Portal:Evangelical Christianity

The Evangelical Christianity Portal

Introduction

Evangelicalism (/ˌiːvænˈdʒɛlɪkəlɪzəm, ˌɛvæn-, -ən-/), also called evangelical Christianity, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian gospel. The term evangelical is derived from the Koine Greek word εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion), meaning "good news," in reference to the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Evangelicalism typically places a strong emphasis on personal conversion, often described as being "born again", and regards the Bible as the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice. The definition and scope of evangelicalism are subjects of debate among theologians and scholars. Some critics argue that the term encompasses a wide and diverse range of beliefs and practices, making it difficult to define as a coherent or unified movement.

The theological roots of evangelicalism can be traced to the Protestant Reformation in 16th-century Europe, which emphasized the authority of Scripture and the preaching of the gospel; historically, the term Evangelical referred to the Evangelical-Lutheran Churches, which use this descriptor to emphasize "adherence to the pure evangelical or gospel doctrines, and to the Scriptures in general". The modern evangelical movement is generally dated to around 1734, influenced by theological currents such as Pietism, Puritanism, Quakerism, and Moravianism—notably the work of Nicolaus Zinzendorf and the Herrnhut community. Evangelicalism gained momentum during the First Great Awakening, with figures like John Wesley and the early Methodists playing central roles.

It has had a longstanding presence in the Anglosphere, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States, before expanding globally in the 19th, 20th, and early 21st centuries. The movement grew substantially during the 18th and 19th centuries, notably through the series of religious revivals known as the Great Awakening in the United States and various revival movements and reform efforts in Britain. Today, evangelicals are found across many Protestant denominations and global contexts, without being confined to a single tradition. Notable evangelical leaders have included: Nicolaus Zinzendorf, George Fox, John Wesley, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Billy Graham, Bill Bright, Harold Ockenga, Gudina Tumsa, John Stott, Francisco Olazábal, William J. Seymour, Luis Palau, Os Guinness and Martyn Lloyd-Jones. (Full article...)

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Includes beliefs, Jesus, rites, practices, sacred texts, symbols, festivals and more

A missionary is a member of a religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.

In the Latin translation of the Bible, Jesus Christ says the word when he sends the disciples into areas and commands them to preach the gospel in his name. The term is most commonly used in reference to Christian missions, but it can also be used in reference to any creed or ideology. (Full article...)

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Denominations

Hillsong Church, commonly known as Hillsong, is a Pentecostal Christian megachurch and a Christian association of churches based in Australia. The original church was established in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, as Hills Christian Life Centre by Brian Houston and his wife, Bobbie Houston, in 1983. Hillsong was a member of the Australian Christian Churches – the Australian branch of the US-based Assemblies of God – until 2018, when it separated to form a new denomination. The church is known for its contemporary worship music, with groups such as Hillsong Worship, Hillsong United and Hillsong Young & Free with many musical credits and hits charting all over the world.

Hillsong and its music have been highly successful globally, with its presence described as a global corporate brand. However, a series of scandals and criticisms have negatively affected its image in recent years. In March 2022, Houston stepped down as global senior pastor after an internal investigation found that he had breached the church's moral code of conduct for pastors by engaging in inappropriate behaviour with women on two occasions in the 2010s. In February 2023, Phil and Lucinda Dooley, who had been acting in the position since January 2022, took over as global senior pastors. (Full article...)

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Music topics

Lecrae performing at Alive Music Festival 2023, Mineral City, Ohio, 2023.

Lecrae Devaughn Moore (born October 9, 1979) is an American Christian rapper, singer-songwriter, actor, and recording producer and executive. Since having begun his career in 2004, he has released ten studio albums and four mixtapes as a solo artist, as well as recording with the hip-hop collective 116, which he co-founded.

