The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) concluded its General Assembly on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, in Seoul, South Korea, following five days of worship, discussion, and reflection under the theme “The Gospel for Everyone by 2033.” The event gathered 850 participants from 124 nations, uniting evangelical leaders from across continents to chart the global movement’s direction for the next six years.
The General Assembly marked a historic transition in the 179-year-old alliance, with the election of a new International Council, the appointment of a new Chair, and the installation of a new Secretary General and CEO, Rev. Botrus Mansour of Nazareth, Israel.
During the final plenary session, the newly elected International Council, chaired by Godfrey Yogarajah of Sri Lanka, was formally presented to the delegates and prayed for.
In his remarks, Yogarajah expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him and the new Council, pledging to serve the global evangelical family with humility and unity. “We are called to strengthen the alliances and to establish new ones where they do not yet exist,” he said. “We want to serve together so that the whole body of Christ may be equipped and mobilized for the gospel.”
A new Secretary General from the Middle East
The installation of Rev. Adv. Botrus Mansour as WEA Secretary General and CEO marked one of the most significant moments of the Assembly. A Palestinian Christian from Nazareth, Mansour becomes the first leader from the Middle East to serve as WEA’s global head.
Mansour began his inaugural address by acknowledging the extraordinary significance of his appointment: “Asking someone like me, a Palestinian Christian from Israel, to be the Secretary General is something special — especially at a time when our region is praying for peace after years of conflict.”
He paid tribute to his parents and family, speaking of his 91-year-old father watching the ceremony from Nazareth, and his wife and children who had also joined the event. “They are my first partners in ministry,” he said.
Mansour outlined a threefold vision for the WEA’s new chapter: unity among believers, impacting the world with the gospel, and embodying a holistic witness of the kingdom of God.
“Vision is not something that comes out of the blue,” he said. “It is crystallized jointly after prayer and communication between those who serve together, and it must always be rooted in the Word of God.”
He drew on three biblical passages to anchor this vision: Jesus’ inaugural sermon in Luke 4, His high priestly prayer in John 17, and the Great Commission in Matthew 28.
“The first pillar of our vision is unity,” Mansour said. “We have one Spirit, one mission, one core of beliefs. Jesus prayed, ‘Let them be one, as we are one.’ Can we rise to the level of His prayer?”
He urged WEA’s global family to remain focused on the shared gospel mission rather than secondary divisions. “We are different people,” he said, “but we have one Spirit. Our diversity is not a weakness but a testimony of God’s creativity and grace.”
The second part of his vision, impacting the world with the gospel, calls the global church to renewed evangelistic passion, linked to the 2033 milestone marking 2,000 years since Christ’s resurrection. “It is a beautiful milestone — a goal to reach the world with the gospel within our lifetime,” he said. “What greater present could we give to the Lord than hearts surrendered to Him?”
Mansour added that this vision must be both evangelistic and holistic. “We want to impact the world with the gospel so that the kingdom of God — His mercy, justice, reconciliation, and truth — transforms every part of life,” he said. “The gospel is not only words we speak, but a life we live.”
He also highlighted the importance of strengthening WEA’s nine regional alliances and the 161 national alliances they serve, calling these the “backbone of our mission.”
“If we strengthen the regional alliances, they will strengthen the national alliances, which in turn will strengthen the churches,” he said. “Then believers in every church will be strong and willing to share and impact the world with the gospel.”
In closing his address, Mansour urged all WEA members to reclaim the term “evangelical” in its biblical sense. “The name has been politicized and misunderstood,” he said. “But its true meaning is simple — bearers of good news. We want to be bearers of good news again, to the whole world.”
The Assembly concluded with a communion service led by Pastor Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church and the Finishing The Task movement, who urged delegates to carry the message of Christ into a world in need of hope.
The WEA, which convenes its General Assembly every six years, is expected to hold its next global gathering in 2031.
