This week in the free evangelical world, we cover stories from Finland, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, USA. Our lead story: switzerland: wea urges un to address forced religious conversion in child marriage resolution.
Switzerland: WEA Urges UN to Address Forced Religious Conversion in Child Marriage Resolution
The World Evangelical Alliance has raised concerns at the United Nations Human Rights Council over the omission of language addressing forced religious conversion in the 2026 resolution on Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM). During the 62nd session of the Council in Geneva, the WEA argued that the resolution, unlike its 2023 predecessor, failed to acknowledge cases where girls from religious minority communities are abducted and coerced into marriage and conversion. The WEA's advocacy focu
Italy: Global Christian Forum Committee Meets in Rome, Deepens Ecumenical Collaboration
The International Committee of the Global Christian Forum (GCF) held its latest meeting in Rome, spending a morning with Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Christian Unity, along with other senior Vatican officials. The GCF is a unique ecumenical platform whose four constituting pillars — the World Evangelical Alliance, the World Council of Churches, the World Pentecostal Fellowship, and the Vatican — together represent the broad sweep of global Christianity. Unli
South Africa: Evangelical Leaders' Fact-Finding Mission Exposes Widespread Displacement
A joint delegation of African evangelical bodies has published a report exposing widespread displacement, fear, and institutional failures surrounding South Africa's escalating migration crisis. The findings follow a four-day field mission to Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal in June 2026, convened by the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA), the Evangelical Alliance of South Africa (TEASA), and the Africa Church Transformation Forum (ACT Forum). The mission responded to a 30 June deadline
Mexico: Alliance Celebrates Church Planting Milestone with New Building Inauguration in Guadalajara
A partially completed church building in Guadalajara, Mexico, became the site of joyful celebration this month as U.S. and Mexican Alliance leaders gathered for an inauguration service marking a decade of church-planting work in the region. The two-story facility, with its corrugated-metal roof and steel-column façade, stands in an area long known as the "Circle of Silence" — a region of central Mexico where gospel witnesses have historically been scarce. Despite construction delays that pushed
Finland: Erika Niemelä Appointed CEO of Free Church Publisher Aikamedia
Erika Niemelä took up the role of Chief Executive Officer at Aikamedia on 1 July 2026, assuming leadership of the Christian publishing house that now includes Päivä, the publishing division of the Evangelical Free Church of Finland (Suomen Vapaakirkko). Niemelä, who holds a master's degree in business and previously served as Aikamedia's marketing and communications director, brings experience from Christian television network TV7, where she led communications and fundraising for five years. Bo
Sweden: Hönö Conference Draws 5,000 Daily for Worship, Teaching, and Fellowship
Approximately 5,000 people gathered daily on the island of Hönö off Sweden's west coast for the annual Hönö Conference, one of the largest events in the Swedish free church calendar. Organised entirely by volunteers from Hönö Missionskyrka, a single local Equmeniakyrkan congregation, the week-long gathering offered Bible teaching, choral worship, children's programming, and a newly expanded question-and-answer format that drew such strong interest extra chairs had to be brought in. The opening
USA: Toccoa Falls College Becomes University of Toccoa Falls
Toccoa Falls College officially became the University of Toccoa Falls on 1 July 2026, marking a significant milestone for the Christian and Missionary Alliance-affiliated institution in Georgia, USA. The name change reflects the school's continued growth in both academic offerings and enrolment, which now approaches 3,600 students across multiple schools including the Fetterman School of Nursing and the Chapman School of Graduate Studies. Founded more than a century ago, the institution has evo
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