When the International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches (IFFEC) met for its General Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, from 28 September to 3 October, 24 member federations had sent in written reports on their past four years. Together they describe a network of at least 549,000 members in more than 4,340 local congregations, across Europe, Asia, Latin America, North America and the Middle East. The figures are the federations' own and were not independently audited.
Each federation answered the same five questions: its joys, its challenges, its vision, its prayer requests, and a word in its own voice. Read side by side, the answers show a family of churches that differ greatly in size and setting but share much the same agenda.
Not enough pastors
The most common worry is leadership. At least ten federations report churches without a pastor, an ageing pastoral corps or too few young people entering ministry. Several note that many of their pastors are over 60 or near retirement. Several are rebuilding training to meet the gap: new online and part-time degree programmes, "dual" tracks for people who study while serving in a church, and plans for a regional theological faculty in Latin America. Some report a turn: one European federation, after years of vacancies, now sees "new pastors in the churches", and a Central European federation ordained eight new pastors.
Back to planting churches
Almost every report names church planting in its vision for the coming years, from new congregations in the Himalayan region and the Kichwa district of Ecuador to plans for new churches in a Central American capital and in university cities in Europe. Several federations are frank that planting has been harder than hoped; some say the work now depends less on a central programme and more on every local congregation taking it up.
Signs of renewal among the young
Two European federations write of a spiritual awakening among young people. One calls it "the quiet revival", with young men especially seeking faith and church. Another reports that this movement of God is clearly happening among the young generation, and that its churches are learning to connect it to local congregations. A Central European federation tells of nationwide youth gatherings with many decisions for Christ.
Praying for unity
Several federations name unity as a central prayer, and ask that differences over theology and ethics not sap energy for evangelism.
Ministry under pressure
For some members the setting itself is the challenge. Federations in Ukraine and in Lebanon and Syria report ministry in war zones; the Ukrainian federation says the war has pushed its churches to preach the gospel more. Latin American federations ask prayer for violence, poverty and the aftermath of earthquakes and other natural disasters.
A wide mission reach
Between them, the reporting federations list mission work in more than 50 further countries, from Greenland to Papua New Guinea. Many of the smallest send workers abroad. A recurring note of thanks runs through the final section of the reports, where federations speak of IFFEC as a family that supported them in hard years. "If you are European, come and help us!" one small federation writes, noting how hard it is for non-Europeans to obtain visas to serve there.
This overview is based on the national reports that 24 IFFEC member federations submitted to the 2026 General Assembly in Nairobi. Connexion reports only overall figures and shared themes from them; individual federations' stories will follow from their own published sources.
