BGEA announces major evangelistic event to strengthen the Church in Europe
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) is slated to host a gathering for church leaders devoted to evangelism in Europe.
The European Congress on Evangelism is scheduled to take place in May 2025 in Berlin, Germany, and more than 1,000 leaders from 57 countries and territories in Europe are expected to attend, according to BGEA.
The event, which will span three days and take place in eight languages, will feature prominent Christian speakers whose theme will be Romans 1:16, where the apostle Paul stresses the importance of being unashamed of the Gospel.
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Attendance will be by invitation only and will be limited to church leaders whose ministries are in European countries, BGEA said.
The 2025 congress will mark the 25th anniversary of the late Billy Graham's Amsterdam 2000 conference.
Similar events in Europe have taken place starting with the first World Congress on Evangelism, which was held in 1966 in Berlin. Similar conferences took place in Lausanne in 1974, as well as in Amsterdam in 1983, 1986 and 2000.
Hugh Osgood, who serves as president of the U.K.-based ministry Churches in Communities International, praised the upcoming event in a statement.
"The church in Europe needs to rise up with fresh confidence," said Osgood. "The European Congress on Evangelism will provide the inspiration, strength, and confidence in the gospel that will enable us to do this. Let's prioritize this opportunity to be together to advance God's kingdom."
Ulrich Parzany, a German evangelical pastor who participated in the Amsterdam 2000 conference, said, "In our challenging times Christians and churches must join hands for spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ all over Europe again."
"I am looking forward to the upcoming European Congress on Evangelism and trust it will trigger enthusiasm and a fresh commitment to do so," Parzany added.
Per Ewert, who serves as director of Sweden's leading Christian think-tank, The Clapham Institute, said, "Europe in the 21st century is experiencing two parallel trends, a continued wind of secular individualism, and a growing opposition to this philosophy and its consequences for society and individuals," according to Christian Today.
"It is vital to proclaim the Good News about Jesus Christ in a culture in need of a moral and spiritual foundation, peace and agape love," Ewert added.
A 2018 Pew Research study found that Western Europeans are less likely to believe in God than those in Central or Eastern Europe, with fewer than two-thirds of respondents from most Western European countries claiming to believe in God.
Hungary, the Czech Republic and Estonia were the only three Eastern and Central European Countries where less than two-thirds of respondents said they believe in God, according to the study.
In countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden, where many identify as religiously unaffiliated, less than half of adults said they believe in God.
