European church leaders focused on evangelism are now invited to apply
BERLIN, 27 MAY, 2024 – In exactly one year, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s European Congress on Evangelism will take place in Berlin.
“When my father, Billy Graham, was near the end of his life, he was asked what he thought his greatest accomplishment had been. He instantly said it was ‘the conferences,’ meaning the five congresses that he organized in Europe to promote evangelism,” said Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and convener of the upcoming congress. “Proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ is still the greatest need in the world today, and it’s an honor for BGEA to once again come alongside and support the believers in Europe who are doing this important work.”
The European Congress on Evangelism is expected to bring 1,000 Christian leaders from every European country and territory to Berlin on 27 – 30 May, 2025. For four days and in eight languages, 25 speakers and contributors from Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Africa will focus on the theme of Romans 1:16—being unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Ulrich Parzany, a pastor and the former primary evangelist for proChrist, an interdenominational initiative in Germany, will serve as one of the plenary speakers. “I am 83 years old, and over the last two decades, I have witnessed a significant divide within our churches. There’s been much debate about the correct way to evangelise and questions regarding the validity of the Bible. Many church leaders are now questioning whether the Bible is even trustworthy.”
Rev. Parzany, who was also part of Billy Graham’s last evangelism congress in Europe, continued, “In Europe, still millions identify as Christians by name, yet they do not truly know Jesus or the Bible. Churches are struggling. This is why I am so excited about next year’s European Congress. It represents a vital opportunity to bring together leaders from all generations to encourage, equip, and collaborate. With rising conflicts in Europe, we must not underestimate the importance of this moment!”
Special music at the European Congress on Evangelism will be provided by three-time Grammy Award winner Michael W. Smith and other artists.
Church leaders from 57 countries and territories in Europe are invited to apply for this unique opportunity to be encouraged and equipped to renew a commitment to bold and biblical proclamation evangelism. All meals and lodging for participants will be provided and arranged by BGEA. There are no registration fees for the congress. Those who have a burden for their communities and are committed to evangelism are encouraged to apply by visiting berlincongress.com.
LIST OF SPEAKERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
- Rev. Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse
- Rev. Ulrich Parzany, pastor and former primary evangelist for proChrist
- Rev. Charles Price, evangelist and minister at large for The PeoplesChurch
- Rev. Danny Pasquale, president of Instituto Biblico Evangelico
- Rev. Joakim Lundqvist, pastor of Word of Life Church
- Bishop James Lagos Alexander, Presiding Bishop of the African Inland Church
- Dr. Skip Heitzig, pastor of Calvary Chapel in Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Dr. Michael Reeves, president and professor of theology at Union School of Theology
- Rev. Gunnar Mägi, president of Tyndale Theological Seminary in the Netherlands
- Dr. Hélder Favarin, CEO of Community Bible Study and founding pastor of C29 Granada Church
- Rev. Will Graham, evangelist and executive vice president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
- Dr. Mariusz Muszczynski, pastor and former national director of church planting and development for the Pentecostal Church of Poland
- Rev. Greg Laurie, evangelist and senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship
- Archbishop Kanishka Raffel, Archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney
- Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
- Dr. Alistair Begg, pastor of Parkside Church
- Rev. David Vandeput, president of the Federal Synod of Protestant and Evangelical Churches of Belgium
- Dr. Richard Gibbons, pastor and co-moderator of an evangelical Presbyterian Theological Task Force
- Dr. David Bruce – former executive assistant to Billy Graham and executive vice president of the Billy Graham Library and the Billy Graham Archive and Research Center
- Dr. Paivi Rasanen, member of Parliament in Finland
- Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing, apologist and former president of The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics
- Dr. David Karcha, director of the Ukraine Partnership Foundation’s Church Ministries Development Program and pastor of Lviv Central Baptist Church
- Rev. Olaf Latzel, pastor of Evangelical-United Reformed St. Martini Community Church
- Cissie Graham Lynch, speaker and host of the “Fearless with Cissie Graham Lynch” podcast
ENDS
NOTES FOR EDITORS
BERLIN MEDIA CONTACT: 030 76 883-435, presse@billygraham.org
ABOUT THE BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION
BGEA was founded by Billy Graham in 1950, and since then, the ministry has shared the Gospel in 185 countries around the world. Billy Graham had a profound love and appreciation for Europe, where he preached more than any other place in the world outside of the United States. Franklin Graham is continuing the lifelong work of his father, holding more than 325 outreaches in 55 countries. Most recently, Franklin Graham has preached in Krakow, Poland; Mexico City, Mexico; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; London, England; Essen, Germany; and Seoul, Korea, where hundreds of thousands of people heard the Gospel proclaimed.
HISTORY OF BGEA’S EVANGELISM CONGRESSES
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s first World Congress on Evangelism was held in Berlin in 1966, which led to the monumental gathering in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974. Strategic evangelism congresses followed in Amsterdam in 1983, 1986 and 2000. Next year’s European Congress on Evangelism in Berlin will take place 25 years after the historic gathering at Amsterdam 2000 prepared thousands of pastors and ministry leaders for evangelism around the world. The upcoming European Congress on Evangelism in Berlin is expected to be the most representative gathering of Christian leaders in Europe since Amsterdam 2000.