This year’s “Voices Loud and Clear” Global Pentecostal Summit 2023 unites Western and Majority World Pentecostal scholars to engage in transformative dialogue surrounding key issues faced by global Christianity today, as well as the future role of Pentecostal scholarship in discerning the implications of the Spirit’s movement globally.
Welcome to the Asia Pentecostal Summit 2026. This is the fourth event in the Global Pentecostal Voices Initiative. Our byline for this Summit is Rising Voices of Asian Pentecostalism, and with each of these Summits we have seen the theological acumen of Asian Pentecostals finding their voice as they shape and form the theological character of God’s gracious outpouring of His Spirit in Asia.
It was 30 years ago in San Jose, Costa Rica that we held an event we now realise was the progenitor of GP Voices. One of the guests at this event in Costa Rica was Harvard theologian Harvey Cox. He had just authored a book called Fire from Heaven in which he predicted that 21st century Christianity would be decidedly Pentecostal-Charismatic. A short descriptive phrase Cox wrote in that book was that Pentecostalism was a “religion made to travel.”
Another guest at that event was Indian theologian Vinay Samuel who was the co-founder of the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, now our partner in these Summits and publisher of the proceedings of our work. Dr. Samuel observed that that “Pentecostals were demonstrating a heightened capacity for spiritual vitality due to their commitment to biblical authority, the wholeness and fullness of the Gospel, and leadership of the Holy Spirit in mission and evangelisation.” The observations Cox and Samuel made 30 years ago are even more obvious today as we follow what the Spirit is guiding us toward through the efforts of the Global Pentecostal Voices initiative.
What you will experience this week are presentations by gifted Pentecostal scholars. We celebrate these gifts to the Church and welcome their insights to strengthen the theological foundations of Asian Pentecostalism. You will also see the growing capacity of emerging Asian Pentecostal scholars who will provide responses that will provide unique perspectives which will further sharpen and strengthen the theological insights being presented. The constructive interaction between presenters and respondents is becoming a dynamic we had hoped for but never anticipated coming to fruition with such empowering influence.
The Summit will conclude with the regular weekend services at City Harvest Church in which our guest Pentecostal scholars will be involved in prayer and ministry including our healing service on Sunday morning. These gifted scholars are first committed Pentecostals who believe that transformation of broken lives through the Spirit’s power is not just something to study but to participate in.
Our belief is that these Summits are a place where strong minds and passionate hearts are welcome together. You will see that powerful combination on display this week and we are thrilled that you have taken time out of your busy schedules to spend this time in learning and spiritual revitalisation.
Summit Moderator
Scholar, Missionary, Past President of AGTS, Co-Editor of The Globalization of Pentecostalism:
A Religion Made to Travel
Summit Moderator
President,
Alphacrucis University College
Summit Moderator
Scholar, Missionary, Social Theologian, Co-Editor of The Globalization of Pentecostalism:
A Religion Made to Travel
Summit Moderator
Scholar, Missionary, Past President of AGTS,
Co-Editor of The Globalization of Pentecostalism:
A Religion Made to Travel
Summit Moderator
President,
Alphacrucis University College
Summit Moderator
Scholar, Missionary, Social Theologian,
Co-Editor of The Globalization of Pentecostalism:
A Religion Made to Travel
Professor of Theology and Pentecostal Studies,
Co-Director, MA in Bible and Theology,
Trinity Bible College and Graduate School
Paper name here
Professor of New Testament,
Co-Director, MA in Bible and Theology,
Trinity Bible College and Graduate School
Paper name here
Executive Director,
Oxford Centre for Mission Studies
Paper name here
Principal,
The Apostolic Church Theology School,
Director of Training, Apostolic Church UK
Paper name here
Professor of Religious Studies,
Indiana University Bloomington
Paper name here
Past Earnest Lau Professor of
Systematic Theology,
Trinity Theological College
Paper name here
Executive Pastor,
President of City Harvest Church
Management Board,
City Harvest Church
Academic Programmes Manager and
Senior Translator,
City Harvest Church
