Call for papers

The Global Region Conference welcomes papers on all topics relating to evangelical missions. This is a good forum to present your research for discussion and feedback. Papers not being considered for the annual conference can be between 2000-5000 words. Feedback will be given on the potential for publication.

Additionally, papers on the Annual Conference Theme, “Theological Anthropology for Missional Engagement,” can be submitted for consideration for presentation at the annual conference in Dallas, USA, in October. These papers must be 4500-7000 words and use Chicago Turabian author-date citation.

The annual conference will be hybrid. To present at the Annual Conference in October, you must be recommended by the Global Region Conference in March. Only papers focused on the annual conference theme will be recommended. Some of these papers are then considered for publication in the Conference Compendium.

To present in the Global Region Conference, you need to submit:

1. an abstract by Friday, January 16^th – Use this linked form to submit your abstract. – You should hear back regarding the acceptance of your abstract within 2 weeks.
2. your paper AND a 10 minute recording of your presentation by Friday, February 27th. – Email your paper and recording to Dr Evelyn Hibbert (global@emsweb.org).

Papers and recordings will be made available online for Global Region Conference participants two weeks prior to the conference. Participants will have the opportunity to comment and interact with the authors and each other prior to the conference meetings. Conference sessions will be for discussion only. (It will be assumed that participants have already watched the presentations and read the papers.)

EMS Annual Conference Theme – Theological Anthropology for Missional Engagement

Theological anthropology is central to missiological reflection and practice, since acts of gospel witness, service, and cultural engagement all rest on assumptions about human identity, dignity, and destiny. In a rapidly changing world—marked by shifting views of spirituality, ethnicity, gender, technology, and ecology—the church must embrace a biblically faithful and missionally engaged understanding of the imago Dei. This year’s Evangelical Missiological Society Conference invites reflection on the meaning of being human and on how the doctrine of the imago Dei shapes evangelism, discipleship, community, and global mission. Together we will ask: How do theological anthropology and Christian responses to debates about personhood and identity inform the theory and practice of mission? 

Suggested Tracks and Paper Topics

• Imago Dei in Mission: Human dignity, human rights, and gospel witness. 
• Theology and Culture: How do specific cultural patterns, traditions, and beliefs impact the missionary task? 
• Gender and Sexuality: Engaging the ways that questions of gender, sexuality, singleness, and family affect missionary work. 
• Technology, Transhumanism, and New Humanity: Artificial intelligence, bioethics, the value of embodiment, and the limits and telos of humanity in light of the Christian story. 
• Race, Ethnicity, and Reconciliation: Anthropological foundations for ethnic identity, justice, and unity in Christ within the context of mission.
• Ecology and Creation Care: Humanity’s vocation as stewards of creation and its missiological implications.
• Disability and the Image of God: Rethinking inclusion, personhood, and the missionary task among vulnerable populations.
• Political Theory and Practice: Human dignity, civil rights, migration and borders, and the realities of violence and war in relation to the missionary task.
• Psychology and Neuroscience: How research on consciousness, sin, suffering, and human flourishing informs missionary work.
• Theology of Work and the Arts: How human capacities and vocation shape our approach to work, commerce, and the arts.

If you are interested in proposing another track for the Annual Conference, you may submit your request here: https://tinyurl.com/yc7wvypd. The deadline for submitting your track proposal is January 31, 2026.