About 900 evangelical leaders from 124 countries gather in South Korea for what organizers call a critical moment in global Christianity. The theme is “The Gospel for Everyone by 2033”.
Flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the World Evangelical Alliance General Assembly in Seoul, 27 October 2025. / Photo: [link]WEA[/link].
The General Assembly of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) started in Seoul on Monday 27 October.
Under the theme, “The Gospel for Everyone by 2033”, about 900 international delegates travelled to South Korea for the 4-day event bringing together National Evangelical Alliances from 124 countries and other affiliate Christian organisations or movements. According to the organisation, around 5,000 Korean evangelical leaders where also expected to join the conference.
The worship music of a large choir at the host church SaRang Church was one of the highlights of the opening ceremony. Flag bearers of the countries represented formed a colourful mosaic.
Goodwill Shana, WEA’s executive chair, said the day the general assembly started: “The Gospel continues to be our driving force, transcending every situation and uniting all believers across the globe. As followers of Christ, we are called to embody this message in our daily lives, demonstrating love for Jesus and for one another. Our foundation of faith and action is rooted in Scripture, the bedrock of our faith”.
The World Evangelical Alliance appointed Botrus Mansour as the new secretary general of the body in August.
The Members Meeting, which will be held in two sessions on 29 and 30 October, is one of the highlights of the gathering, where leaders of national Evangelical Alliance will have the chance to discuss and vote united initiatives.
The event brings together the widest group of evangelical movements in the WEA’s 179-year history. Since the last assembly gathering in Indonesia in 2019, the WEA family has grown by 27 new National Evangelical Alliances, now representing 161 nations and nine regional bodies worldwide.
This growth particularly strengthens representation from Africa, Asia, and Central Asia—from Mauritania to Kazakhstan, Burundi to Uzbekistan.
[photo_footer] Delegates from over 120 countries at the World Evangelical Alliance General Assembly, 27-31 October 2025. / Photo: WEA. [/photo_footer] These numbers, says the WEA, point to a bigger trend. While estimates vary, different research sources agree that evangelicalism is now primarily a Global South movement.
Today, 70% of the world's evangelicals are in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
“Each new National Evangelical Alliance (NEA) represents thousands of local churches and millions of believers actively advancing the Gospel in their contexts”, explains Dr. Brad Smith, Interim Director of the Alliance Engagement Department. “Our growth demonstrates the vitality of evangelical witness across diverse cultures and nations”.
Seoul's selection as host city reflects the Korean church’s extraordinary transformation over the past 140 years from a mission field to a missionary force. South Korea is among the world's largest missionary-sending nations, dispatching close to 22,000 commissioned missionaries globally, according to the Korean Research Institute for Mission.
The Seoul Organizing Committee is a joint initiative of the World Evangelical Alliance and Korean churches, co-chaired by Rev. Jung-hyun John Oh and Rev. Young-hoon Lee, with participation from the Korea Evangelical Fellowship (KEF) and other national cooperating organizations.
The Committee has mobilized thousands of volunteers and intercessors in what they describe as an opportunity to “pay forward” the gospel debt to the global church.
[photo_footer] Delegates at the World Evangelical Alliance General Assembly, 27-31 October 2025. / Photo: WEA [/photo_footer]
The assembly’s theme coincides with Christianity's 2000th anniversary of Christ's resurrection. While serving as the WEA’s constitutional business meeting, the assembly aims to inspire and guide a united effort to accomplish the vision of “The Gospel for Everyone by 2033”, with sessions designed to innovate in evangelism, deepen discipleship, and strengthen global partnerships. Special features include an art exhibition by Akaine, an internationally renowned artist.
[photo_footer] Godwill Shana, speaking at the opening ceremony. / Photo: WEA[/photo_footer] The assembly will also mark the formal inauguration of Reverend Botrus Mansour as the WEA's first Middle Eastern Secretary General, who will officially assume office during the gathering.
There will also be the election of a new International Council (IC), the WEA's governance board.
“Unity requires more than formal membership; it demands authentic partnership centered on the Gospel”, said Godwill Shana. “As the General Assembly celebrates the realities of a shifting evangelical landscape, we aim to further inspire delegates to go and share the transformative Gospel across geographical, cultural and digital boundaries”.
[analysis]
[title]Join us to make EF sustainable[/title]
[photo][/photo]
[text]At Evangelical Focus, we have a sustainability challenge ahead. We invite you to join those across Europe and beyond who are committed with our mission. Together, we will ensure the continuity of Evangelical Focus and our Spanish partner Protestante Digital in 2025.
Learn all about our #TogetherInThisMission initiative here (English).
[/text][/analysis]
Las opiniones vertidas por nuestros colaboradores se realizan a nivel personal, pudiendo coincidir o no con la postura de la dirección de Protestante Digital.
Si quieres comentar o