The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is pleased to welcome Arts+ as its partner, serving and connecting Christian artists. As a growing network that already spans several European countries, the partnership with WEA seeks to share the vision with other regions around the world.
“Where would local churches be without artists, who use gifts given by the Holy Spirit to make worship and fellowship more beautiful and catch the soul beyond good and solid theology,” said Bishop Dr Thomas Schirrmacher, Secretary General of the WEA. “All great evangelists had artists at their side: Dwight L. Moody as much as Billy Graham or Luis Palau. All great reformations and revivals in history, which WEA has been linking together since the middle of the 19th century, have brought forth new contributions to music, fine arts, symbols, architecture, or poetry. The same is true as God adds believers from new countries, ethnic groups, and languages to our global family. I am pleased that a network of networks of artists around the globe now finds its home in the World Evangelical Alliance.”
Arts+ is a relational network which comprises a group of visionary arts advocates and leaders who collaborate together to catalyze progress in the arts landscape across Europe and beyond. It first began in 2009 with leaders of Christian arts initiatives coming together to create a European-wide relational network.
The Arts+ network and vision continues to expand across Europe and beyond and focuses on 4 spheres of influence: The Church, Artists, Academy/Education, and Society/Marketplace. It is a catalyst for the formation of local, national, and international Arts ‘Round Tables’, a core activity in recognition of the importance of bringing together arts leaders for mutual awareness, encouragement, prayer, and potential creative collaboration.
The network is intentionally trans-denominational and open for trans-cultural connections. There are currently 11 Round Tables developing and growing across Europe, with the most recent one just launched in Bulgaria last September.
“In partnership with the WEA we seek to expand our reach to an international level. We embrace common core values, and our Round Tables are informed by a Christian Biblical worldview and unified in the desire to see God glorified in church life, educational endeavors, the public square, and mission initiatives,” said Dr. Jill Ford, a member of the Arts+ Executive Leadership Team who also serves as the strategic global arts networker for the partnership between Arts+ and the WEA.
Arts+ becomes part of the Church Engagement Department that works with Evangelical Alliances and the broader WEA family, providing programs and resources to enable them to develop healthy disciple-making churches that make a difference in their communities.
Rev. Esme Bowers, Director of Church Engagement, commented: “We are pleased to welcome Jill into the Church Engagement Department. I believe she will add new insights and opportunities for the Church to develop their arts ministries in its many forms. Jill comes with experience and is willing to offer assistance to Regional and National Evangelical Alliances to explore how they can establish regional and national arts networks in their own contexts.”
For more information about Arts+, visit artsplus.info
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