Global Wesleyan Alliance Rallies Faith Groups Around Christ
From December 6–7, 2013, national leaders of several churches in the Wesleyan tradition of the global Christian community met for the third time as the Global Wesleyan Alliance (GWA). Organized in 2011, the GWA seeks to unite in prophetic voice and missional engagement in service to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings transformation to persons and societies by the power of the Holy Spirit.
At this year’s meeting, Alliance members celebrated the beginning of new initiatives, such as regional meetings designed for leaders from member churches to become acquainted, identify critical needs in their region, and begin to explore ways to address them cooperatively.
In the coming year, the Alliance proposes similar gatherings in more locales that would facilitate sharing and action around a number of specific concerns, including connecting and collaborating with young leaders, urban ministry strategists and practitioners, global mission engagement, and activating member churches and advocating for the abolition of human trafficking.
Clearly the most stimulating discussion and prayer times rose out of ongoing consideration of the special contributions the Wesleyan tradition offers the wider family of Christ-followers in serving the present age by sharing the whole gospel with the whole person and world.
During this annual meeting, the GWA elected its officers for the coming year. They are as follows:
President: David Graves, general superintendent, Church of the Nazarene
Vice president: Joanne Lyon, general superintendent, Wesleyan Church
Secretary: David Kendall, bishop, Free Methodist Church—USA
Treasurer: Brian Eckhardt, general superintendent, Evangelical Church of North America
Member at Large: Vernon Kennebrew, bishop, Churches of Christ Holiness, USA
Notably the GWA also took action to hire an executive director who will oversee the work of the Alliance between its annual sessions. The Alliance then named Dr. Ronald Duncan, past general director of the Church of God (Anderson), as its first executive director.
Churches participating in this year’s meeting of the Alliance, hosted by the Salvation Army at its national headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, included the Association of Independent Methodists, the Church of God (Anderson), the Church of the Nazarene, the Evangelical Church of North America, the Evangelical Methodist Church, the Free Methodist Church—USA, the Methodist Protestant Church, the Missionary Church, the Salvation Army, and the Wesleyan Church.
The 2014 meeting of the Wesleyan Global Alliance will be held at the World Ministries Center of The Free Methodist Church—USA in Indianapolis, Indiana, December 7–8.
Inquiries may be made to Dr. Ronald Duncan, executive director of the Global Wesleyan Alliance, at gwaduncan@gmail.com or 765-208-1075.
