Distinguished Professor of Global Christianity,
Oral Roberts University
Wonsuk Ma holds a PhD in theology from the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies specialising in Old Testament theology, the prophets, and global Christianity. He is the Distinguished Professor of global Christianity and the PhD programme director at Oral Roberts University. He also holds an MDiv from Far East Advanced School of Theology.
Dr Wonsuk’s ministry began at Full Gospel Theological College (now Hansei University) and he has served as a missionary educator in the Philippines, where he launched the Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies in 1998. He also founded the Journal of Asian Mission in 1999 and later became the executive director of global Christianity at OCMS.
His research focuses on contextual theology, Pentecostal mission, and global Christianity, with a particular interest in integrating the Old Testament’s theological richness with contemporary Pentecostalism. He has authored and edited 13 books and numerous scholarly writings. His work is instrumental in bridging the gap between the theological richness of the Old Testament and local Pentecostal theologies.
Asia is home to vibrant cultures, deep spiritual traditions, and immense missional challenges. This presentation identifies five theological priorities for Asian Pentecostals to strengthen Spirit-empowered witness across the continent. From Spirit baptism to holistic mission, the church is called to deepen its theological roots while expanding its missional reach. The presentation explores the empowering nature of Spirit baptism, the prophethood of all believers, the role of signs and wonders, engagement with other religions, and compassionate ministry amid suffering. Each theme is examined through the lens of Asian contexts, where animism, hierarchy, and poverty intersect with the gospel. It urges Pentecostals to embrace discipleship, steward spiritual power, and embody the Spirit’s life-giving work in both proclamation and service.
The study begins with the challenge of the charismatic leadership model in explaining Pentecostal leadership, and the Spirit-empowered leadership model is proposed as an alternative. As the first step, the study explores four essential characteristics of the Spirit-empowered leaders from the Old Testament. This biblical examination also takes two Pentecostal leadership studies to bring the contemporary issues of Pentecostal leadership.