The World Evangelical Alliance says Philippines Bishop Efraim Tendero is to be the next secretary general and CEO of the WEA at a time of growing cooperation by global Christians.

Tendero currently serves as the national director of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, the WEA said in a January 23 statement.

The announcement came the same week that representatives of the WEA and the World Council of Churches in Bossey near Geneva in Switzerland to explore possible areas of future cooperation.

At the January 20 and 21 meeting the WEA and WCC participants reflected on current developments in society and churches, and in evangelical and ecumenical movements.

They shared current plans and discussed possibilities for closer collaboration, they said in a joint statement.

Bishop Tendero succeeds Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe who announced early in 2014 that he would not be seeking a third term after leading the WEA for the past 10 years.

Upon his appointment, Tendero said: "This is an enormous task and I put my whole trust and confidence in the Almighty God who called me into this ministry."

He will begin his five year tenure on March 1, 2015.

'BISHOP EF'

Tendero, widely known as Bishop Ef, has served as national director of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) for more than 20 years.  

PCEC is WEA's national Alliance member that represents some 30,000 evangelical churches in mainly-Catholic Philippines.

He is also president of the Philippine Relief and Development Services the relief and development arm of PCEC that works hand in hand with local churches to serve the poor and needy.

Rev. Ndaba Mazabane, the South African chairman of the WEA's International Council and acting secretary-general said, "Bishop Tendero's understanding of our global vision and his experience as a national alliance leader will certainly help him connect with our constituency for greater global impact."

More than two billion Christians in the world today are represented by three world church bodies, the Roman Catholic Church, the WCC and the WEA.   

At the January meeting the WEA representatives were: Dr. Wilf Gasser, associate secretary general, Gordon Showell-Rogers, associate general secretary, Thomas Schirrmacher, executive chairperson of the Theological Commission and ambassador for human rights, Rosalee Velloso Ewell, executive director of the Theological Commission, Bertil Ekström, executive director of the Mission Commission; and John Baxter-Brown, senior advisor on Evangelism and Ecumenical Affairs.

The WCC representatives at the meeting were Rev, Georges Lemopoulos, WCC acting general secretary, Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, associate general secretary for Public Witness and Diakonia, Rev. Ioan Sauca, associate general secretary and director of the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Rev. Hielke Wolters, associate general secretary for Mission and Unity, Rev. John Gibaut, director of the Commission on Faith and Order, Rev. Jooseop Keum, secretary for the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism and Peter Prove, director of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs.