MWCLC Dubai 2025 Conference Report
The Majority World Christian Leadership Conference (MWCLC) Dubai 2025 took place from September 8–12, 2025 in Dubai, bringing together 108 delegates from about 30 countries to focus on four critical themes: Identity, The Holy Spirit, Mission, and Discipleship.
The conference structure fostered rich discussion and global perspectives, with each issue featuring two main papers and four responses from diverse parts of the world, supplemented by various case studies.
I. Key Themes and Sessions
The sessions provided a platform for theological reflection and practical application, emphasising a Majority World perspective.
1. Identity
The session on Identity explored the self-understanding and role of Majority World Christians in the global context.
- Our Identity and Role as Majority World and Kingdom Citizens
- Indigenous Movement and Minority Identity
2. The Holy Spirit
Discussions on the Holy Spirit addressed balancing divine power with organisational management in Christian mission.
- Recovering the Supernatural in Life and Mission
- Managerial Missiology or Dependence on the Spirit?
3. Mission
The Mission focus centred on re-evaluating theology and ownership from a Majority World perspective.
- A Biblical Theology of Mission understood from a Majority World perspective
- The Majority World taking ownership of the Mission Mandate – Telling the story of mission out of the Majority World
4. Discipleship
Discipleship was examined as the measure of church success across diverse cultural settings.
- Discipleship as the Measure of Success for the Church
- Contextual and Cultural Realities of Discipleship
II. Delegate Engagement and Next Steps
The conference enabled table group discussions for deeper engagement and feedback. This feedback will enrich the final papers, ensuring a contextualised and collaborative outcome. The goal is to produce a book publication based on the conference themes.
The MWCLC Dubai 2025 successfully gathered leaders to deliberate on key aspects of Christian leadership, mission, and practice—laying the foundation for continued collaboration and theological development from the Majority World.
III. Listening Team Feedback
The conference affirmed that Majority World churches are defining a new era of global Christianity—moving beyond dependence on Western frameworks to develop authentic, contextualised, and spiritually dynamic missional practices.
1. Identity
Forging an authentic Christian identity requires rooting faith in local contexts and elevating voices of women, youth, and indigenous peoples.
2. The Work of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit remains central to revival and mission, calling for discernment and a balance between spiritual openness and structure.
3. Mission
Mission is God’s initiative, rooted in Scripture and lived out holistically—embracing compassion, justice, and creation care.
4. Discipleship
Discipleship must be intentional, relational, and communal, serving as the true measure of church health and vitality.
IV. Suggested Action Points
1. Identity & Contextualisation
- Decolonise the Faith: Separate Christianity from perceptions of being a “white man’s religion.”
- Amplify Marginalised Voices: Empower women, youth, and indigenous groups in leadership and theology.
- Contextual Integrity: Anchor Christian practice in relevant local realities.
2. Spiritual Formation & Missiology
- Balance Spirituality and Management: Depend on the Holy Spirit while applying sound planning.
- Cultivate Discernment: Promote theological depth to prevent manipulative spirituality.
3. Holistic Mission & Cooperation
- Embrace Holistic Mission: Integrate evangelism, compassion, and justice.
- Engage New Realities: Address migration, secularism, and interfaith engagement.
- Promote Cooperation: Strengthen unity among Majority World churches.
4. Discipleship & Multiplication
- Shift Measure of Success: Focus on disciple-making rather than attendance or budget.
- Develop Contextual Models: Create locally relevant discipleship frameworks.
We resolved that discussions should continue regionally within the four Majority World regions.
Peter Tarantal
Chair, MWCLC Facilitation Team
October 8, 2025
The rest of the team: Bertil Ekström, David Ruiz, Decio de Carvalho, Ghada Fakhoury, Hwa Yung, Jack Sara, Mario Li Hing, Moses Parmar, Patrick Fung, and Peter Oyugi.