Lecrae's first two studio albums, Real Talk (2004) and After the Music Stops (2006), were both released independently and met with critical praise. His third, Rebel (2008), became the first Christian hip-hop album to peak atop the Billboard Top Gospel Albums, and his first to enter the Billboard 200. After the release of his fourth album, Rehab (2010), Lecrae began attracting mainstream attention following his performance at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher, and his guest appearance on Statik Selektah's single "Live and Let Live" that same year. His sixth album, Gravity (2012), and has been called the most important album in Christian hip hop history by Rapzilla and Atlanta Daily World. Along with continued critical praise, it peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and made Lecrae the first hip hop artist to win in the category of Best Gospel Album — at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. His seventh album, Anomaly (2014), became his first to debut atop the Billboard 200, as well as the first album to peak both the Billboard 200 and Top Gospel Album charts simultaneously. (Full article...)

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Biographies

See List of evangelical Christians for a list of people who are notable due to their influence on the popularity or development of evangelical Christianity or for their professed evangelicalism.

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Megachurches

Worship in 2013

Lakewood Church is an evangelical Pentecostal and Word of Faith megachurch located in Houston, Texas. It was formerly a Baptist church from 1959 until 1961, and a non-denominational Christian church from 1961 to 1979. It is among the largest congregations in the United States, averaging about 45,000 attendees per week. The 16,800-seat Lakewood Church building, home to four English-language services and two Spanish-language services per week, was previously a sports arena, home to the Houston Rockets. Joel Osteen is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church with his wife, Victoria, who serves as co-pastor.

It has 368 staff members. (Full article...)

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Education topics

Bowen University is a private Baptist Christian Nigerian university located at Iwo in Osun State, Nigeria. It is affiliated with the Nigerian Baptist Convention. (Full article...)

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See also: List of evangelical seminaries and theological colleges

Media topics

MacArthur in 2013

John Fullerton MacArthur Jr. (June 19, 1939 – July 14, 2025) was an American Calvinistic Baptist pastor, theologian, author, and broadcaster. He was the founder of Grace to You, a nationally syndicated radio and television Bible teaching program. He was also the longtime pastor of Grace Community Church, a non-denominational church in Sun Valley, California from 1969 until his death in 2025. Additionally, MacArthur served as the chancellor emeritus of The Master's University and The Master's Seminary, both based in Santa Clarita, California.

MacArthur was known for his advocacy of expository preaching, and was recognized by Christianity Today as one of the most influential Christian preachers of his era. MacArthur wrote or edited more than 150 books. His The MacArthur Study Bible has sold more than one million copies and received a Gold Medallion Book Award. In 2021, he worked with a team from The Master's Seminary and the Lockman Foundation to produce the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB), an update of the 1995 edition of the New American Standard Bible (NASB). (Full article...)

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Organizations

Logo since 2021

The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is an interdenominational organization of Evangelical Christian churches, with over 424 million affiliated members in 2026, that was founded in 1846 in London, England, to unite evangelical Protestants worldwide. WEA is the largest international organization of evangelical churches. It has offices at the United Nations in New York City, Geneva, and Bonn. It brings together nine regional and 143 national evangelical alliances of churches, and over one hundred member organizations. Moreover, a number of international Evangelical denominations are members of the WEA. Its General Secretary is Israeli Baptist elder Botrus Mansour. (Full article...)

List of organizations topics

See also: List of parachurch organizations § Evangelical

Humanitarianism

International Justice Mission is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights and law enforcement. It was founded in 1997 by lawyer Gary Haugen in Washington, D.C. All IJM employees are required to be practicing Christians, and 94% are nationals of the countries they work in.

IJM works to combat sex trafficking, child sexual exploitation, cybersex trafficking, forced labor, forced scamming slavery, property grabbing, and police abuse of power, and addresses citizenship rights of minorities. Some have criticized IJM’s law-enforcement based approach to combating sex trafficking, alleging that police and legal actions such as brothel raids and prosecutions have included voluntary sex workers. Others have alleged that its target-driven prosecution requirements intended for traffickers have led to misidentified targets in their rescue operations. (Full article...)