International Tour

Europe

May 30 was a day of prayer for International Ministerial Congress’ Zone 7. The goal was to dedicate one day praying in favor of the Church’s international work and to give presentations on its efforts in Europe and around the world.

About 300 to 350 brethren from Germany, England, Holland, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and the U.S participated in the German CoG7 Conference, June 26-28. The Sabbath worship in song was a wonderful international experience (see video at www.cog7missions.org). Messages on the gospel and the victorious Christian life were broadcast live via the Internet to brethren around the world. On Sunday morning an open-air prayer and work session was conducted for national delegates. Each country expressed its areas of greatest need so we could pray for one another in the days ahead.

The Portuguese Conference of the Church operates an annual campaign to achieve financial support for the work of the International Ministerial Congress.

The Italian Conference, small in number, is active. God blessed the tour of Pastor Roberto Torre to visit several groups. Other good news from Italy was the return of several members who were separated some years ago. This return was complemented by the addition of other members from an evangelical background who have now joined CoG7.

On Sabbath, July 11, IMC Zone 7 representative Paulo Coelho visited a group of brethren in Paris, France, who form a community called Communauté Chrétienne “Foi et Oeuvres” (CCFO). He had opportunity to make presentation on the IMC work around the world, followed by questions and answers about the possibility of future collaboration between the groups.

The main issues for IMC`s leadership regarding future action in Europe are . . .

• how to share the gospel of Jesus in a deeply secular society like this.

• how to differentiate the CoG7 message from others available here.

• how to overcome ethnic and language differences in this multicultural and multiracial society.

• how to make CoG7 visible in each country.

• how to start contact with other groups in other countries that share a similar vision of God’s Word.

• how to work together to improve our efforts in Christ and minimize the limitations of our small size.

The heterogeneity of IMC Zone 7 (Europe, including Russia, Baltic States, and the Middle East) is a great challenge to the relationship of the several national groups of the Church. It can be overcome only by the power of God (Acts 2:4-12; Revelation 7:9-10).

— Paulo Coelho and Bill Hicks

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