05/28/2026
Since 1994, the Evangelism & Missions Archives at Wheaton College has held the official archives of World Evangelical Alliance (formerly World Evangelical Fellowship). From its founding in 1951, World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has sought to foster cooperation and communication between national Evangelical church and parachurch associations around the world. As part of their ministry, WEA holds international conferences of Evangelical leaders and sponsors cooperation in such areas as theological education, church renewal, missions, relief and development work, and leadership training, as well as publishing.
In April, Archives staff added over 174 linear feet (246 boxes) of new material to the collection, more than tripling its original size. These new materials were transferred to the Archives by WEA over the last three decades and document the history of Evangelical Protestant Christianity all around the world in dozens of nations over the 20th century and into the new millennium. It is a valuable and unique source for scholars, Christian workers, and the public. The new materials include records of the triannual WEA meetings, as well as the records documenting the WEA’s Theological Commission and Women’s Commission, making the WEA records a valuable resource for scholars of global Christianity. The finding aid to the WEA records can be viewed online at: https://archives.wheaton.edu/repositories/4/resources/249
Photograph: 1987 lunch meeting of the Japan Evangelical Association. David Howard, International Director of the WEF, is second from the right at the front table. The JEA is one of dozens of national Evangelical associations documented in the new additions to the World Evangelical Alliance Collection in the Archives.
