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Christian leaders from across the country will gather in Brisbane from 11–12 July for the Australian Evangelism Roundtable. The historic meeting will focus on prayer, unity, and a bold vision to evangelise the nation as part of the global 2033 goal of seeing the whole planet fully evangelised.

UPDATE: The post roundtable report is available here, amazing outcomes.

Organisers of the Australian Evangelism Roundtable say it is set to play a significant catalytic role in the Australian Church’s commitment and urgency to share the gospel.

The invitation-only event will bring together denominational representatives and ministry leaders from across the spectrum of the Australian Church, which collectively represent 80% of Christians in Australia.

The Canberra Declaration, the Baptist World Alliance, Finishing the Task, and the GO Movement have partnered to organise and facilitate the event.

However, it remains to be seen how the delegates attending the Brisbane-based event will express the urgent need to evangelise the nation and how the Roundtable will shape the Church’s mission over the next several years.

Yet, whether this Brisbane-based summit will shape the direction of the Church’s mission for years to come will depend on how delegates, as well as the movements, churches and ministries they belong to, respond.

A Historic Roundtable for a Great Commission Purpose

Prominent international evangelism leaders – including Rick Warren (CEO of Finishing the Task) and Werner Nachtigal (founder of the GO Movement) are flying in from the USA and Germany, respectively, to contribute to the two-day gathering.

According to organisers, this is the first time in recent memory that such a broad coalition of Christian leaders in Australia has come together around a unified evangelistic goal.

Canberra Declaration leaders Warwick Marsh and Kym Farnik told The Daily Declaration,

“The very fact that this roundtable is happening is proof-positive of God’s purposes unfolding.”

A Kairos Moment for the Nation

A shared concern drives the roundtable: the overwhelming majority of Australians do not have eternal life in Jesus Christ.

This spiritual crisis is being met with what Marsh and Farnik believe to be a ‘kairos moment’, meaning a heightened time to respond decisively to a spiritually significant, God-orchestrated opportunity. The event’s theme verse, 2 Corinthians 6:2, underscores this urgency:

“Now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.”

The roundtable is being organised at a time when interest in Christianity in countries such as England, Wales, and the USA has undergone a resurgence.

In the UK, church attendance among young adults has increased notably, with monthly attendance rising from 8% in 2018 to 12% in 2024 among those aged 18 to 24.

Similarly, weekly church attendance in the US has increased from 28% in 2024 to 32% in 2025, mainly driven by Gen Z and Millennials, according to Barna’s 2025 State of the Church report. Young men are now more likely to attend church than their female counterparts – a reversal of historic patterns that reflects data from the UK.

Even in Australia, subtle signs of spiritual renewal are emerging. Census data from 2021 revealed that over 784,000 Australians identified as Christian after previously declaring no religion in 2001.

While no one can guarantee the future, the upcoming roundtable aims to significantly shape it for the better.

A Bold Vision towards Pentecost 2033

Over the two-day meeting, delegates will participate in worship, prayer, strategic planning, and shared discernment. A key aim is to produce a unified mission statement – tentatively titled “The Brisbane Declaration” – that will articulate a shared commitment to nationwide evangelism.

One vision to be discussed is nothing short of bold: that by Pentecost 2033, every Australian would have a meaningful opportunity to hear the gospel and respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pentecost 2033 marks the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus’ death, resurrection, the birth of the Church, and the giving of the Great Commission. The global Finishing the Task initiative has adopted this date as a rallying point for worldwide evangelisation.

In 1901, 96.1% of the population identified as Christian in the national census. By 2021, this had fallen to 44%. Marsh and Farnik believe this spiritual trajectory calls for urgent action. “We believe God is calling us to a sharper focus, a renewed passion, a fresh encounter with Jesus, and a deeper experience of His heart for the lost,” they said.

Cooperation Over Competition

However, Australia’s urgent need for the gospel does not mean it’s an easy task.

Any meaningful response will require a shared ownership of the Church’s mission not previously seen in our sunburnt land.

Marsh wrote in a recent email,

“Bringing denominational leaders into the same room to work toward a united vision – despite all our flaws and differences – is not normal or easy.”

He continued,

“I’d say it’s supernatural.”

More than a strategy session, the roundtable seeks to build trust, deepen relationships, and foster cooperation across theological and institutional lines. Organisers emphasise that unity in purpose does not require uniformity in methods or church expression.

Instead, the call is for a shared commitment: the Church in Australia must take collective responsibility for the task of evangelism if this mission is to succeed.

Mobilising the Whole Body of Christ

The roundtable seeks to catalyse not just leaders, but everyday believers. The vision, as currently defined, includes ensuring that every person in Australia:

• Hears the gospel from someone they know and trust
• Has access to a local, healthy church
• Is prayed for by name
• Receives a Bible or biblical content in their heart language

This nationwide strategy cannot be achieved by leadership alone. It will require the mobilisation of the entire Church and the life-giving breath of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer Points for the Australian Evangelism Roundtable

Please pray:

1. For the success of this historic roundtable. As the Scripture says in Psalm 127:1, “Unless the Lord builds the house they labour in vain that build it.”
2. The Australian Evangelism Roundtable will be a catalytic event to release the gospel across Australia.
3. God’s blessings, provision and travelling mercies for all the delegates travelling to Brisbane.
4. The roundtable will be a catalyst for the revival, repentance and transformation Australia so desperately needs.

Please ask your church and prayer groups to join in praying with you.

24 Hours of United Prayer

To support the roundtable, the Canberra Declaration will hold 24 hours of continuous prayer – from noon on Friday, 11 July, to 12:30 PM Saturday, 12 July (AEST). Christians across Australia are invited to intercede for the event and its 50+ delegates.

Intercessors can join the live prayer room via Zoom, which is accessible through the Canberra Declaration’s usual link.

“Without God, this ambitious vision is, frankly, a pipe dream,” wrote Marsh.

“But with humble, prayerful hearts in submission to God and His Word, we are believing for the impossible” (Matthew 19:26).

A United Church for a Nation in Need

At a time when many Australians are spiritually adrift, the Australian Evangelism Roundtable offers hope – not in human plans but in a sovereign God whose command for His people “to go and make disciples” has never been revoked (Matthew 28:19).

If the leaders gathering in Brisbane can hear the Spirit together and commit to walking in unity, this may mark the beginning of a new chapter for the Australian Church – one defined by cooperation, courage, and unwavering obedience to Christ.

Millions of Australians still need to hear the good news. That is reason enough to write that chapter – and to write it well.

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Image by Kevin Bosc via Unsplash.