One aspect of the work of the National Association of Evangelicals is to help evangelicals navigate complexity with biblical clarity. As part of this, the NAE seeks to engage with the leading biblical and theological scholars of the day.

In November 2024, NAE President Walter Kim was a plenary speaker at the annual conference of the Evangelical Theological Society. ETS is the premier professional guild for evangelical biblical and theological scholars, and its flagship conference attracts approximately 2,000 people every year.

Kim spoke about the rise of “glocal” evangelicalism, referring to the increasingly interconnected nature of global and local aspects of evangelical community and mission. In order to faithfully respond to God’s call in the 21st century, it is crucial that we recognize that mission is:

  • Polycentric — The truly global nature of the Body of Christ means that mission is now from everywhere to everywhere.
  • Polymorphic — To be effective, we need multiple models for discipleship that reflect different cultural backgrounds in different communities.
  • Polyphonic — Followers of Christ are part of a great symphony of believers from across time and space, and our reading of Scripture should reflect the different “tones” (emphases) that emerge from different cultures.

The NAE is providing valuable and cutting-edge insights like these to shape how leading scholars understand the Body of Christ around the world. We stay abreast of the latest global trends and actively partners with the global church through World Relief (the NAE’s humanitarian arm), the World Evangelical Alliance, the Lausanne Movement, Missio Nexus and Accord Network, among others. 

*Photo courtesy of Lausanne Movement

Check out the Winter 2024/25 issue of Evangelicals Magazine on the global church Arrow