Many separate the atonement from Pentecost to the degree that the link between them is lost. I wish to explore that link. The link is based on the insight that the cross of Christ is not limited to Israel. Rather, Christ seeks at the cross to open his life to all peoples, redeeming persons “from every tribe, and language, and people, and nation” (Rev. 5:9) and breaking down the wall of hostility between them (Eph. 2:14-16). The Spirit is poured out on all peoples at Pentecost in loyalty to the cross and for the sake of the crucified and risen Christ.
This paper will look at the challenges ahead for the Church in China and provide a general orientation of Xi Jinping’s governance, particularly those elements with direct bearing on the present state of the Church. It will follow by highlighting several issues which would perceive as major challenges facing the Church in China in the coming decade: Ecclesial manifestation and internalization of faith, Christian Unity, Sinicization: Christianity in China or Chinese Christianity, and lastly Missiology, Diasporas and nationalistic sentiment.
The study begins with the challenge of the charismatic leadership model in explaining Pentecostal leadership, and the Spirit-empowered leadership model is proposed as an alternative. As the first step, the study explores four essential characteristics of the Spirit-empowered leaders from the Old Testament. This biblical examination also takes two Pentecostal leadership studies to bring the contemporary issues of Pentecostal leadership.
The problem of violence is nothing new, and it goes back to the beginnings of humanity, when Cain murdered his brother Abel. This is now a universal problem, everywhere and everytime there is violence.
Origin and emergence of the Civil War in El Salvador (1980-1992) and gangs in El Salvador (1992-2023).
What was the role of the Pentecostal church in the midst of violence, and how can the church respond to this problem?
Above all we have been called to preach the gospel. The Pentecostal Gospel that we preach fills all human needs even in the midst of contexts of violence, for every culture, every individual and at all times.
The global ecological crisis is an undeniable fact. Evidence of the existence of this ecological crisis can be found everywhere in the form of the emergence of global warming that triggers climate change with the result of extreme weather (very heavy rain and long drought), the reduction in the volume of glaciers on the earth’s surface and the rise of seawater that
threatens the lives of humans living on the coast.
As part of the Christian tradition, Pentecostals can contribute meaningful thoughts to prevent this destruction of the earth with one of its theological legacies – the Full Gospel Theology. There are four or five aspects of the Full Gospel: Salvation, Divine Healing, Holy Spirit Baptism, and Sanctification. These four or five aspects of the Full Gospel of Pentecost can all be used to build a typical Pentecostal constructive ecotheology. However, in this paper, only one aspect of the Full Gospel, divine healing, will be explored.
The paper opens with contemporary data that illustrates that the ecological crisis is not a myth; the next section highlights the common understanding of divine healing in the minds of modern Pentecostals, which stems from the understanding that salvation includes not only spiritual but material dimensions as well. It will then be explained why this doctrine of divine healing eventually tends to be confined to the individual-physical realm within the community of Pentecostals. Finally, a way out to extend the doctrine of divine healing to the cosmic realm is done primarily by using two concepts: deep Incarnation and a vision of the sacred Earth.
Singapore is emerging as what might be termed “the Antioch of Pentecostalism” in the East. Its geographical advantage, stability and multiculturalism is establishing it as a Pentecostal epicentre. Its thriving Pentecostal community, comprising churches and educational institutions, is a launching pad for Pentecostal missions to neighbouring regions. However, several challenges loom. Singapore’s laws to maintain social harmony necessitates the rethinking of Pentecostal worship and evangelism. Pentecostalism faces resistance and competition from established Asian religious traditions, necessitating interfaith dialogue and cooperation. Maintaining the movement’s authenticity is challenging in the cosmopolitan and commercialised city-state, with its global connectivity and openness to all ideas.
