Last week, a very positive and constructive event took place. About 35 Gospel-minded Christian leaders from a dozen Pacific nations met together in Papua New Guinea. They came for the inaugural General Assembly of the South Pacific Evangelical Alliance, one of the regions of the World Evangelical Alliance (the WEA began way back in 1846). There was wonderful oneness in the Gospel, across all national and denominational differences.

The Assembly was warmly hosted by the PNG evangelical alliance. Among other things, Papua New Guinea is currently celebrating 50 years of independence. The PNG Prime Minister was scheduled to visit, but as it happened, he visited New Zealand instead and sent a Cabinet minister in his place.

Rachel Afeaki-Taumoepeau, the leader of the South Pacific Evangelical Alliance, and a member of the New Zealand Christian Network board, capably chaired the gathering. Aotearoa New Zealand and NZCN was also represented by Stuart and Rose Lange, and by Pastor Richard and Lynette Reid of the Samoan AOG, from Aukilani Community Church in Avondale.

As one of the speakers, I began my first presentation with a reflection on the history of the Gospel spreading through the Pacific, with evangelical missionaries first bringing the Gospel, and then Pacific people taking the faith to other Pacific peoples, island to island, right across the ocean. Many Pacific people also served as missionaries in Papua, many times at the cost of their lives.

I then went on to speak about the meaning and history of what it means to be “evangelical”. Essentially to be evangelical means to be Gospel and Bible people: passionate for the Good News (euangelion) of Jesus (e.g. Mark 1:1, Romans 1:16), and firmly anchored in God’s word. Evangelical Christianity is simply New Testament Christianity, and was also shaped by the Reformation and by the 18th century evangelical revivals. Evangelicalism includes both those who are Pentecostal and those who are not. Evangelicalism is global, and cannot – and must not – be defined by recent evangelical associations with politics, in just one of the 195 countries in the whole world.

In another talk I gave an overview of Christianity across many of the South Pacific nations: in some contexts, clarity and fruitfulness in the Gospel can be weakened by traditionalism and legalism; in others, by theological liberalism or by western secular culture.

One outcome of the Assembly is that several more national evangelical alliances are likely to be formed. Beyond that, let’s work and pray for deep Gospel-minded Christian faith to be rekindled across all our region, to the glory of God.

PS: You may enjoy the video highlight and some pictures.

Author: Dr Stuart Lange

Dr Stuart Lange is the National Director of the NZCN and is a Senior Research Fellow at Laidlaw College, where he was formerly Vice Principal. Stuart wrote and presented the historical DVD documentary Te Rongopai: 200 years of the Gospel in New Zealand, 1814-2014.