New York, NY – March 24, 2016
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has named Dr. Chris Seiple as a Global Policy Advisor to the Executive Leadership. Dr. Seiple currently serves as President Emeritus of the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) a highly respected research, education, and diplomatic institution that builds sustainable religious freedom worldwide through local partnerships.
Dr. Seiple has written extensively about the failure of the international community to adequately address the violence and humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and how this necessitates informed evangelical engagement.
WEA Secretary General, Bishop Efraim Tendero, expressed appreciation for Dr. Seiple, stating: “With our world in such crisis at this time in history, WEA has been praying and seeking how to engage more knowledgeably, strategically and holistically, particularly in regards to the Middle East crisis. With Chris Seiple’s expertise, credibility and respected stature in so many venues, it was a natural fit to seek his counsel behind the scenes, but we felt the need to formally invite him to serve the Executive Leadership at WEA as our Global Policy Advisor and we are delighted that he has accepted.”
A graduate of Stanford, the Naval Postgraduate School, and the Fletcher School for Law & Diplomacy, he is the founder of The Review of Faith & International Affairs, a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and a member of the London based International Institute for Strategic Studies. Seiple also is a co-author of International Religious Freedom Advocacy: A Guide to Organizations, Law, and NGOs and a co-editor of The Routledge Handbook on Religion & Security. As a Lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, he serves on the Council’s religious advisory committee and additionally served as the Vice-Chair (2012-2014) and Chair (2014-2015) of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on the Role of Faith, and writes regularly for the World Economic Forum Blog.
Dr. Seiple is the co-founder and administrator of The Cradle Fund, IGE’s program to help rescue, restore, and return Middle Eastern Christians and other religious and ethnic groups to a home where they can live and practice their faith free from fear. In a related role, Seiple serves on the Religion, Identity and Countering Violent Extremism working group of the Middle East Strategy Task Force (MEST), at The Atlantic Council. He resides in Virginia with his wife, Alissa, and their five children.
When asked to comment on his new role with WEA, Dr. Seiple noted, “There is no major challenge in this world that can be solved by one entity. The defining characteristic of the 21st century will be the coalitions and communities of the willing that work at the nexus of the public and private spheres toward sustainable solutions. If Christians are called to love their most alien neighbor – as individuals, institutions, cultures, or states – then absolutely every global challenge is an opportunity to demonstrate the reconciling love of Christ and evangelicals should be leading the way and reaching out to others to solve our common challenges, together.”
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Over two billion Christians in the world today are represented by three world church bodies. The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is one of those, serving and representing more than 600 million evangelicals. Launched in 1846 to unite evangelicals worldwide, the WEA continues to be a dynamic movement with 7 regional and 129 national Evangelical Alliances, and over 150 member organizations. WEA's mission is to speak as a trusted voice, to equip members and leaders for global impact and to connect its members and others for common action in the furtherance of God’s reign. For more info e-mail at [email protected] or go to Worldea.org.
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