This paper deals with Spirit-empowerment and the transformation of Christianity in Africa. Spirit-empowered Christianity is now the representative face of Christianity on the continent, and this has global implications. The enchanted African Pentecostal/charismatic formular “in the power of the Holy Ghost” is commonly used in situations needing divine interventions. Not only is the growth and dynamism of contemporary Pentecostalism explained in terms of “the power of the Holy Ghost”, but also it is in that power that Pentecostalism could be said to have spread and impacted the world. This paper explores the explosion of African Pentecostal Christianity and how it is reshaping spirituality beyond the continent today.
In various Asian countries, women have suffered from gender inequity regarding access to leadership positions, career prospects, and education.
However, as time passes, society and the church allow women to benefit from opportunities to pursue teaching and higher education jobs.
The place of women in the Asian Church and their global impact on Christianity are apparent.
Some Asian women impacted the scholarly community of local and international churches.
It will be a great help to other women to see their distinct and essential roles in influencing worldwide Christianity through my perspective on my journey through academic environments and sharing with other women researchers.
The advancement of digital technology has brought a significant change in religious practices and ministry, offering an uncharted area for theological exploration. This article explores the concept of “Digital Pneumatology,” which focuses on the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in digital spaces, in particular the metaverse. By examining the intersection of technology and theology, this study investigates how the Holy Spirit is manifested and experienced in the metaverse. The article argues that the Holy Spirit’s influence extends seamlessly into virtual spaces, drawing on the theological principles of omnipresence, transcendence, and immanence. It examines how the Holy Spirit facilitates transformative experiences, empowers individuals for sanctification, imparts spiritual gifts, and provides healing within the metaverse. This research offers insights into the ways technology and spirituality converge, contributing to the development of contemporary Pentecostal theology and ministry in the digital age.
Megachurches at large are undergoing a massive transition and transformation influenced by the recent global health crisis, wars, and political conflicts in various continents. While the study of megachurches in the Global South is still in its infancy period, they will continue to evolve and be forged by the global challenges of the 21st century. How megachurch congregants approach lived religion and how they play their role in public life are questions that are worth noting in our times. Drawing our attention from perspectives and perceptions of megachurch congregants, fresh from the results of the empirical research conducted by the research team of Templeton Megachurch Project of John Templeton Foundation, this study unpacks the collective voices of church congregants as to how they see life from the eyes of faith and how they translate that faith in public life. Using the survey templates of Qualtrics, we surveyed and interrogated megachurch people from all walks of life about faith and life, politics, socio-economic issues, cultural values, social media, and the Covid-19 pandemic and find out important and meaningful discoveries that perhaps shape the public policy toward the study of religion.
This essay proposes two elements that could be integrated into a local church UPG training curriculum.
First, Cultural Intelligence (CQ) formation. CQ is defined as capability of an individual or group to function effectively in situations characterized by cultural diversity. CQ research conducted by the Singaporean Soon Ang and others, provides compelling insight into why individuals/organizations thrive in culturally diverse settings while others do not. including the factors that make the difference. Emerging from the research evidence is a globally accepted model where the effectiveness of cultural knowledge, strategies and actions can be developed and measured. The CQ model has been adopted by Fortune 500 companies around the world. So should we.
Second, the application of an established method for understanding religion. A grasp of cultural similarities and differences is incomplete without a basic understanding of a UPGs beliefs, rituals, and practices.
In the contemporary global Christianity, there are diverse opinions on whether a revival of the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit can happen once again. Regarding this matter, this study aims to illuminate the pivotal role of prayer in sustaining the effectiveness of global Christianity, with cognizance that the recovery and revival of individual and communal spirituality after the COVID-19 pandemic depend on prayer. When we examine the Bible and church history, we come to realize that prayer has consistently served as a foundation for the revival of the global church beyond regional and temporal boundaries. Particularly, the Pentecostal Movement that spreads at the beginning of the 20th century from Topeka to worldwide, had a strong foundation of prayer. The world’s largest church, Yoido Full Gospel Church, also initiated a Pentecostal movement centered on prayer, leading to remarkable revival. Regardless of ages and countries, prayer is a characteristic of revival happening in the global church, and it will undoubtedly continue to be the key to future Christian revival.