Paper name here
Strategic Planning Executive,
City Harvest Church
Lecturer,
Nanyang Technological University
Professor Emeritus,
School of Theology & Ministry,
Vanguard University
Paper name here
Pastoral Supervisor,
City Harvest Church
President,
Alphacrucis University College
Paper name here
Professor Emeritus,
School of Theology & Ministry,
Vanguard University
Paper name here
Senior Pastor, Co-Founder,
City Harvest Church
Paper name here
Past President,
Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
Paper name here
Senior Pastor, Co-Founder,
City Harvest Church
Paper name here
Pastor,
City Harvest Church
Paper name here
Distinguished Professor of Global Christianity,
Oral Roberts University
Paper name here
Professor of Christian Theology,
Vanguard University
Paper name here
Editor-in-Chief, Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies
Paper name here
Vice President and Provost,
Alphacrucis College
Paper name here
Professor Emeritus,
School of Theology & Ministry,
Vanguard University
Paper name here
Associate Dean, Division of Communication,
School of Fine Arts and Communication,
Professor, Communication Studies,
Biola University
Pastor Emeritus,
The Assembly of God Church
Paper name here
Pastoral Supervisor,
City Harvest Church
Paper name here
Pastor,
City Harvest Church
Paper name here
Pastor,
Member of City Harvest Church
Management Board,
City Harvest Church
Paper name here
Professor of Christian Theology and Pentecostal Studies,
University of Birmingham
Paper name here
Professor,
Fuller Theological Seminary
Paper name here
Executive Pastor,
Vice-President of City Harvest Church Management Board,
City Harvest Church
Co-Founders/Senior Pastors
City Harvest Church, Singapore
At the same time, there is an increasing weariness. Many are troubled by repeated moral failures and material excess among leaders. Congregations struggle to live truly Christlike lives. In some growing and missional churches, there are concerns about unhealthy leadership cultures and member burnout. In others that are not growing, there can be a drift toward legalism and isolation.
Amid these tensions, some who feel disillusioned are turning away from their Pentecostal roots and embracing traditions that are often unfamiliar—or even opposed—to Pentecostal spirituality, leading to further confusion within the church. Even more concerning, many of our youth and children carry the Pentecostal label, yet are not fully convinced of, grounded in, or actively living out the Pentecostal faith.
It was against this backdrop that we hosted the second Global Pentecostal Summit (GPS) in 2023, to honestly discern where we are as Pentecostals today. What we did not expect was a profound outpouring of the Spirit marked by both love and truth. The result was a refreshing, renewing, and reviving work of God in City Harvest Church, a congregation approaching their fourth decade.
GPS 2023 rekindled a hunger for deeper personal encounters with God, a renewed passion for mission, and—most importantly—a recovery of rigorous Pentecostal theology beyond the usual emphasis on charismatic expressions and ministry activity. We were reminded that God, who is love, fills us with the Holy Spirit not only to empower us, but to draw us into His loving embrace, to transform us into Christlikeness, and to cause His love to overflow through us to others.
If Asian Pentecostals can truly grasp this vision, we believe we will become far more effective in global evangelism—without falling into the recurring pitfalls of moral failure, materialism, factionalism, legalism, abusive leadership, burnout, theological confusion, shallow biblical interpretation, and a form of Christianity that lacks either love, holiness, or spiritual power.
Since GPS 2023, we have identified around 40 key issues affecting the spiritual vitality and missional effectiveness of the Asian church—areas that require clarity from the best theological voices within the Pentecostal movement. About half of these issues have already been addressed through the Europe-Asia Pentecostal Summit 2025 and the Asia Pentecostal Summit 2025.
The Asia Pentecostal Summit 2026 continues this important journey. Our prayer is that it will further strengthen, clarify, and renew Pentecostal churches across Asia—so that we may faithfully carry the fire of the Spirit with love, truth and Spirit-inspired passion in this generation.
City Harvest Church, therefore, warmly welcomes all scholars and participants to this annual symposium. We thank you for your commitment to the study and advancement of Pentecostal theology, spirituality, and mission.
