Missional Leadership in an Era of Global Christianity

After more than 15 years, the AWF EMERALD Regional Conference returned to France, providing fellowship and challenging participants to refresh their thoughts and perspectives about global missions.

With the theme “Missional Leadership in an Era of Global Christianity,” more than 125 delegates attended the 2023 AWF EMERALD (Europe and the Middle East) Regional Conference along with more than 25 people from the hosting national Alliance church, AECM France.

Participants highlighted their sense of community and fellowship in the event. “We had a wonderful time together in Toulouse. A wonderful sense of family, although we speak different languages,” said Rocco Rausch of the Netherlands. “Christ is working to fulfill his dreams for creation [Revelation 7]: people of all tribes, tongues, and nations,” he said. “This is who we are, and it’s taking shape.”

Some reflected on the effects of the distancing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and celebrated the reunion. “It was a great and joyful blessing to be physically together again,” wrote one of the participants. “We are also extremely grateful to the local organizing team at Toulouse International Church and the volunteers from all over the world to look after the delegates.”

The main speaker, Dr. Stanley John, a professor at the Alliance Theological Seminary in New York, challenged the participants in four areas involving global missions. He conducted a series of lectures on Missional Leadership, moving from how Africa will shape the future of Christianity in the 21st Century to the need for us to root our missiology in trinitarian theology and then to the role and importance of ethnic diversity.

“We are seeing the vitality of immigrant churches coming forth,” said Dr. Stanley John. “The question is: how do we lead in such a diverse world? How do we spur movements? We need all types of churches to reach all types of people for the sake of the gospel,” John said. “If we focus on the importance of leadership development: how do we raise a new generation of leaders? The way of leadership development has to go back to the way of Jesus,” he said. Watch Dr. Stanley John talking about the event.

Besides the main lectures, the event had afternoon workshops such as Alliance Training, Arabic-speaking ministries, Relief and Development, Alliance Women’s Ministry and Child Discipleship Ministry. Eunice Lumawag of the Philippines shared her impressions of the event. “I am delighted to see our pastors and missionaries serving the Lord in this region,” she said. “They are the people we have been praying for. Their perseverance and endurance amidst calamities, wars, persecutions, and difficulties greatly testify to who God is. His power, miracle-working is so evident in their lives. So blessed.”

The women’s workshop impacted Eunice. She told us, “I was encouraged to meet the women during the workshop. It was a wonderful connection, and we prayed for one another. I trust the Lord that this connection with the women from this region will continue to bring encouragement as they organize and strengthen their women’s ministries,” she said. “I am grateful for connecting with our women. It opens more opportunities for us to work together as a global family.”

During the event, participants had the opportunity to hear testimonies from the mission fields in the Middle East and the diaspora field in Europe as well as presentations on how the mission field is evolving worldwide. Many were surprised by how we must change our thinking and understanding of missions to equip and mobilize laity and bi-vocational workers, mainly from diaspora backgrounds, for missions.

“The integration and open dialogues between leaders and workers from the Europe and Middle East region, in which representatives and attendees from the Latin America, North America and Africa regions were able to actively interact, served to initiate conversations about new projects and cooperations among countries to send workers to new mission fields,” said Iván Bonilla of Colombia.

Iván shared with joy that “the Colombian Alliance was able to participate and support with tastings of our ‘1923 coffee,’ our own brand with which we seek to support new workers in the field sent from our country.”

The Alliance Church of All Nations (CAN) Network, a new AWF initiative, was launched at the conference. This network is all about encouraging national churches, local churches, ethnic churches, and mission organizations to partner in planting and encouraging Alliance CAN communities.

These type of communities are families where people from all nations, tribes and languages, whoever they may be and wherever they may be from, find a loving welcome, warm family and belonging, where the love of Jesus has removed any barriers due to language or culture, and where people experience the love and grace of Jesus in a very tangible way – through the love and grace of their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Everyone at the conference experienced the Alliance CAN community that Toulouse International Church is, where people from 40-plus nations experience deep loving relationships, are united in Christ, and transformed by him to impact this world for him. Watch Alliance CAN network videos.