On 9 and 10 May, the General Assembly of the Italian Evangelical Alliance (AEI) was held in Rome, bringing together representatives of churches, evangelical ministries and members of the evangelical organisation in Italy.

On Friday, the contents of the Fourth Lausanne Congress held in Seoul were presented, showcasing global initiatives in the evangelical field and their application to the Italian context.

On Saturday, the administrative general assembly was held, at which Giacomo Ciccone was re-elected president and the other executive positions were renewed.

The gathering was hosted by the International Christian Church of Rome.

Transformative power of minorities

The secretary of the Spanish Evangelical Alliance, Xesus Manuel Suárez, gave a presentation entitled ‘The transforming power of dissident minorities,’ the written version of which can be read here (in Spanish).

The presentation focused on the text of Deuteronomy 26:5 and its application to the activities of the Italian and Spanish Alliances. God has often used both minorities and dissidents to lead the most profound changes in history, Suárez said.

[photo_footer]Giacomo Ciccone and Salvo Bonaccorsi during the Assembly.[/photo_footer]

After lunch, a Document on Abuse prepared by the AEI was presented, followed by a discussion with some Italian leaders on the theme ‘Church, responsibility and witness in Italy today’ with the aim of addressing the issues of shared leadership, accountability and transparency in the local church.

During the discussion, “it was addressed how we should transmit the Gospel today in an environment where personal communication has changed so profoundly; we were encouraged to always use transparency, closeness and imagination”.

The second session, focused on sexual abuse within the Church, featured the presentation of a document prepared by the Italian Alliance that addressed the issue with seriousness and quality.

[photo_footer]A panel discussion at the 2025 General Assembly of the Italian Evangelical Alliance, in Rome.[/photo_footer]

Spain-Italy synergy

"The close fraternal relations between this Alliance and the Spanish Alliance have been maintained for a long time. Their cultural and spiritual environment is similar and their responses are consistent; they have often taken joint initiatives within the WEA (World Evangelical Alliance) and the EEA (European Evangelical Alliance), loyally contributing the perspective of Southern Europe and the countries of Europe and America which have a Catholic social majority”, said X. Manuel Suárez in a statement sent after participating in the Italian annual gathering.

The personal friendship between Giacomo Cicone, president of the Italian Alliance, and the general secretaries of the Spanish Alliance, first Jaume Llenas and then Xesús Manuel Suárez, began some time ago. “Each of the two Alliances appreciates the work of the other, and we can say for our part that the work of Leonardo de Chirico has always been a benchmark of quality and depth for us”, said the Spanish Evangelical Alliance leader.

The Spanish Alliance highlighted the opportunity to develop and strengthen institutional and personal relationships. “We are committed to deepening them and developing synergies at the service of the communities of our respective countries, the EEA, the WEA and the Church in general; we are moving forward with immediate initiatives”, according to a statement from the Spanish Evangelical Alliance sent to Protestante Digital and Evangelical Focus.

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