Photo – Dr Jay Matenga, with Bertil Ekström (former Executive Director of the Mission Commission) on my right, and in order on my left: Wolfgang Busing (Chairman of the European Evangelical Mission Association), Reuben Ezemadu (former leader of the Nigerian Evangelical Missions Alliance), Samuel Chiang (CEO of the Seed Company), and Bishop Efraim Tendero (Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance). Leadership Summit, Kuala Lumpur – Jan. 2019.
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has appointed Dr. Jay Matenga as the next Executive Director of the WEA’s Mission Commission (MC). Jay was selected after a thorough search by the Mission Commission’s Global Leadership Council from a number of quality applicants. Jay succeeds David Ruiz, who concluded his responsibilities in June 2018, and former Executive Director, Dr. Bertil Ekström as interim Executive Director.
As a commission of the WEA, the MC is an inter-generational global community of missions leaders intersecting alliances, movements, networks, agencies, churches and ministries with the objective of strengthening participation in God’s mission.
The Chair of the MC’s Global Leadership Council, Peter Tarantal, wholeheartedly endorses Jay’s appointment: “We are confident that Jay is God’s person for the MC in this critical season of redevelopment for the future of missions. He has served the MC well as a leader of the mobilization network, in publications and more recently as an Associate Director supporting David Ruiz and then Bertil Ekström in the interim.
Jay’s mixed Māori and European heritage provides the MC with a leader able to appreciate both ‘Global South’ and ‘Global North’ perspectives, and we believe he will build strong relationship bridges between the two in the global missions community for God’s glory.”
Dr Jay Matenga with his wife Pauline.
Jay, aged 52, has been married to Pauline Wood for almost 30 years. They have served missions for almost as long, with Jay focusing on mobilization and missions group development while on staff of missionary deploying agencies. In 2015 he was recruited to lead Missions Interlink (MI NZ), the alliance of missions in Aotearoa New Zealand. By mutual agreement with the MC, MI NZ is seconding Jay to serve the MC.
Jay first connected with the MC in 1998 through a mentoring relationship with former Executive Director, Dr. Bill Taylor. He joined the mobilization network in 2007, leading that network between 2011 and 2018, during which time the mobilization research team produced “Mission In Motion”, a book of their findings that Jay co-authored with Professor Malcolm Gold Ph.D.
Following that 2016 release, Bill Taylor passed onto Jay responsibility for MC publications and in 2018 David Ruiz invited Jay to join the MC leadership team as Associate Director with special focus on funding, administration and communications support.
I am called to serve” notes Jay. “If Pauline and I were to choose one ‘rule of life’ that guides us it would be this: ‘it is not what we do, but what we enable others to do that will be our greatest contribution to God’s mission’.
Regarding the MC, Jay believes it is “a unique hub in the complex web of global missions networks — ‘a fellowship of differents’ if you will. We are a safe space for missions practitioners and theorists with diverse perspectives to meet, listen, share, and grow as we influence each other for God’s glory.
I see my leadership responsibility as guarding that space, broadening inclusion and fostering belonging for the benefit of all in the global missions community. The MC’s agenda is simple: to learn from each other as we unify in Christ around the common cause of extending the Kingdom of God in its glorious, multifaceted, culturally-diverse manifestations throughout the whole world.”
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), serving and representing some 600 million evangelicals in 130 countries, is deeply concerned about the recent developments in the border region between Syria and Turkey and calls for prayer for the thousands of vulnerable people at risk of further suffering. The escalation of military attacks in the wake of political decisions by the United States, Turkey and Syria along with other state and non-state actors, threatens areas in northern Syria that are populated by Christians of various traditions, including evangelicals.
Deerfield, IL – October 15, 2019
According to Open Doors, a pastor of a Christian and Missionary Alliance in the Syrian city of Qamishli reported numerous deaths and injuries as a result of recent bombardments. It is just one example of the suffering inflicted on populations in areas that have previously already suffered at the hands of ISIS terrorists and who are now again forced to flee in the thousands for relatively safer zones. This internal displacement in itself will present new threats of food and water shortages, lack of medical services and vulnerability to exploitation, among others.
“We are very concerned about the deteriorating situation in Syria and the people who are caught up in this conflict yet again. We call on Christians and churches to pray for and stand in solidarity with their brothers and sisters in Christ in the region, and also with the Syrian people in all its diversity, including Kurds and Arabs,” said Bp Efraim Tendero, Secretary General of the WEA, and added: “We also call on all involved parties to work towards an immediate end to the senseless violence, towards the protection of innocent civilians and the restoration of peace, which will also prevent the resurgence of terrorism that threatens people of all faiths, including Christians.”
WEA and Refugee Highway Partnership Encourage Churches to Participate in World Refugee Sunday on June 16 / 23
WEA and RHP joint media release Deerfield, IL – May 23, 2019
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) together with the Refugee Highway Partnership (RHP) call on churches to participate in the upcoming World Refugee Sunday (WRS) on June 16 or 23 – the Sundays before and after the United Nation’s World Refugee Day. The 2019 WRS Resource Pack provides pastors and church leaders with creative tools to respond to the various needs of refugees and displaced people.
