:19). God’s justice for the penalty of sin was satisfied by the atoning death of Christ as
a sacrifice on man’s behalf. Through Jesus’ vicarious death and victorious resurrection,
mankind is brought into a restored relationship with God. God offers forgiveness and
salvation to all who, through faith, repent of their sin and believe solely in the redemptive
work of Christ on the cross on their behalf (Rom. 1:5,16,17; 3:21-26; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10).
Therefore the message of the Great Commission is that “repentance and forgiveness of sins
will be preached in His name to all peoples” (Lk. 24:47). Salvation is found in none other
(Acts 4:12), nor in any other way (Jn. 14:6).

Our Responsibility
Because of the reality of mankind’s dire need and God’s gracious remedy, Jesus left with His
followers the missional priority of making disciples of every people (Mt. 28:18-20). By this
mandate we acknowledge both the breadth of the unfinished task – all peoples – and the
depth of the task – making disciples, as its focus.

We recognize the breadth of our task as geographical, by going “into all the world” (Mk
16:15); as ethnical, by engaging “all peoples” (Mt. 28:19; Lk. 24:49); and as individual by
proclaiming the gospel to “every creature” (Mk. 16:15).
Furthermore, we recognize that the depth of the task contains three essentials that comprise
aspects in discipling peoples (Mt. 28:19-20):

• Penetration (“go”): making a priority of going to those who have had little or no
  exposure to the gospel. Messengers go and encounter non-believers by way of
  personal encounters, broadcasts, podcasts, printed material, recordings, electronic
  communications, or any other innovative means used as a channel of penetrating
  witness. Thus, the importance of the ministry of evangelizing.
• Consolidation (“baptizing”): gathering new believers into a relationship with Jesus
  and other believers, which is evidenced by the identifying rite of baptism. To
  conserve the fruit of evangelism and then be able to systematically disciple believers
  takes a local body of believers living in corporate harmony. Thus, the importance of
  the ministry of establishing churches.
• Transformation (“teaching to obey”): teaching Christ-followers to observe His
  commands with the outcome of transformed lives. The new believer’s worldview
  must be adjusted to a biblical worldview; his lifestyle changed to increasingly
  conform to the image of Christ; and his ethical conduct progressively marked by
  biblical morals. Ideally, this results in individuals applying the gospel of the kingdom
  to every sphere and pursuit of life—from government to economics, from education
  to health, and from science to creation care. As a consequence whole communities,
  cultures and countries benefit from the transforming power of the gospel. Thus, the
  importance of the ministry of teaching.

Finishing the Task
Although none dare predict when the task of making disciples will be brought to completion,
we leave Tokyo cognizant of two realities:

1. We are closer now to finishing the task than at any time in modern history.
2. God has entrusted this generation with more opportunities and resources to
   complete the task than any previous one. We have more mission-minded churches,
   more sending structures and bases, more missionaries, more material resources, more
   funding, more and better technology, more information and data, a deeper
   understanding of the task, and a clearer focus of our responsibility than previous
   generations. God will require much of our generation.
   

However, we caution that all these advantages must be matched with a corresponding will to
serve and sacrifice, coupled with genuine reliance upon the Holy Spirit. We acknowledge
that we are engaged in spiritual warfare in which the presence and empowering of the Holy
Spirit is essential (Acts 1:8). We give evidence of our reliance on God and His Spirit through
frequent and fervent prayer on behalf of the world, the work and the workers (Jn. 17:20-21;
Col. 4:3-4; 1 Th. 5:17).

Our Pledge
Therefore, as representatives of this generation’s global mission community, we pledge to
obey the Great Commission. We covenant together to use all that God has entrusted to us in
this obedience. We will seek to know where people are unreached, overlooked, ignored, or
forgotten. We will pray for the Holy Spirit to give strength and guidance as we join with
others in changing that neglect, to love and make disciples in the way of the Cross.

We confess that we have not always valued each other or each other’s work. We repent of
those wrongs and will endeavor to bring an end to competition where it exists, and reconcile
where there is hurt, misunderstanding and mistrust. Furthermore, we will endeavor to
recognize that each part of the Body has its very own purpose, whether risking their very
lives to show God’s passion for the salvation of others, or supporting those who lead us
forward, or caring for those who quietly support, or fervently pray that His will be done
throughout the whole earth. We will respect all mission-engaging individuals and groups as
special vessels for God’s glory, each endowed with abilities that extend His Kingdom in
multiple ways.

Finally, we recognize that finishing the task will demand effective cooperative efforts of the
entire global body of believers. To facilitate cooperation and on-going coordination between
mission structures worldwide, we agree to the necessity of a global network of mission
structures. With this in mind, we leave Tokyo pledging cooperation with one another, and all
others of like faith, with the singular goal of “making disciples of every people in our
generation.”