Eleven years after the 2008 WEA General Assembly, we sense the mighty move of the Holy Spirit. He is inviting, inspiring and initiating a new season of Kingdom work that will unite church leaders across geographies, generations, and global causes. Serving in this new season will require a careful and Spirit-led process of clarifying, casting vision and then shifting to a new mindset. What must evangelism and disciple-making look like in the coming decade?
The 2019 WEA General Assembly is an invitation for us, leaders of churches, nations, regions, networks and commissions, to visit afresh the command of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20:
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (NIV)
At this critical global leadership gathering, we will invest our time and hearts to understand each vital element required to prepare the church for the mission ahead of us, and thus we will be intentional about walking alongside and mentoring our younger leaders. As Moses summoned Joshua and commissioned him in the presence of all Israel, we will make use of the event to bless younger leaders with wisdom, prayer and clear direction, so like Joshua they will be strong and courageous in holding their mantle of leadership in the challenging days to come.
The 2019 General Assembly is more than a global event; it will be a defining moment for leaders of the Church to launch a new era (decade) of disciple-making and inter-generational leadership across nations and regions, but also across the global causes and pressing issues of our time. No invited leader should miss the opportunity to be present for this Spirit-ordained gathering!
WEA General Assembly in Indonesia Kicks Off with Colorful Opening Ceremony
Jakarta, Indonesia – November 8, 2019
The World Evangelical Alliance’s (WEA) General Assembly (GA) started off with a colorful opening ceremony that saw 800 participants from 92 countries joined by several thousand Indonesian believers from across the country. The GA brings together WEA’s constituency of regional and national Alliances that represent local churches in their respective countries, and more than one hundred affiliated international ministries and organizations. It is a global network that spans 130 nations and serves some 600 million evangelicals around the world, making it the second largest global Christian body today.
Held at the Sentul International Conference Center south of Jakarta, Indonesia from November 7-12, the GA is the first global gathering of such scale hosted by the WEA in eleven years. The theme “Your Kingdom Come” inspired by Jesus’ prayer in Matthew 6 expresses the hope for the GA to be a critical moment for evangelicals to come together to reflect and strategize how to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission “to disciple all nations” by focusing on intentional, holistic disciple-making.
“Evangelicals are the fastest growing religious movement in the world in the last sixty years. And we want to thank God for what he is doing,” Bp Efraim Tendero, Secretary General of the WEA stated in his opening remarks at the ceremony, and added: “As we gather for the next six days, we have the passion and desire to cry out to God, that as evangelical leaders, we all work together to advance the Kingdom of God in our time.”
Speaking of the host country, Bp Tendero commented: “We have carefully chosen Indonesia to be the hosts of our General Assembly because this is the country that has the largest Muslim population in the world, but there is also religious tolerance and harmony. And in Indonesia, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is continuing to flourish and is having an impact in the society.”
Rev. Dr. Ronny Mandang, Chair of WEA’s national member body the Fellowship of Indonesian Evangelical Churches and Institutions (FIECI), expressed his deep gratitude that this global gathering could take place in his nation, saying “we have been praying and crying for this moment and now I’m standing here, looking at all these international leaders who are united and have Jesus Christ as our Lord. This moment is truly a blessing to us.”
The opening ceremony included cultural performances with video presentations and 150 dancers and artists introducing each region of Indonesia. As a nation of “joy, peace and harmony” and a model of “unity in diversity”, Indonesia brings together thousands of tribes with hundreds of different languages in a population of over 270 million. It is also a country of vibrant faith that hosted global Christian events like the World Prayer Assembly among many others.
Pastor Dr Niko Njotorahardjo, a major Christian church leader in Indonesia and partner in hosting the GA, shared in an address that “the WEA GA in this place is not by accident; I firmly believe it is the specific purpose of God.” And added: “Jesus gave us His Great Commission… My friends, don’t forget God wants all of us to be disciples of Jesus. Disciples are the people whose lifestyles resemble how Jesus lived.”
The WEA GA will continue through Tuesday, November 12, with plenaries, discussions and workshops that aim to equip participants to strengthen their collaborative efforts in the area of intentional disciple-making. It will also include the election of a new International Council and a presentation on organizational priorities for the coming years.