“Headlines about refugees may at times be short-lived in today’s fast-paced news media, but the reality of displacement persists and affects countless people in every region of the world,” said Bp Efraim Tendero, Secretary General of the WEA. “The situation may feel overwhelming, but if local churches take time to pray, to reflect on God’s perspective on refugees and displaced people, and then reach out to those in their surroundings who may have been forced to flee, they can make a great difference in people’s lives. World Refugee Sunday provides an ideal opportunity for your local church to get involved!”
“68.5 million is simply a number. But the world’s 68.5 million precious men, women and children forcibly displaced by war, violence and persecution can tell untold numbers of stories of personal and family pain and suffering, resilience and courage, hospitality and kindness, while many also experienced some of the worst inhumanities imaginable,” the RHP states. “We hope that the resources will help churches to lament and celebrate together and express their solidarity with displaced people in prayer and action.”
From Afghanistan to Yemen, from Congo to Venezuela: war, conflict, persecution and other hardships are a daily reality for many. The following are just two brief testimonies from Sri Lanka and the Democratic Republic of Congo:
“In the wake of the recent Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, the fear psychosis prevalent in the country has resulted in hostilities against refugees who have been mistakenly perceived as Islamist extremists. This includes aggression against Christian refugees from Pakistan as well. Following the attacks, angry mobs forced out these refugees from their places of residence and threatened local homeowners who host refugees and asylum seekers, who come from around 15 countries, with the majority being from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Some are Ahmadiyya or Shia Muslims and others are Christians, all persecuted by majority Muslim groups in their home countries. The pressure on these already deeply vulnerable people is intense. Thank you for standing with them and other forcibly-displaced people around the world on World Refugee Sunday.” – Mr. Godfrey Yogarajah, WEA Deputy Secretary-General for Ministries and head of the National Christian Evangelical Alliance in Sri Lanka.
‘‘There is no time from my childhood to-date when I have seen my community fully enjoying the right to belong – all the time with difficult explanations, many times not believable. More than 50 years I still see my community running for safety. In the light of the latest violence in my village, I thought tonight: ‘nonviolent resistance is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle. Blessed are the peacemakers!’ Thank you for standing with us on World Refugee Sunday.” – Congolese pastor of a refugee church in another country.
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. – Hebrews 13:2
Download the World Refugee Sunday Resource Booklet in the format that best suits your needs:
As WEA member alliances seek to strengthen religious freedom in their respective countries, U.N. mechanisms and bodies are proving to be an important medium to amplify their respective voices, and their impact. Below you will find an overview of some of our appeals and activities at the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva in recent months.
In March, in a statement read before more than one hundred international diplomats gathered at the HRC, we called on the government of SRI LANKA to revoke the 2008 Circular related to the construction of places of worship that curtailed the rights of religious minorities and subjected them to harassment. (Written statement submitted together with the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka; Oral statement together with Christian Solidarity Worldwide; video).
We called on both INDIA and PAKISTAN to repeal anti-conversion and anti-blasphemy legislation respectively, to hold their law enforcement officials accountable when they fail to protect religious minorities, and to counter the stigmatization and hate against religious minorities. (Written statement submitted together with the Evangelical Fellowship of India; oral statement; video)
Together with L’Eglise Protestante d’Algérie, we called on the authorities of ALGERIA to re-open all churches closed since November 2017. (Written statement in French)
We urged the government of MALAYSIA to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all religious workers and the freedom to carry out their duties without intimidation or threat, and we called on Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to order new police investigations into the abduction of Pastor Koh and the disappearances of three religious activists. (Oral statement; video)
On April 3, Malaysia’s Human Rights Commission issued a report that, for the first time, accused State agents of the abduction of Pastor Koh in 2017. The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship of Malaysia issued a statement calling for the immediate investigation of all parties involved in the disappearances.
We appealed to the government of IRAQ to officially recognize the evangelical churches and grant them legal status. (Report)
We called on VIET NAM to review the 2016 Law on Belief and Religion, to protect the right of ethnic minorities to change religion, and to stop harassment, oppression and violence against Hmong Christians and other minority religious groups. (Report)
We reiterated that peace in the CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC cannot take place without accountability for war crimes and justice. (Oral statement in French)
During a debate at the HRC on the mitigation and countering of risingnationalist populism, we affirmed that Christianity means loving our neighbors and welcoming the stranger, and we expressed concern that so-called Christian values have been leveraged to foster hatred and discrimination against those adhering to other religions, or from other nationalities and regions of the world. (Video)
During the same period, we met with diplomatic missions, U.N. representatives and other stakeholders, to convey more widely the messages and requests of our member alliances.
In a press release earlier today, the Evangelical Alliance of the United Kingdom (EAUK) highlighted a brief video interview with the pastor of Zion Church, which was one of the targets of the Easter Sunday bombings. The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) would like to give greater exposure to the moving testimony of Pastor Roshan Mahesen and invites Christians to continue to pray for their brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka.
