News

Head of World Evangelical Alliance Will Step Down for ‘Younger Leadership’

After one of longest terms served, Geoff Tunnicliffe will let another lead the ‘changing worldwide church’ of 600 million evangelicals.

Geoff Tunnicliffe (left) with Dan Kosten and Leith Anderson at a United Nations refugee summit in 2012.

Geoff Tunnicliffe (left) with Dan Kosten and Leith Anderson at a United Nations refugee summit in 2012.

Christianity Today March 7, 2014
Tom Albinson/Flickr

One of the longest-serving leaders of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) will call it quits after this year.

The WEA, which represents 600 million evangelicals worldwide, announced today that Geoff Tunnicliffe will conclude his tenure as secretary general and CEO in December instead of seeking a third term in 2015. He was elected in 2005 as the WEA's 13th leader after leading global initiatives for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

"Geoff is leaving the WEA in great shape. His contribution to the work has been outstanding," stated Ndaba Mazabane, chairman of the WEA's International Council, in a press release. "God led Geoff to us in His providence and has now led him to leave the position to younger leadership to take on the role as the WEA moves on to make a renewed contribution to a changing worldwide Church."

"I believe the future of the WEA has never been brighter as we experience unprecedented opportunities for global Kingdom impact," stated Tunnicliffe.

CT interviewed Tunnicliffe about seeking peaceful elections in Sudan. The WEA recently issued worldwide evangelism guidelines in conjunction with the world's largest Catholic and mainline bodies. It also supervised the creation of bible translation guidelines to (hopefully) end a Wycliffe controversy over Bibles for Muslims.

Launched in 1846 to "unite evangelicals worldwide," the WEA currently has 7 regional and 129 national Evangelical Alliances, as well as over 150 member organizations.

[Photo courtesy Tom Albinson – Flickr]

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