Evangelical church network appoints first Arab Christian leader

The World Evangelical Alliance, or WEA, appointed Botrus Mansour as the organization’s secretary general and CEO, according to a Sunday statement. WEA’s International Council favored Mansour for his proven track record and commitment to the global body’s mission, the statement said. Mansour’s appointment marked the first Arab Christian tapped to lead the international group.

The World Evangelical Alliance consists of over 600 million evangelicals spread across nearly 150 countries with the goal of fostering international Christian unity, according to the organization's website. The group has represented Christians on the international stage for nearly 180 years, according to WEA. The group has been without a permanent secretary general since March 2024 after former Secretary General Thomas Schirrmacher resigned over health issues. Council Chair Goodwill Shana served as an interim leader since April 2024. Mansour is scheduled to be formally installed during the group’s general assembly meeting in late October, held in Seoul, South Korea.

Mansour described being deeply humbled by the council’s trust in him, according to a statement in the Sunday release. The WEA family must join together, and all obstacles hindering unity must be removed, he added. Mansour planned to reach out to brothers and sisters around the world to begin rallying behind the vision of unity, according to the release. Mansour thanked God for the privilege to serve in a separate Monday social media post, and asked for prayers that he could fulfill the work God called him to.

What is known about Mansour? Born and raised in Israel, Mansour received a law degree from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and began practicing law in 1993. He co-founded a Baptist church in Nazareth in 1996 and has served as general director of a local Baptist school for over 20 years. Mansour is known for lecturing at churches and universities around the world about life and faith in the Middle East.