1. Please pray for the upcoming General Assembly of the World Evangelical Alliance, October 27-31

At the end of this month, many Christian leaders from around the world will gather in Seoul (South Korea) for the 2025 General Assembly of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA). This is an event that happens every six years, with delegates from up to 146 different nations.

The New Zealand Christian Network is a national affiliate of the WEA, and ten representatives from New Zealand will be attending. There will also be some fifteen evangelical friends and leaders from other parts of the South Pacific.

The roots of the World Evangelical Alliance go back to 1846. Its identity as “evangelical” has nothing to do with earthly politics, but is simply about a united commitment to Christ, to biblical faith, to the proclamation of the Gospel, and our oneness in the Spirit for all who are in Christ. For evangelical Christians, our oneness in Christ (Gal 3:28) transcends all differences, including race, culture, nationality, denominations, worship styles, and secondary doctrinal issues. The number of evangelical Christians worldwide is thought to be about 600 million. Many who come to the Assembly will come from countries where Christians are subject to significant persecution, or where there is war, poverty, or other major problems.

Many matters will be addressed, but the theme is “The Gospel for Everyone by 2033”. This is a call to Christians all over the globe to unite in effective Gospel proclamation, in the lead-up to the 2,000-year anniversary of the Cross and Resurrection.

There will be great support – not least in prayer – from many Korean Christians. The General Assembly venue is the Sarang Church, led by Rev. Dr. Jung-Hyun OH.

Pray for great fellowship, for inspiration, for safety, for good health for all, and for God’s sustaining for everyone working hard to make this a first-rate gathering. Pray that the Lord may be glorified, that the Holy Spirit may move in the hearts of all who are present, and that through this event the global people of God made be strengthened and blessed.

2. Do we yet have a real, deep peace in the Middle East?

The cease-fire deal in Gaza and long-awaited prisoner and hostage exchanges are an encouraging start, but progress towards a real peace has barely begun, and faces multiple obstacles. Keep praying!

All around the world, in every context of enmity and war, what is needed is a really profound peace: not just an agreement to co-exist without killing one another, but also a heart-felt embrace of forgiveness, reconciliation, compassion, justice, and sharing. That is not the way of the world, but it is certainly the way of Christ: “I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5:44).

3. A follower of Jesus, from Nazareth

Interestingly, the newly-appointed Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance (Botrus Mansour) is an Arab Christian from Nazareth, where Jesus himself lived. A lawyer who lives in a Muslim neighbourhood, Mansour describes his identities as “evangelical, Christian, Arab, Palestinian and Israeli”, and asserts that “my identity in Christ transcends these different views”. He declares that “we are all made in the image of God and Christ has come to bring fullness of life for all”, and that we must actively share “the wonderful news of Jesus”. No doubt Mansour holds some views that some other Christians may not. But what matters more is that those who belong to Christ are called not only to love God, but to love others as much as themselves – and that Christ has broken down the “dividing wall of hostility”, reconciling all who belong to him in one body (Eph 2: 14-18). After all, aren’t we meant to be “all one in Christ Jesus”?

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.