Simon Cox Blog: One-on-One with Brian Stiller on the World Evangelical Alliance

Saturday, 24 February 2018

One-on-One with Brian Stiller on the World Evangelical Alliance

Ed Stetzer talks with Brian Stiller about World Evangelical Alliance important happenings.

Ed: Tell us a little about the World Evangelical Alliance and some of what you are up to around the world.

Brian: The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) was founded in the 1840s as a way for Evangelicals to connect globally. (It is estimated there are up to 600 million Evangelicals today.) Connections happen around a variety of issues, including evangelism, religious persecution, missions, slavery of all kinds and public engagement. There are 130 National Alliances, formed to serve as a voice and presence within their respective countries.

Ed: We often run “Dispatches from the World Evangelical Alliance” on The Exchangem where you talk about your visits to various countries and what God is up to. Where do you see God moving powerfully and how is that playing out?

Brian: For example, in 1900 there were 50,000 Evangelicals in Latin America. Today, that has jumped to 100 million. Not long ago, there were just a handful of Christians in Nepal. Today, that is closer to 1.5 million. While numbers keep growing, the real stories are about how the transformative presence of the Christ is bringing healing and witness in the most surprising places and ways. In Kiev, Ukraine, a concert choral group and symphony created an ‘adoption’ of widows, providing food, medical care, home assistance, and of course, great music and worship.

Ed: How can people in the West get more plugged into what’s going on globally with the Christian faith and witness?

Brian: It takes effort for us to see and hear beyond the noise and news of our own worlds. This is so true here in North America. I wrote An Insider’s Guide to Praying for the World, which is designed to help us think about and pray for other peoples and countries. ...