Rachel Afeaki-Taumoepeau 8 Nov 2019 | Jakarta, Indonesia The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) General Assembly. 92 Nations(out of 129) represented with just over 800 international delegates for the next week. NZ has a delegation of 6: Rev. Dr Stuart Lange (Interim National Director NZCN), Ps Brian Winslade WEA International Council), Dr Jay Matenga (Executive Director WEA Mission’s Commission), Glyn Carpenter (WEA South Pacific Regional Alliance Director) Rick Pierce and myself (NZCN’s board and WEA Women’s Commission Co Director -Pacific. NZ Christian Network is the NZ member of WEA (136 Nation members). Themes: Kingdom, Generations, Renewal, Unity and Leadership
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.”
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) joins its national member body the New Zealand Christian Network (NZCN) in strongly condemning the tragic attacks on Muslims in two Mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The NZCN “has expressed horror and great sadness about the violent attacks today on Muslim people and mosques in Christchurch.” Dr. Stuart Lange, a spokesperson of the NZCN called the attack “utterly appalling” and said it “will be deplored by all New Zealand people of all faiths or none.” The network urges people to pray for all the families and communities which will be deeply affected, and to offer them support in every way possible.
Bp. Efraim Tendero, Secretary General and CEO of the WEA, said: “With this terrorist attacks at Christchurch, we are once again reminded of the intertwined and deadly nature of prejudice and extremism, how it seeks to destroy and sow enmity among peace-loving people and communities. As followers of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, we condemn such violence and state in the clearest terms that there is no justification whatsoever to commit such a heinous crime against people of any faith or no faith.”
“We mourn with the families of those who have lost loved ones in this tragic attack and pray for God to give comfort and healing to them as well as the community. As we all seek accountability and justice for all the victims of this tragedy, we are convinced that in crucial times such as this we need to all the more demonstrate the best in humanity by not repaying evil with evil, but by overcoming evil with good. (Romans 12:21)”
“As a global family of evangelical Christians – a diverse family that includes people of all complexions, ethnicities, languages, cultures and social standings – we are committed to upholding that according to the Bible, God has created each human being in His image, which gives eternal value to each individual life,” Bp. Tendero added, and said: “It is our hope and prayer that rather than dividing the community with hatred, this tragic event will bring the community together in condemning such hatred and that they would reach out to each other across any social or cultural barriers to extend comfort and support at this time.”
The attack came on the same day that the WEA presented an oral statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva that denounces nationalism. Furthermore, as part of its effort to build bridges of respect and understanding between people of different faiths and no faith, the WEA has also been engaged in dialogue with Muslims for many years. A recent example is Bp. Tendero’s participation in the Global Conference on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi last month.
19 years after the establishment of the Global Christian Forum, the representatives of the world Christian community met together in Geneva for a historic meeting to decide on its continuation.
(Bonn, 13th June 2017) Two decades after the Global Christian Forum first began with the goal to intensify communication between Christian churches, this communication has become a matter of course.
The 4 so-called ‘pillars’ of the Global Christian Forum (the Vatican, the World Council of Churches, the World Evangelical Alliance and the Pentecostal World Fellowship), as well as other represented confessions, such as the Orthodox Church met together for 2 days in Bossey near to Geneva. They are in agreement that the Global Christian Forum must definitely be continued. For everyone it is important that the Forum remains a discussion platform which is open to new guests but does not form any kind of ‘super church’, become an institution or emit theological or canonical declarations of principles.
Each of the five-person delegations were headed by Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Olav Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, Bishop Efraim Tendero, secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance and David Wells, vice-chair of the Pentecostal World Fellowship.
The World Evangelical Alliance delegation was composed of the secretary general Bishop Efraim Tendero (the Philippines), his deputy Thomas Schirrmacher, who is also responsible for interchurch relations, the secretary general of the Asian Evangelical Alliance Richard Howell (India), the ambassador to the Vatican Thomas K. Johnson (Czech Republic) and the director of the Business Coalition Timo Plutschinski (Germany).
Because of the historically unique composition of the delegations, it was not only the future of the Global Christian Forum that was discussed in the premises of the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey near Geneva, but also the current state of unity of worldwide Christianity. While there was great openness about the differences in points of view in theological but also increasingly ethical questions, it was agreed that there should be no reluctance to work together on social issues. In view of the great global challenges that need a powerful response from the Christian side, it is good to be assured of mutual support in many questions. This includes questions such as: persecution of Christians worldwide, right to life at the beginning and end of life, as well as the challenges of human trafficking, global corruption or the consequences of climate change for the Global South.
