The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has appointed Advocate Botrus Mansour as its new Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer, marking the first time an Arab Christian will lead the organization, which represents over 600 million evangelicals across 148 countries.
Mansour, an Arab-Israeli of Palestinian heritage from Nazareth, will formally take office at the WEA General Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, scheduled for Oct. 27–31, 2025. The gathering, themed “The Gospel for Everyone by 2033,” will be the first global WEA assembly since 2019.
His selection follows a six-month international search that began with 25 candidates and narrowed to three finalists. The WEA International Council chose Mansour by majority vote. The post had been vacant since March 2023, when former Secretary General Thomas Schirrmacher resigned for health reasons, with Council Chair Dr. Goodwill Shana serving in an interim capacity since then. Shana described the appointment process as “a journey marked by diligence, transparency, and prayer” and said Mansour would bring “servant leadership and strengthen collaborative efforts” across the evangelical movement.
Mansour, whose first name means “Peter” in Arabic, said he was deeply humbled by the appointment and committed to advancing the WEA’s vision. “With God’s grace, I will work relentlessly with others to remove any obstacles that may seek to hinder our unity,” he said. “I will be reaching out to my brothers and sisters around the world so that together we may rally behind the vision ‘The Gospel for Everyone by 2033.’ Your prayers and support will go a long way in making this vision a reality. Our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, is worthy of us glorifying Him. His Gospel of peace, justice and righteousness is the true solution for our aching world. Let us allow nothing to stand in the way of proclaiming this life-changing message.”
Born in Nazareth in 1965, Mansour spent part of his childhood in Jerusalem, Oxford in the United Kingdom, and later returned to Nazareth. He came to the Christian faith during high school and after graduating from Nazareth Baptist School, studied law at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, graduating in 1991. He was admitted to the Israeli Bar Association in 1993 and practiced law in Haifa and Nazareth. In 2009, he completed an MBA in nonprofit management at Haifa University.
Since 2004, Mansour has served as operational director of Nazareth Baptist School. He co-founded the Local Baptist Church in Nazareth in 1996 and was ordained as an elder in 2001. His leadership roles include chairing the Convention of Evangelical Churches in Israel, serving as secretary and chair of the Alliance of Evangelical Conventions in Jordan and the Holy Land, and acting as deputy chair of the Nazareth Village board. He has also been a member of the Global Council of Advocates International and co-chair of the Lausanne Initiative for Reconciliation in Israel-Palestine.
Mansour has lectured extensively in churches, universities, and conferences around the world on faith and Middle Eastern issues. He has published articles in Arabic, Hebrew, and English, including contributions to Christianity Today and Haaretz, and authored several books, such as When Your Neighbor is the Savior (2011) and Looking from the Precipice (2021), along with works in Arabic. He and his wife, A’bir, have three adult children and live in Nazareth.
Founded nearly 180 years ago, the WEA serves as a platform for evangelical unity, mission, and advocacy, connecting national and regional alliances and partner organizations worldwide. Mansour’s appointment underscores the organization’s commitment to inclusivity and global leadership within the evangelical movement.
Adapted from CDI.