We are especially grateful for our returning scholars whose continued participation has helped shape this Summit into a meaningful space for theological reflection and a deeper understanding of Pentecostalism. Your faithful contributions have indeed enriched our conversations and strengthened this community of learning.
We also want to extend a heartfelt welcome to those scholars joining us for the first time. We are honoured by your presence and grateful for the research, and we look forward to the insights you bring as you present your papers. Your voices and perspectives will add fresh depth to our collective pursuit of understanding the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church and the world.
We believe this is a defining moment for Pentecostalism in Asia. The Spirit is calling us back to love that is holy, truth that is clear, and power that is pure. May we respond with humility and courage, and may a new generation arise—rooted in the Word, filled with the Spirit, and ablaze with the love of Christ—to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.
At the same time, there is an increasing weariness. Many are troubled by repeated moral failures and material excess among leaders. Congregations struggle to live truly Christlike lives. In some growing and missional churches, there are concerns about unhealthy leadership cultures and member burnout. In others that are not growing, there can be a drift toward legalism and isolation.
Amid these tensions, some who feel disillusioned are turning away from their Pentecostal roots and embracing traditions that are often unfamiliar—or even opposed—to Pentecostal spirituality, leading to further confusion within the church. Even more concerning, many of our youth and children carry the Pentecostal label, yet are not fully convinced of, grounded in, or actively living out the Pentecostal faith.
It was against this backdrop that we hosted the second Global Pentecostal Summit (GPS) in 2023, to honestly discern where we are as Pentecostals today. What we did not expect was a profound outpouring of the Spirit marked by both love and truth. The result was a refreshing, renewing, and reviving work of God in City Harvest Church, a congregation approaching their fourth decade.
GPS 2023 rekindled a hunger for deeper personal encounters with God, a renewed passion for mission, and—most importantly—a recovery of rigorous Pentecostal theology beyond the usual emphasis on charismatic expressions and ministry activity. We were reminded that God, who is love, fills us with the Holy Spirit not only to empower us, but to draw us into His loving embrace, to transform us into Christlikeness, and to cause His love to overflow through us to others.
If Asian Pentecostals can truly grasp this vision, we believe we will become far more effective in global evangelism—without falling into the recurring pitfalls of moral failure, materialism, factionalism, legalism, abusive leadership, burnout, theological confusion, shallow biblical interpretation, and a form of Christianity that lacks either love, holiness, or spiritual power.
Since GPS 2023, we have identified around 40 key issues affecting the spiritual vitality and missional effectiveness of the Asian church—areas that require clarity from the best theological voices within the Pentecostal movement. About half of these issues have already been addressed through the Europe-Asia Pentecostal Summit 2025 and the Asia Pentecostal Summit 2025.
The Asia Pentecostal Summit 2026 continues this important journey. Our prayer is that it will further strengthen, clarify, and renew Pentecostal churches across Asia—so that we may faithfully carry the fire of the Spirit with love, truth and Spirit-inspired passion in this generation.
City Harvest Church, therefore, warmly welcomes all scholars and participants to this annual symposium. We thank you for your commitment to the study and advancement of Pentecostal theology, spirituality, and mission.
We are especially grateful for our returning scholars whose continued participation has helped shape this Summit into a meaningful space for theological reflection and a deeper understanding of Pentecostalism. Your faithful contributions have indeed enriched our conversations and strengthened this community of learning.
We also want to extend a heartfelt welcome to those scholars joining us for the first time. We are honoured by your presence and grateful for the research, and we look forward to the insights you bring as you present your papers. Your voices and perspectives will add fresh depth to our collective pursuit of understanding the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church and the world.
We believe this is a defining moment for Pentecostalism in Asia. The Spirit is calling us back to love that is holy, truth that is clear, and power that is pure. May we respond with humility and courage, and may a new generation arise—rooted in the Word, filled with the Spirit, and ablaze with the love of Christ—to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Co-Founders/Senior Pastors
City Harvest Church, Singapore