Bp Efraim Tendero, WEA Secretary General and CEO, expressed his solidarity with the Christians in Sri Lanka in a statement after the attacks, saying: “We are deeply saddened and troubled by the news of the targeted attacks on worshippers and other innocent people on Easter Sunday. As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we now also mourn the loss of lives due to this heartless violence. We call on churches around the world to join us in prayer for those affected, and that God’s strong and comforting presence may be with them in this tragedy. May God help them to hold onto the faith of the resurrection and experience the peace that transcends all understanding.
EAUK Press Release
The leader of the evangelical church bombed in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday has spoken out, offering forgiveness to the attackers, and thanks to all who have offered prayer and support. Pastor Roshan Mahesen also spoke of his commitment to continue the church’s mission.
Speaking in London this week Pastor Roshan said: “We are hurt. We are angry also, but still, as the senior pastor of Zion Church Batticaloa, the whole congregation and every family affected, we say to the suicide bomber, and also to the group that sent the suicide bomber, that we love you and we forgive you, no matter what you have done to us, we love you, because we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Jesus Christ on the Cross, he said father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. We also, who follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ, we say, for the Lord forgive these people.”
In the video shared by Sri Lankan Christian ministry ‘The Life’, Pastor Roshan went on to say: “I want to take this opportunity to thank every church around the world, every believer, every person known to me and unknown to me who has contacted me, calling me, sending messages of condolences, and then words of encouragement.
“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, every word you speak brings such comfort and strength. We will stand and continue what the lord has purposed in our life and we are ready, and we will continue to fulfil the mission the Lord has given us.”
Pastor Chrishanthy Sathiyaraj, leader of a Sri Lankan church which brings together Tamil and Sinhalese Christians and founder of ‘The Life’ ministry, interviewed Pastor Roshan earlier this week while he was visiting the UK.
Pastor Chrishanthy is part of the Evangelical Alliance UK’s council and commented: “These atrocious attacks have shocked the world, the violence has impacted my friends and family and many in the Sri Lankan community in the UK know people who have died.
“If only we can hear Pastor Roshan’s words and respond with forgiveness instead of hate. Jesus Christ calls us to love even those who persecute us, and what is more powerful than to choose to love in circumstances such as these. Let’s forgive, stand together and build the kingdom of God. Don’t give up.”
Steve Clifford, general director of the Evangelical Alliance UK, joined a prayer gathering earlier this week following the attacks as Sri Lankan leaders prayed together. Responding to the video Steve Clifford said: “I am mourning with my Sri Lankan brothers and sisters in Christ as they bury loved ones, as church communities are shaken by the violence inflicted on them and as others live in fear that the same might strike them.
“Pastor Roshan offers love and forgiveness that can only come from knowing that we are forgiven by Jesus. I will continue to pray for him and all the believers in Sri Lanka, that they will know hope in Jesus that overcomes all fear.
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) condemns in strongest terms the coward series of bombings on multiple churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on this Easter Sunday with the death toll currently passing 200 and many more reported injured.
Bp Efraim Tendero, WEA Secretary General and CEO, said: “We are deeply saddened and troubled by the news of the targeted attacks on worshippers and other innocent people on Easter Sunday. As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we now also mourn the loss of lives due to this heartless violence. We call on churches around the world to join us in prayer for those affected, and that God’s strong and comforting presence may be with them in this tragedy. May God help them to hold onto the faith of the resurrection and experience the peace that transcends all understanding.”
The WEA also stands in solidarity with the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka, WEA’s national member body, as they issued their own statement:
The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) is deeply distressed and deplores the Easter Sunday (21 April) explosions targeting the St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, St. Sebastian’s Church in Katana, Zion Church in Batticaloa, and three leading hotels in Colombo. The incidents in Colombo and Batticaloa, according to media reports, have left over 180 dead and several others injured. Moreover, explosions elsewhere in Dehiwela and Dematagoda left five dead, including three police officers.
The NCEASL calls on the general public and especially the Christian community in the country to remain calm and refrain from being misled by rumours during this time of crisis.
The NCEASL also calls on the government and security forces to take all steps necessary to arrest the situation swiftly and bring the perpetrators of these attacks to justice.
Finally, while offering our prayers and support to all those affected, the NCEASL calls on the national and global Church to pray for those grieving the loss of loved ones and those injured in these unfortunate series of attacks.
“…Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying” Romans 12:12
“This callous, horrific attack on people at worship in churches in Sri Lanka is yet another manifestation of the evil and bitterness which lurks in the human heart, and which is behind all violence and terrorism everywhere in the world, regardless of who it is who commits such acts and whoever they are aimed at. We pray that God may comfort the grieving, and that the society of Sri Lanka may respond compassionately and justly, with a renewed commitment to the freedom and well-being of all its people and faith communities.”
Dr Stuart Lange Interim National Director NZ Christian NetWORK
