Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture
Date: 30/07/2026 Author: Rev. Dr Xiaoli Yang
From the 17th to the 21st July 2026, the International Association of Mission Studies (IAMS) hosted the 16th General Assembly at the University of South Africe, Pretoria, with the theme 'Walking Together in Mission: Facing Global Challenges for a Sustainable World'.
Nearly 200 international participants joined the five-day conference, with 168 paper presentations in 10 study groups and 20 thematic panels, addressing the Assembly's theme. Each morning began with meaningful worship services from different Christian traditions, including the Pentecostal, the Orthodox, the Catholic, the Evangelical and the Ecumenical.
Rev. Dr Xiaoli Yang presented a thought-provoking lecture titled 'Weaving as Witness in Oceania: Toward a Poetic Eco-missiology in an Age of Digital Idolatry' in the plenary, which encouraged mutual dialogue and deeper reflection among delegates. She was re-elected as the Representative for Oceania and also co-convened the newly established Eco-Theology and Mission Study Group. Her plenary speech will be published in the forthcoming IAMS journal 'Mission Studies' (Brill) in open access.
Prior to this, in March Xiaoli led a panelist response on 'The Spirit/s of Chinese Christianity' to two newly published books (Palgrave Macmillan, 2026) and presented an academic paper on 'Longings Beyond Grasp: Prayers in a Poetic Tongue' at The Society of Pentecostal Studies, Waco, USA.