The history of the Jesus Movement is a story of ongoing encounter with pre-existent religious traditions as it spread over time across various geographical regions and people groups across the globe. Life in the twenty-first century is marked by multiculturalism and religious plurality, and as various religions passionately assert the supremacy of their own truth claims, it heightens the potential for communal conflict. Sharing Jesus in a way that affirms his absolute and universal lordship and yet shows sensitivity and respect for people of other faiths is thus today a burning existential concern. Pentecostals are uniquely endowed with the spiritual resources to respond effectively to this need to clarify and amplify the ‘Voice’ of Truth, God’s Word in Christ, amidst the confusing cacophony of religious sounds in our world today.
In recent years Global Christianity has seen its greatest growth in the Majority World where the highest concentration of the one billion multi-dimensionally poor children live. Poverty is the greatest commonality among children who are at risk of not fulfilling their God given potential. This presentation will take a look at how spirit empowerment can be transformational for the development of children at risk by providing a pathway to agency or the capacity to make decisions about one’s future and carry them out. We will hear the children’s voices telling of how the Spirit empowers them to change the trajectory of their lives, achieve their potential, and fulfill God’s purpose.
GenZ are people born in 1997-2012. Their current ages are 11-26. The focus of this paper is the younger Gen Zs (11-19) with consideration of older Gen Zs (20-26). There are global similarities while there are regional and ethnic nuances worthy of note. This essay addresses four crucial concerns that emerge in this generation: 1) spiritual, 2) technological, and 3) social-psychological and 4) family relational. To lay out the issues, I will draw heavily upon findings at Pew Research Center, One Hope Global, the Barna Group and Black Millennial Café. I will then engage in critical theological analysis to offer constructive proposals for revised ministry practices with concern for the future of the Christian church. The findings reveal that a renewed vision of faith for this generation necessitates recalibration of religious language, technological embrace, smaller communities of meaning, and diligent prayer and vigilant strategy for the restitution of family.
Global Ambassador,
World Evangelical Alliance
(Canada)
Brian Stiller is the global ambassador of the World Evangelical Alliance, an association representing more than 600 million Evangelical Christians. He has a BA in History from the University of Toronto, MRE from Wycliffe College, and DMin from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Dr Brian has also received honorary doctorates from Briercrest College and Trinity Western University.
In the 1960s, Dr Brian worked with youth, first as director of Youth for Christ (YFC) in Montreal, then Toronto YFC (now Youth Unlimited), and finally as president of YFC Canada. He was formerly the president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. Within months of his appointment, he founded and became editor-in-chief of Canada’s first national Christian magazine, Faith Today (1983). His opinions and views on issues of moral concern have often been conveyed through weekly television (including Cross Currents on Vision TV) and other media platforms. He has authored and edited 14 books including, Evangelicals Around the World: A Global Handbook for the 21st Century (2015), An Insider’s Guide to Praying for the World (2016), and From Jerusalem to Timbuktu: A Global Tour of the Spread of Christianity (2018).
Dr Brian was also the former president of Tyndale University College and Seminary after the school had gone through a major restructuring. During his tenure, Tyndale became a university and grew to become Canada’s largest seminary. Upon his retirement from his presidency at Tyndale, Dr Brian was named president of the Tyndale Foundation.
Professor of Christian Theology,
Vanguard University
(USA)
Frank Macchia is the associate director of the Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies at Bangor University in Wales, and he is also a professor of Christian Theology at Vanguard University in California. He holds an MDiv from Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University in New York and DTh from the University of Basel in Switzerland. He received his doctorate with distinction and won the Jacob Burckhardt Prize for his dissertation on the message of the Blumhardts.
Prof Frank was formerly the president of the Society for Pentecostal Studies (SPS) and the editor of its Pneuma journal. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the SPS in 2015. He was also awarded an honorary DDiv from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary in Tennessee, which is the leading seminary for the Church of God.
As an ecumenical theologian, Prof Frank engages in broad conversations, serving six years on the Faith and Order Commission of the National Council of Churches in America, as well as in other conversations, such as the Reformed and Pentecostal Dialogue. He has participated in numerous ecumenical consultations, including the World Council of Churches/Evangelical Dialogue, and the Consultation on Christian Unity held at Princeton Theological Seminary.
Visiting Research Fellow,
Holy Spirit Center
(HKSAR, China)
Kim-Kwong Chan is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Holy Spirit Center of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong. He earned a BSc in Nutrition from McGill University in Canada, MDiv from China Graduate School of Theology, MA from University of Ottawa, STL from Pontifical St Paul University, PhD from University of Ottawa, and DTh from Pontifical St Paul University. Dr Chan also undertook graduate studies on agricultural economics at the University of London and post graduate Advanced Certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy under China American Psychoanalytic Alliance.
Dr Chan is an ordained minister, and vice-chair of the Christian Nationals’ Evangelism Commission. He had served as the programme director and senior fellow of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C., the chaplain of the Chung Chi College of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the executive secretary of the Hong Kong Christian Council, until his retirement in 2016. He has authored and co-authored 12 books, mostly on Christianity in China. He has also published 60+ academic papers in journals and chapters in books in English, Chinese, and French. Dr Chan is the co-editor of an Internet database* on sources of Christianity from more than 2,700 volumes of county gazetteers in China.
Distinguished Professor of Global Christianity,
Oral Roberts University
(South Korea)
Wonsuk Ma is the Distinguished Professor of Global Christianity and PhD program director at Oral Roberts University. His first theological study was at Full Gospel Theological College (now Hansei University), which was disrupted for two years when he had to serve as a soldier in Vietnam. His first ministry was at an Assemblies of God church located at the original place where Dr David Yonggi Cho set up his first tent church. Within this period, Dr Wonsuk ministered among youth, married his wife Julie, and received his ordination.
Dr Wonsuk was formerly a missionary educator in the Philippines, where he launched the Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies in 1998 and the Journal of Asian Mission in 1999. He also served as the executive director and David Yonggi Cho Research Tutor of Global Christianity at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies. During this time, he led the publication of the 35-volume Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series (2010). He has participated in various international mission and ecumenical functions, including the Reformed and Pentecostal Dialogue, Edinburgh 2010, the Lausanne Movement, and various ecumenical conferences including the World Council of Churches and the Global Christian Forum.
His research interests include Old Testament theology, the prophets, the Spirit of God in the Old Testament, contextual theology, Asian Pentecostalism, Pentecostal mission, and global Christianity. Dr Wonsuk has authored and edited 13 books, in addition to numerous scholarly writings. His desire is to bring together the theological richness of the Old Testament, local theologies of Pentecostalism (as experienced in Asia), the bigger global picture of the Spirit’s work in present time, and God’s unchanging mission in human history.
Lead Pastor,
Centro Evangelistico
(El Salvador)
Juan Angel Castro has been the general director and senior pastor of the Assemblies of God in El Salvador since 1996. He holds a BTh from Universidad Cristiana de las Asambleas de Dios (UCAD) and MA in Theological Studies (Leadership Development) from Vanguard University in California. He is also an ontological coach with an MA in Biblical Coaching. Rev Juan is a board member of UCAD and Liceo Cristiano “Reverendo Juan Bueno”.
Rev Juan’s areas of experience include designing a relevant leadership culture to develop the potential of emerging leaders, creating a culture of reconciliation in El Salvador, developing transformation spaces in the community, and generating dialogue between church and culture.
Director,
Pentecostal Research Centre,
Satyabhaki Theological College
(Indonesia)
Gani Wiyono was ordained in 2004 and is the senior pastor of the Assemblies of God church GSJA El-Roi Grogol in Jakarta. He is also a senior lecturer and the director of the Pentecostal Research Centre in Satyabhakti Theological College in Malang, and the director of the department of education for the Assemblies of God in Indonesia.
Dr Gani earned his PhD in chemistry from Brawijaya State University in Malang, and received his MA, MDiv and ThM from Asia Pacific Theological Seminary in the Philippines. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses on Pentecostal theology, history of the modern Pentecostal and Charismatic movement, pneumatology, ecclesiology, and eschatology.
Dr Gani has published books and academic journal articles on the history of the Assemblies of God, and on Pentecostalism in Indonesia. He has also presented papers regularly at global conferences since 1997.
Senior Pastor,
City Harvest Church
(Singapore)
Kong Hee is the senior pastor of City Harvest Church (CHC), which he co-founded with his wife Sun in 1989. CHC has an average weekly attendance of 23,868, with a collective membership of approximately 45,000, including all branch and affiliate churches. In 2012, CHC was one of the 10 global churches larger than America’s largest.1
In the late 1980s, Kong did church-planting work and served at the mission agency Christ for Asia in the Philippines. In 1994, Kong founded the School of Theology, which has since trained 8,284 individuals, empowering them, and releasing them in the power of the Spirit, into the mission fields of their schools, workplaces, and nations of the world.
Kong and Sun co-founded the “Church Without Walls” (CWW) initiatives in 1996 and City Harvest Community Services Association (CHCSA) in 1997. Both ministries focus on helping underprivileged children, youth-at-risk, single parents, unwed mothers, the elderly, the intellectually disabled, the terminally ill, and migrant workers. In 2023, CWW assisted 9,632 individuals in need, while CHCSA supported 1,962 members of the community.
Kong is a spiritual son of the late Dr David Yonggi Cho, who pastored the world’s largest congregation. He earned his BSc in computer science and information systems from the National University of Singapore. He holds an MA in Theology from Vanguard University in the US and is currently working on his PhD under the supervision of Professor Frank Macchia. In 2008, he was conferred an honorary doctoral degree by Hansei University in South Korea.
Professor of Biblical Studies,
Alphacrucis University College
(Australia)
Jacqueline Grey is a professor of biblical studies, specialising in hermeneutics, Old Testament and Hebrew Bible, and Pentecostal theology. Her publications include Them, Us and Me: How the Old Testament Speaks to People Today (2008), Raising Women Leaders (2010), and Three’s A Crowd: Pentecostalism, Hermeneutics and the Old Testament (2011). She holds a BA from the University of Sydney, BTh (Honours) and PhD from Charles Sturt University. Her research interests include the philosophy of religion, prophetic literature, Pentecostal hermeneutics, and feminist readings of Scripture and poetics.
Dr Jacqui is a regular guest on national television and radio programmes in Australia, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation programme Q+A. She is a member and past president of the Society for Pentecostal Studies and is the co-chair of biblical ethics in the Society of Biblical Literature. She is a research fellow in the Department of Biblical and Ancient Studies at the University of South Africa and the Centre for Pentecostal Theology in Tennessee. An ordained minister of the Australian Christian Churches, Dr Jacqui is deeply committed to the unity of the church and is involved in various ecumenical dialogues.
President,
Trinity Theological Seminary
(Ghana)
Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu is a Ghanaian scholar of African Pentecostalism. He holds a Certificate in Pastoral Ministry from Trinity Theological Seminary in Ghana, BA in Religion and Sociology and MPhil in Religion from the University of Ghana, and PhD in Theology from the University of Birmingham. An ordained minister of the Methodist Church Ghana, he was elected fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2015. He is currently the Baëta-Grau Professor of African Christianity and Pentecostal/Charismatic Theology at Trinity Theological Seminary, where he has held teaching posts since 1994. He has also been its president since 2018.
Dr Kwabena is known for his writings related to African Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity, such as African Charismatics: Current Developments within Independent Indigenous Pentecostalism in Ghana (2004) and Contemporary Pentecostal Christianity: Interpretations from an African Context (2013). He has also been a visiting scholar at various institutions including Harvard University, Luther Seminary, and Asbury Theological Seminary.
