In a refreshing decision reflecting the global shifts among worldwide evangelicals, the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has chosen for the first time an Arab evangelical to lead its 600-million-member community of evangelicals.
Daoud Kuttab
Advocate Botrus Mansour, a Baptist leader from Nazareth — the town where Jesus grew up — was selected from 25 candidates, including three shortlisted individuals, to head the alliance for the next five years. He will officially be installed in his new position during the WEA General Assembly in Korea later this October.
An accomplished lawyer, Botrus, has decades of experience managing the Baptist School in Nazareth and serving as a senior leader in the local Baptist Church. He brings fresh vision, perspective, and understanding of the role of Christians in general — and Evangelicals in particular — in the world today. His election has given hope to many in the Arab world and certainly among Palestinian Christians. Botrus, of course, has a difficult mission ahead of him as he has said he aims to keep the worldwide evangelical family united.
I have known Botrus since our youth group days in Jerusalem when he was studying law at Hebrew University in the 1980s. We co-authored a special publication for Christian youth, Sawt al Mahba (The Voice of Love), and collaborated on several projects, including contributing a chapter to an important book he edited, which provided a platform for Christians with new ideas.
When I launched a news website for Christian Arabs in Jordan, Palestine, and Israel, Botrus was a partner and board member of Milhilard.org. Milhilard — Arabic for “Salt of the Earth” — is a term commonly used in the Arab world to describe Christians. Now in its fourth year, our publication addresses real-world issues affecting Christians, from discrimination and harassment to personal status matters such as marriage, inheritance, and adoption, while also exploring how Christians should respond to political events, particularly the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The war in Gaza has brought Arab evangelicals closer together, prompting us to work tirelessly to shift global perceptions regarding the biblical response to injustice and human-made crises.
Botrus Mansour
Botrus Mansour, a humble and devoted servant of the Lord, faces a significant challenge ahead. In the Bible, after Nathanael expressed skepticism about Jesus of Nazareth, asking, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” the Apostle Philip replied, “Come and see.” As Botrus assumes his official duties at the upcoming WEA General Assembly in Korea, we pray that the Almighty grant him wisdom and courage to address the challenges facing evangelicals worldwide while remaining free from partisan politics.
We call on the global evangelical community to follow Philip’s example: come and see what can emerge from Nazareth. Worldwide evangelicals are encouraged to pray for and support Brother Botrus in his mission, ensuring that he upholds the truth that, as John 8 teaches, “the truth shall set us free.”
Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian Christian journalist and publisher of Milhilard.org. His most recent book, State of Palestine NOW, is now available in multiple languages and audiobook formats.
