The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) advocacy team serving at the United Nations urged national alliances to represent Christ with courage, humility, and hope in global policymaking spaces during a panel discussion Wednesday morning at the WEA General Assembly in Seoul.
The session, moderated by Dr. Janet Epp Buckingham, Director of the WEA Office to the UN in Geneva, explored how evangelicals can carry the peace of Christ into international dialogue and policymaking. Panelists included WEA Director of Global Advocacy Kyle Wisdom, WEA Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Gaetan Roy, and Jennifer Roemhildt Tunehag, Global Director of the World Freedom Network, which coordinates Christian responses to human trafficking.
‘Faithful presence’ in the halls of power
Buckingham opened by defining advocacy in biblical terms, drawing inspiration from the story of Queen Esther. “Despite her title, she had no real power,” she said. “Yet after praying and fasting, she chose to risk death by coming into the king’s presence. And the king saved her people.”
She said the WEA’s advocacy model mirrors that courage and discernment. “Sometimes we are called to go into settings where we might face hostility,” Buckingham said. “Our goal is not to criticize, but to engage with those who are suspicious of or even hostile to Christians. We want to be a faithful presence at the United Nations.”
Advocacy, she explained, is less about confrontation and more about building relationships. “If we can have dinner with those who oppose us, we consider that a success,” Buckingham said. “It’s about conversation, not condemnation. Establishing trust allows honest discussions about problems and possible solutions.”
She noted that the WEA engages with governments and institutions through processes such as the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which allows faith communities to submit recommendations about human rights situations in their countries. “Every four and a half years, each country comes up for review,” she said. “We can make submissions on your behalf — and we want to do that with you.”
Buckingham emphasized that the WEA’s advocacy is collaborative. “We want to amplify your voices in the halls of power,” she said. “The most powerful advocacy happens when we join our voices nationally, regionally, and globally with the same message.”
Translating the gospel into the language of policy
Kyle Wisdom, Director of Global Advocacy, said the WEA’s task is to represent the gospel’s truth and compassion in spaces where spiritual language is often unfamiliar. “We bring the messages from the household of faith into the halls of power,” he said. “Much of our work is an exercise in translation — translating the language of the gospel into the language of the United Nations.”
He noted that this requires adapting Christian terminology to international discourse. “We might use terms like ‘religious freedom violations’ instead of ‘persecution,’” he said. “It’s the same issue, but in a language policymakers understand. Translation carries both risk and opportunity, and we depend on your input to make it accurate.”
Wisdom said the WEA’s presence at the UN in New York allows it to engage issues such as global security, sustainable development, and the protection of women and children. “We convene side events and panels to lift up the voices of the least of these,” he said. “We’ve held events on displaced peoples, refugees, and the cause of women — issues where faith-based perspectives bring real value to policy discussions.”
He added that the WEA’s special consultative status with the UN provides unique access to global decision-making spaces. “We want to use that access to serve the worldwide evangelical family,” he said. “It’s about using influence not for power, but for presence — a faithful witness that seeks justice and peace.”
Advocacy rooted in compassion
Jennifer Roemhildt Tunehag of the World Freedom Network highlighted how advocacy serves as a bridge between theology and justice, particularly in the fight against human trafficking. “This is where theology needs advocacy,” she said. “Only states can identify victims of trafficking. Without identification, they have no path to justice, no support, and no hope.”
She said there are an estimated 27 million people trapped in trafficking globally, yet fewer than 1 percent are ever identified. “Not even one in a hundred is home safely,” she said. “As the people of God, we must bring this concern to decision-makers.”
Tunehag explained that the WEA engages the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women each year to advocate for better laws and stronger partnerships. “We remind leaders that God does not forget the vulnerable,” she said. “Evangelical Christians from around the world are responding in ways that are strategic, connected, and concrete.”
She described the partnership between the advocacy team and the World Freedom Network as essential. “Without advocacy, we could not pursue the purposes of freedom God has entrusted to us,” she said. “It allows us to carry the stories of those who cannot speak for themselves into places of power.”
‘Ambassadors of the hope of Christ’
In the final presentation, Gaëtan Roy reflected on what it means to represent Christ in diplomacy. “Representing the gospel means representing Christ — making Christ visible,” he said. “Today, many people’s idea of advocacy is simply complaining. But complaining is not an attribute of God’s kingdom.”
Roy outlined three ways Christians can embody the gospel in advocacy: through humility, hope, and love. “We serve by building meaningful relationships,” he said. “Once we have trust, we can begin to find solutions that are mutually agreeable. This takes time and patience — it’s the work of years, not days.”
He added that WEA representatives strive to serve discreetly and without seeking recognition. “If you want to become popular, sell ice cream or become a soccer player,” Roy quipped. “The only thing that should become popular in our work is Jesus Christ.”
Roy said the team’s mission is sustained by gratitude and confidence in God’s sovereignty. “We engage not because we are certain we can do it, but because we know God can,” he said. “Most people are ambassadors of despair. We want to be ambassadors of the hope of Christ.”
The panel concluded with small-group discussions where delegates explored how to integrate advocacy with gospel witness in their national contexts.
Buckingham said that the WEA’s advocacy at the UN is not an isolated effort but a partnership with the global evangelical movement. “We are acting with all of you — the global family of believers,” she said. “Together, we can bring the peace of Christ into the policy spaces of the world.”