Professor of Missions and Intercultural Studies,
Oral Roberts University
(South Korea)
Julie Ma is a professor of undergraduate theology at Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma, specialising in intercultural studies and missions. She has over 20 years of teaching experience and was a missionary professor for 10 years at Asia Pacific Theological Seminary in the Philippines. She also spent another 10 years as a research tutor at Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (OCMS). During her time in the Philippines, Dr Julie was involved in evangelism, training, and planting churches among tribal groups in the mountains. After 27 years of mission work, she joined the faculty team of OCMS, conducting a PhD programme in mission studies.
Dr Julie has taught courses in cultural anthropology, biblical theology of mission, mission perspective, contextualisation, folk religion, Pentecostal mission, and Asian mission. She has authored and co-edited numerous books, the latest being the revised edition of Mission Possible: Biblical Strategy for the Lost (2016). In 2009, she received the Award of Excellence from the Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship for her chapter Changing Image: Women in Asian Pentecostalism, published in Women in Pentecostal-Charismatic Leadership (2009). Her research interests include power encounter in healing, power evangelism, the role of the Holy Spirit in mission, Pentecostal spirituality, church-planting and growth, and Pentecostal women’s ministry.
Research & Admissions Tutor,
Oxford Centre for Mission Studies
(South Korea)
Guichun Jun has been a research tutor in congregational studies and an admissions tutor at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (OCMS) since 2019. He earned his BA in Theology from Seoul Theological University, MDiv from Seoul Theological Seminary, and PhD from OCMS in partnership with Middlesex University. He is an ordained minister with vast ministry experience in South Korea and UK. Dr Guichun served as the secretary general of the Korean Christian Fellowship in London and the senior minister of Chessington Korean Church and Shirley Community Church in the UK.
His research interests include church conflicts, cultural studies, ethnographic methodology and skills, multicultural ministry, practical theology, futuristic church ministries in the era of artificial intelligence and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, cyber-theology, and self-theologising. Dr Guichun is currently exploring the theological controversies and missional potential of the virtual reality church. He serves as a trustee for the Institute for Bible Translation and Overseas Christian Assistance.
Director,
Asia Pacific Research Center,
Asia Pacific Theological Seminary
(Philippines)
Joel Tejedo holds a BCMin from Bethel Bible College of the Assemblies of God in the Philippines, MDiv and DMin from Asia Pacific Theological Seminary (APTS). He served as the faculty and academic dean at Luzon Bible College and opened extension centres in the major cities of Northern Luzon. Currently, he is a full-time instructor at APTS. Dr Joel has also written books and articles that have been presented at international lectureships.
He studies the Pentecostal impact on his home country, producing papers like How Filipino Pentecostals Build Communities in the Philippines, Baguio City (2011). One of the papers he has presented is A Pentecostal Witness in the Public Sphere: A Case of Four Non-Government Organizations Working Among the Most Vulnerable People in the City of Vallejo, California (2015).
President,
Mission One Eleven
(Sweden)
Karl Hargestam is an author, public speaker, pilot, and social entrepreneur. Together with his wife Jennifer, they co-founded Joshua Campaign International. Rev Karl is also the president of Mission One Eleven. At the age of 21, he left Sweden with a mandate to preach the gospel to the unreached people groups in Africa. Together with his family and staff, they brought spiritual change among African tribes that had never heard the name of Jesus Christ.
Rev Karl’s message, “One Chance for Every Person”, is a vision born from a conviction that everyone should hear the gospel at least once. By the grace of God, 4.7 million people have responded to the gospel through his ministry, and thousands of churches have been planted in various parts of the world. His services and gospel festivals draw many, the largest of which saw 370,000 in attendance. Today, Rev Karl is the executive director of CityServe Network, an organisation that empowers the local church to share the love of Jesus and meet the needs of the most desperate.
