|TOP|Seeking to expand the unity of Evangelicals worldwide, top leaders from the WEA decided to extend the tenure of WEA International Director Geoff Tunnicliffe for an additional three years. Tunnicliffe is now slated to serve in until 2010.

The World Evangelical Alliance's board of representatives, known as the International Council, met from Nov. 28 - Dec. 1 in Bad Blankenburg, Germany, where they made the decision. At the German Evangelical Alliance retreat centre, the board members also set their eyes on a great expansion of the Alliance by creating strategic links with other Christian evangelical organisations.

“The extension of Geoff’s appointment as the International Director for the next five years is a significant move, which we hope will continue the momentum that has been building in the World Evangelical Alliance,” said Ndaba Mazabane, chairman of the International Council, in a press statement.

|QUOTE|The World Evangelical Alliance, which encompasses 380 million evangelicals connected through various national and international alliances, is looking at the bigger picture, focusing on the nearly 800 million who it says also embrace global evangelicalism and the WEA’s mission.

Those 800 million evangelicals comprise the Reformed, Pentecostal and Charismatic traditions of Christianity, who believe in the need for “Christ-centred transformations within society,” the statement read.

|AD|It is the values that the WEA embraces that will allow the alliances to grow, said Mazabane.

“Geoff will continue to build bridges to ensure that these common vales we share as Evangelicals are broadened,” Mazabane added.

Tunnicliffe was thankful for the opportunity.

“I feel honored and privileged for this task to strengthen the voice of the WEA and to serve in this capacity,” said Tunnicliffe. “My hope for the next five years is that the WEA will foster Christian unity and become a truly global voice for the 800 million Evangelicals and Pentecostal Christians around the world.”

“We hope to send a message that we are embracing the wider evangelical community, which include Pentecostals who are not officially part of us,” he added.







Jason Davis
Christian Today Correspondent