We are pleased to introduce Advocate Botrus Mansour, the newly appointed Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of the World Evangelical Alliance. With a deep commitment to serving the global Body of Christ and strengthening unity among evangelicals worldwide, he brings a wealth of experience in leadership, advocacy, and ministry.
As he steps into this role, we invite him to share his thoughts and perspectives to help guide the vision and priorities for WEA.
Growing up in Nazareth—the town where Jesus spent his childhood—how has your geographical connection to Christ’s earthly story shaped your understanding of what it means to be evangelical?
There is a very small evangelical population in Nazareth currently.
Living in Nazareth can result in the danger of self righteousness, namely the attitude that I am from His town, therefore I don’t need anyone to tell me that I need a personal encounter with Jesus.
I thank God that I didn’t fall to this trap but accepted the word that told me to repent and accept Him personally as Lord and Savior.
Today, I feel the big responsibility, to stay in His own hometown despite challenges and be a living testimony for Him in Nazareth, and from there to the whole world. Something good came out of Nazareth – Jesus. We pray we can do the same as His followers.
You have previously mentioned that your identities as “evangelical, Christian, Arab, Palestinian and Israeli” can contradict each other, but your identity in Christ brings harmony. Can you walk us through a specific moment when these identities clashed, and how your faith provided resolution?
One way that these different identities are brought into tension is during times of war, like now. There is special interest quite unlike anywhere else in what happens in Israel and Palestine. Christians around the world have interest and views about the conflict that they actively support. My identity in Christ transcends these different views. I believe that we are all made in the image of God and Christ has come to bring fullness of life for all people.This pro-life approach of human dignity for all the people on the land has been a key driver reconciliation, peace making and justice. This is why I am involved in ministries that promotes this.
Leadership of WEA :-
What are your top priorities when you first get into office?
I would like to build on the good things that have been done before me. This includes not disregarding all that was done and with the grace of God, learn from past mistakes.
Specifically, this includes strengthening the infrastructure of the organization using the momentum of the general assembly and the new secretary general with some new international council members for the next chapter.
On a macro scale, I would like us to share together in the formulation of the vision and goals and then be united behind them.
How does personal leadership style support the WEA as the place for unity for gospel transformation?
I have served through the years in different organizations- sometimes as top leader and some times as co-leader and even as junior player. With God’s grace I have tried to be a team player in all situations respecting the different roles that I have been in. I will seek to do so in WEA, best defined as servant leadership.
As you know, the theme is “The Gospel for Everyone by 2033″—that’s just 8 years away. What do you think the WEA family needs to do for this to be realised?
The good news of the Gospel is definitely for everyone everywhere. This message needs to reach the individual believer, so that he or she takes an active role sharing the wonderful news of Jesus. It needs to be done by leaders who serve as role models and who should train, equip, empower, encourage all to share it is all corners of the globe and in all venues of life and marketplace.
Place of National Alliances :-
You mentioned that national alliances are the core business of the WEA. What do you believe is the place of national alliances in today’s world? What is your experience as the president of Convention of Evangelical Churches in Israel? How has that informed you for your role with WEA?
Every national alliance brings the unity in Christ of Bible believers in the land putting aside differences but also realizing the specific challenges and dreams of their people.
They are the ones that can crystalize the strategy for their specific country and just get the needed support from World Evangelical Alliance itself or from other Alliances through the coordination of WEA.
Leading the Alliance in Israel ( CECI ) has shown me that we are the ones who know better our own country and we gladly benefited from other national Alliances ( Jordan and Palestine for example), the regional (MENA) support as part of the WEA family.
Looking Ahead :-
When you’re in prayer about the future of global evangelicalism, what fills you with the greatest sense of hope and possibility?
My prayer is that it rises up to the calling it has to proclaim that Jesus is savior and also the answer to all life’s challenges. What fills me with hope is the young people who are coming forward with deep faith, passion, love for Christ combined with knowledge, professionalism and humility.
Looking ahead to the next chapter of your leadership of the WEA, what would you most want to accomplish for the global evangelical family?
Unity around a joint mission of impacting the world with the message if Jesus.
Any final words for the evangelical family until you meet face to face in Seoul?
See you in Seoul . I would love to meet all of you. Feel free to reach out to me and I am here to serve alongside you and help in any way.
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