For ninety minutes\u2014with a repeat broadcast due to significant time zone differences\u2014the World Evangelical Alliance and its extensive network of leaders, volunteers, and supporters celebrated the 180th anniversary of an alliance present in more than 160 countries, organized into nine regional alliances serving 650 million evangelicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The secretary general, Rev. Botrus Mansour, opened the live video conference via Zoom, with hundreds of participants from more than 22 countries, emphasizing the importance of an alliance. \u201cThere is always this tension between the desire to follow this call to unity and our natural evangelical tendency to act according to our own convictions and conscience, and this has intensified with the addition of diverse cultures and strong national identities. But we continue today by the grace of God in humility, celebrating our diversity on the one hand, yet knowing that what unites us is much more, and we need one another,\u201d<\/em> stated the secretary general. He noted that the alliance\u2019s members are independent evangelicals who have voluntarily agreed to work and fellowship together. Mansour used a popular hymn to illustrate what unites them, citing \u201cHis Banner Over Me Is Love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the screening of a video created to celebrate the history of the WEA\u2014which began at an 1846 meeting of 50 evangelical leaders from around the world\u2014Rev. Dr. Chris Wright<\/a>, Director of International Ministries at Langham Partnership International<\/a> (founded by John Stott), shared some insights about the founder, who was an extremely important figure for the WEA. \u201cHe became very much a part of its history, very supportive of it, deeply involved in the theological work the WEA has done over the years, and I\u2019m sure he was a speaker at many of those conferences.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Brian C. Stiller<\/a>, former president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC)<\/a> and a global ambassador for the WEA since 2011, spoke about the events of the past 180 years in the evangelical movement and the significance of the WEA\u2019s founding. \u201cThe moment was not accidental; it came on the tide of the first great awakenings, when the Spirit had moved across the English-speaking world with a force that ignored normal ecclesiastical boundaries.\u201d<\/em> He went on to state that \u201cwhat began as a gathering of Protestant leaders in one city is now the World Evangelical Alliance, a global network of 164 national alliances, representing somewhere north of 650 million Christians worldwide. It is, by any measure, the largest and most geographically diverse evangelical network on Earth.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Prayers, relevant Bible verses, and the screening of a video of the song \u201cGoodness of God\u201d performed at the WEA General Assembly in Seoul<\/a>, South Korea, captured the three themes the celebration sought to emphasize: the past, present, and future of this global fellowship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the segment focused on the future, James Burden, WEA\u2019s Web and IT manager, presented the organization\u2019s new website<\/a>. In his remarks, he highlighted the changes made and the section of the website that showcases regional and national alliances around the world, which is the \u201cbeating heart\u201d of the WEA. \u201cWe\u2019re looking to build up our contact information here so we can readily connect people to their national alliances.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Following Burden, Rachel Afeaki-Taumoepeau prayed for unity. \u201cIt\u2019s your Word that reminds us that we are co-workers in God\u2019s building,\u201d<\/em> she affirmed. \u201cThis is your work, your field, your building, and your church.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n After the responsive reading from Luke 4:18\u201319, Mansour gave a speech on the Call 33 initiative. \u201cIt\u2019s a collaborative initiative answering God\u2019s call together toward 2033.\u201d<\/em> The secretary general shared that he had read many documents from the WEA\u2019s past and found himself wondering what the net and the fish were that God had placed in the WEA\u2019s hands. \u201cAnd then I came across a document prepared several years ago called Road Map 2030<\/a>.\u201d<\/em> Rev. Mansour stated that the core of the document contained four main components: strengthening national alliances, advocacy, collaboration, and strong organizational structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The meeting concluded with videos of leaders from different parts of the world speaking about the WEA, its history, and its legacy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n