South East Asia is a very diverse region––it is multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multilingual––it is indeed a colourful and diverse region. It is also multi-religious, with the mainland region being largely Buddhist and the maritime region being largely Muslim. Overall, Sunni Islam represents the majority religion with estimates of just over 40 percent of the Southeast Asian population. This dynamic region encompasses a wide range of socio-politico-economic situations and continues to experience a fast pace of development in an increasingly globalised world.
The church is alive and well, growing rapidly and yet, not without its challenges. Consumerism, prosperity teaching, erosion of family values, moral failures, and religious persecution are all on the rise.There remains great opportunity and potential for church growth and need for greater collaboration and partnership between churches, church leaders, and Christians in the marketplace. In 1989 the Lausanne Movement held its Second International Congress on World Evangelization in Manilla, Philippines, and this region also hosted the Younger Leaders Gathering in 2016 and the GWF in 2019. The Lausanne Movement continues to be a valuable resource in catalysing these efforts to further God’s kingdom globally.