International Evangelists Invited to Join ‘Christ for Europe’ Initiative

AWR president Duane McKey makes an appeal for more volunteer preachers.

Rachel Ashworth, ANN, and Adventist Review

General Conference president Ted N. C. Wilson, who chaired the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Spring Meetings on April 11 in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, introduced the Christ for Europe Report by saying that “Europe is becoming more and more secular…. However, there are thousands of people — millions — who long to hear the Word of God.”

Wilson mentioned two major evangelistic campaigns in Europe this year — in May and September — “or any date that a site chooses to be involved.” He is scheduled to be a speaker at a May event in Prague, Czech Republic. All the events involve hundreds of ordained ministers, volunteers, speakers, sites, and collaborations, Adventist World Radio (AWR) president Duane McKey reported.

Duane McKey, Adventist World Radio president, presents during the 2023 Spring Meeting on April 11, 2023 at the General Conference, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. [Photo: [Photo: Enno Müller, Adventist Media Exchange]

Since its introduction, Christ for Europe has experienced an influx of volunteers. McKey, who is also director of the Total Member Involvement (TMI) initiative, reported that 30 unions, 38 countries, and 1,514 sites will be involved. Of those sites, 747 are within the Euro-Asia Division (ESD), and 419 are within the Ukrainian Union Conference (UUC).

With the goal of supporting the evangelistic efforts across the region, 150 international evangelists have signed on to “preach, teach, and baptize.” Their efforts will be combined with hundreds of laypersons, local volunteers, and members at various sites, McKey said.

McKey thanked GC Ministerial Association Ramon Canals for the support of his department and invited Executive Committee members to join in this effort. “One hundred and fifty evangelists is not enough,” McKey said. “We could use another ten international evangelists.”

“Christ for Europe is the most extensive evangelistic outreach conducted in Europe in the history of the Adventist Church,” McKey said.

The European continent includes three of the 13 Adventist Church world divisions and the attached field of Ukraine. In total, the European population is almost 447 million, and these numbers vary as crises, disasters, and political turmoil push individuals from their home countries into other nations. These struggles, combined with the post-Christian culture, make the needs great across the region.

Soul-Winning in Europe

McKey reminded Executive Committee members and worldwide viewers that the heart of Christ for Europe is God’s Word. He opened the report with Christ’s words from Matthew 4:19: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And, he added, “Follow [Jesus], and [He] will make you soul-winners.… [He] will make you evangelists.”

“To the disciples, Jesus’ first and last words were a call to the church to be soul-winning,” McKey said, “and that is what Christ for Europe is all about.”

He also assured prospective volunteers who register to participate that all will be equipped and trained onsite before evangelistic meetings begin. “Twelve trainers from AWR and TMI have been onsite since December [2022],” he said.

“Who should go?” McKey asked. “Anyone willing and able should volunteer for the Christ for Europe initiative. Seminary and university students are welcome, as well as ministerial families, church members, teachers, and more. Anyone with a valid passport is invited and encouraged to join,” he said. “And if you can’t go, please pray.”