European Congress on Evangelism to be held in Berlin May 27-30

NEWS PROVIDED BY
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
April 27, 2025

BERLIN, April 27, 2025 /Standard Newswire/ -- From Ukraine to the UK and from Sweden to Spain, in exactly one month, 1,000 pastors and ministry leaders from 56 countries and territories throughout Europe will come to Berlin for the European Congress on Evangelism.

There has not been a gathering of this magnitude for evangelism that has represented so many different European countries and territories since the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s last conference took place in Amsterdam in 2000.

The upcoming congress in Berlin marks a historic return to the city where Billy Graham held the first World Congress on Evangelism in 1966. During his opening address, he said, “The city of Berlin has influenced the world in every field. What a place from which to shout to the world—Christ is the Savior!”

The European Congress on Evangelism will bring over 20 speakers and contributors from 13 countries to Berlin to focus on the theme of Romans 1:16—being unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sessions will be interpreted into 10 languages and will encourage and equip believers from dozens of denominations to reignite the church with a passion for bold and biblical proclamation evangelism.

Attendance at the congress is by invitation only and the conference is free for all participants. Special music will be provided by three-time Grammy winner Michael W. Smith, award-winning worship leader Charity Gayle, and European Christian artists.

“It was the Christians in Europe who crossed the ocean and brought the Gospel to the United States four centuries ago, and I am grateful for the believers in Europe who continue to be a bold and faithful witness for Jesus Christ,” said Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).

Graham is the convener of the upcoming congress. He has a heart for evangelism and has preached 30 times in 19 countries throughout Europe since 1999. He said, “Proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ and the truth of God’s Word is the greatest need in the world today, and it’s an honor for BGEA to come alongside and encourage believers in Europe who are taking the Gospel to their communities and to the ends of the earth.”

Marc Van de Wouwer, an evangelist and retired member of Belgium’s Federal Judicial Police, remembers attending the last Congress on Evangelism in Amsterdam in 2000.

“At the time, there were very few evangelists in Belgium,” he said. “I also wanted to renew my vision for proclaiming the Gospel and acquire new tools.” His experience at the congress led him to organize his own local evangelism congress and to establish an evangelistic organization in Belgium. He is now 66 and looks forward to attending the upcoming congress in Berlin and investing in the next generation of evangelists.

“When I see the impact of congresses in my own life and ministry, as well as in the lives of many ministers I know, I believe they are essential to encourage and boost evangelists.” He continued saying, “The world without Christ needs dedicated and sent evangelists who can spread the Good News of salvation and their passion for Jesus. Congresses for evangelists on a global scale play a vital role in this goal.”

To learn more about the European Congress on Evangelism, visit BerlinCongress.com.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Berlin media contact: 030 76 883-435, presse@billygraham.org

Press kit with photos and video: Media.BillyGraham.org/European-Congress-on-Evangelism

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES

• Journalists are welcome to register to attend the Congress, which will be held at the JW Marriott located at Stauffenbergstraße 26, 10785.
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• The opening session will take place on May 27 after a press conference at 4 p.m., and the closing session will conclude around noon on May 30.
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• There is no cost for journalists to register or attend sessions, and congress meals will also be free of charge. Interviews will be arranged with speakers and participants between sessions. Journalists must RSVP to attend the congress by May 16.
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• Journalists working on preview stories may also start requesting interviews with speakers and participants.

ABOUT THE BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION
Founded by Billy Graham in 1950, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association shares the Good News of Jesus Christ around the world. Franklin Graham is continuing the lifelong work of his father, holding more than 325 outreaches in 55 countries. Most recently, Franklin Graham preached in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where nearly 440,000 people gathered in the country’s largest square to hear a message of God’s love. Last year, Mr. Graham preached in Krakow, Poland; Birmingham, England; Glasgow, Scotland; and Naples, Italy; as well as in the countries of Laos, Vietnam, Mexico; and in 10 cities in the U.S. This year, he is looking forward to proclaiming the hope of Jesus Christ in London, England; Brussels, Belgium; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Will Graham, son of Franklin Graham and grandson of Billy Graham, is the third generation of Grahams to proclaim the Gospel under the banner of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He has preached to more than 1.2 million people on six continents since 2006.

ABOUT FRANKLIN GRAHAM
In addition to leading the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Franklin Graham also serves as the president of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian disaster relief and evangelism organization that works in more than 100 countries, including Ukraine where the ministry has helped more than 10 million people since the war began. Samaritan’s Purse operated five field hospitals and five medical clinics, providing medical care for tens of thousands of Ukrainian patients. The organization has also supported nearly 300 hospitals with supplies and training, distributed over 120,000 metric tons of food, and provided 910 metric tons of relief supplies on 43 airlifts.

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 month’s European Congress on Evangelism in Berlin will take place 25 years after the historic congress in Amsterdam in 2000, which helped prepare thousands of pastors and ministry leaders for evangelism around the world.

SOURCE Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

CONTACT: 030 76 883-435, presse@billygraham.org