Vice President,
Mission One Eleven
(Sweden)
Jennifer Hargestam was born in California, where she attended a mission-focused Assemblies of God church. She graduated with a BA in Missions from Messenger College in Missouri. Together with her husband Karl, they served as missionaries to Ethiopia, bringing the gospel to unreached people groups and helping Ethiopian women and children affected by HIV/AIDS. Rev Jennifer is also the co-founder of Mission One Eleven and Joshua Campaign International.
Margaret S. Smith Distinguished Professor of World Missions and Intercultural Studies, Vanguard University
(USA)
Douglas Petersen is the Margaret S. Smith Distinguished Professor of world missions and intercultural studies at Vanguard University in California. He is one of the foremost ethicists and Pentecostal leaders in the world today. Prof Doug and his wife Myrna founded non-profit organisation Latin America Childcare (currently known as ChildHope) to give hope and a future to poverty-stricken children. Under his leadership, ChildHope has since expanded to 22 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, providing education, food, and medical programmes to 100,000 children in 300 schools.
Prof Doug received his PhD from the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies. As a Pentecostal thought leader, he has written books, published many journal articles and book reviews, and given lectures and public addresses in seminaries, Bible colleges and conferences, including the World Vision Leadership Symposium.
In 2022, Prof Doug was honoured for 50 years in ministry by the SoCal Network of the Assemblies of God in San Diego. In 2016, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society for Pentecostal Studies. His book Not By Might Nor By Power: A Pentecostal Theology of Social Concern (1996) was selected as one of the Outstanding Books of 1996, as well as the Outstanding Book of the Decade (1990 to 2000). He also received Outstanding Book of the Year in 1999 for The Globalization of Pentecostalism: A Religion Made to Travel (1999).
Prof Doug’s recent teachings include theological themes in the New Testament, the Corinthian letters, organisational business ethics, current issues in mission studies, leadership and global issues, mission and culture in theological perspective, contemporary moral issues, research methodology/leadership studies, entrepreneurship, as well as conflict and change.
Past President,
Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
(USA)
Byron Klaus was formerly the president of the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS). Prior to that, he served for 20 years on the faculty and administration of Vanguard University in California. During that time, he was the vice president of Latin America Childcare (currently known as ChildHope), a child development ministry which, at that time, helped over 80,000 children in 21 nations in Latin America and the Caribbean. He has also served in the churches of California, Texas, and Illinois.
Prof Byron received his BSc from Bethany Bible College, MRE from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and DMin from Fuller Theological Seminary. His commitment to leadership development in growing churches around the world has taken him to over 50 nations in the world, where he preaches and develops leaders. Among his wide spectrum of scholarly works are Called and Empowered: Pentecostal Mission in Global Perspective (1991) and The Globalization of Pentecostalism: A Religion Made to Travel (1999), which he co-edited.
After his retirement from the presidency of AGTS, Prof Byron continued to teach courses at seminary and returned to ChildHope to be its vice president. He received the Distinguished Educator Award from the Alliance for Assemblies of God Higher Education in 2009, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Pentecostal Studies in 2016.
Executive Director,
Oxford Centre for Mission Studies
(UK)
Paul Bendor-Samuel is a medical doctor. He was formerly the international director of Interserve and the executive director of L’Association de Coopération en Tunisie. He also served as a primary healthcare practitioner in southern Tunisia and a medical general practitioner in South Wales. In 2000, he was conferred the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
In 2016, Dr Paul was appointed the executive director of the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies in UK. A published author, Dr Paul is passionate about contextualised discipleship, kingdom collaboration, and the renewal of cross-cultural mission. His personal values include oneness in the body of Christ, service, humility, collaboration, perseverance, and integrity.
Senior Pastor,
Yoido Full Gospel Church
(South Korea)
Younghoon Lee joined the Full Gospel Central Church (now Yoido Full Gospel Church) in Seoul in April 1964. He studied theology at Yonsei University, the Full Gospel Theological Seminary (now Hansei University), and the United Graduate School of Theology at Yonsei University, graduating with a ThM. In 1977, Dr Lee began his ministry at Yoido Full Gospel Church as the editor-in-chief for Youngsan Publishers (now Seoul Logos) and was the first editor of the Full Gospel Newspaper. After his ordination in 1982, Dr Lee went to the US where he completed his ThM course work at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and received his MA and PhD in Philosophy of Religion at Temple University. During this period of study, he served as the senior pastor of Full Gospel First Church of Washington.
