Evangelical movement’s centre has shifted to the Global South

Written by David Fletcher 11 Sep 2025
Evangelical movement’s centre has shifted to the Global South

Researchers agree that the centre of the Evangelical movement has decisively shifted from the West to the Global South. At a recent webinar, Dr Gina Zurlo of the World Christian Database and Jason Mandryk of Operation World highlighted the challenge of defining and counting Evangelicals. Unlike Catholicism or Orthodoxy, evangelicalism lacks a single definition, with estimates ranging from 393 million to 937 million worldwide. Both researchers confirm that Evangelicalism is now predominantly African, Asian, and Latin American. In fact, China has surpassed the United States in Evangelical numbers. While Western media often reduce the term to political stereotypes, globally Evangelicals are Zulu, Brazilian, Filipino, and Chinese - reflecting remarkable diversity. Scholars emphasise that this growing diversity is a strength, not a weakness; they are calling for humility as the worldwide Church celebrates its multiethnic identity in Christ.

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