He was one of the founding members of the Institute for Full Gospel Education (now International Theological Institute). As its executive director, he systematised and theologised Dr David Yonggi Cho’s pastoral principles. He has served in a number of positions over the years: senior pastor of Full Gospel Tokyo Church; professor at Hansei University; president of Bethesda Christian University in California; president of Japan Full Gospel Bible College; chairman of the Theological Committee for the National Council of Churches in Korea; committee member of Asia Pacific Theological Association; senior pastor of Full Gospel Los Angeles Church; vice-chairman of the Council of Korean Churches in Southern California; and president of the National Council of Churches in Korea. Today, Dr Lee is the senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church and currently serves as the president of the United Christian Churches of Korea.
Chairman,
World Vision International
(India)
Ivan Satyavrata was a member of the World Vision India Board before being elected as chairman of World Vision International in November 2022. He was also the senior pastor of Assembly of God Church Kolkata for 16 years.
Dr Ivan holds a BTh from Southern Asia Bible College in India, BDiv from Union Biblical Seminary in India, ThM from Regent College in Canada, and PhD from the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies. He taught full-time for 21 years and served as president at the Southern Asia Bible College (now Centre for Global Leadership Development) in Bangalore. His key publications include Holy Spirit, Lord, and Life Giver (2009), God Has Not Left Himself Without Witness (2011), and Pentecostalism and the Poor (2017).
President & Executive Director,
ChildHope
(Costa Rica)
Mary Mahon is the executive director and president of ChildHope (formerly known as Latin America Childcare), a ministry that has provided life-transforming education to children for more than 50 years. Today ChildHope is found in 22 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, providing education, food, and medical programmes to 100,000 children in 300 schools. Children are also given opportunities to know and experience the love of Jesus Christ. Dr Mary served with the Assemblies of God World Missions for almost 30 years. Throughout her extensive missionary career, she has served in both Costa Rica and Venezuela. In Venezuela, she established a ChildHope school in El Pauji, a notoriously dangerous barrio in the capital city of Caracas.
Dr Mary also founded Chicas de Promesa (Girls of Promise), an empowerment programme designed to help adolescent girls in ChildHope schools overcome the obstacles they face in their communities. She is currently developing a parallel ministry, the Chicos Project (Champions for Change) for boys who live in these same communities.
Dr Mary received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Vanguard University in California. She also holds a PhD in intercultural education from Biola University in California. She is an ordained Assemblies of God minister with the Southern California Network and has over 30 years of cross-cultural experience as a missionary.
Founder/President,
Urban Renewal Center
(USA)
Antipas Harris is a public theologian who earned his BA from LaGrange College, MDiv from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, STM from Yale Divinity School, DMin from Boston University, and PhD from St Thomas University. He is the founder and president of the Urban Renewal Center in Virginia, which focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), youth empowerment, the problem of homelessness, and offers research-based education, DEI consulting, and hands-on opportunities for community engagement.
Dr Antipas is an ordained minister, a theological educator, and a musician. He has ministered across the US and Canada, as well as in Germany, Mexico, Nigeria, Angola, and South Africa. In his 30 years of ministry, Dr Antipas has mentored ministers in leadership, and regularly speaks on topics related to leadership, spirituality, theology, biblical studies, community engagement, and social justice. He has held public classes and panel discussions on politics and faith, gentrification, and immigration. He has served as a faculty staff of Regent University, Vanguard University, Sacred Heart University, George Fox University, and Old Dominion University, where he currently teaches courses in the Philosophy and Religious Studies department. He is also the former founding president of Jakes Divinity School in Texas. Dr Antipas is an established scholar with several books and articles in refereed journals.
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