Over 1,000 Christian leaders are expected to gather in Berlin for the first Billy Graham (BGEA) Congress on Evangelism in 25 years.
The Eurocentric May event is by invitation only and completely free.
This year’s theme is Paul’s: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also the Greek.”
Twenty speakers will dig into Romans 1:16, offering perspectives from 13 countries to delegates from 55 nationalities.
Talking exclusively with CBN, BGEA President, Rev. Franklin Graham, said people have been “soft-selling” the Gospel for too long.
Europe is where it is today because the church has stopped preaching about sin.
They’re preaching an abridged version of the Gospel because they’re too scared of being called a bigot.
“So, people begin to apologise for the Gospel.”
“And when you say that Jesus died, shed his blood, was buried and rose on the third day, well, they say, this let’s not get into all that right away.”
They say, let’s watch our tone and be gentle.
That’s not what Paul taught.
Paul said, “I’m not ashamed of it. This is what I believe. This is what I stand for. This is the Gospel that we preach,” Graham continued.
“God uses the Gospel to pierce people’s hearts in order to save them.”
It’s imperative that “we preach the whole Gospel.”
To this, Graham added, “We want to ignite a fire in Europe, where there’s an excitement for evangelism, where churches are willing to be bold.”=
“The Gospel has got power, it can go beyond politics. We just have to declare it; preach it! That’s what we want to do.”
Technology, Graham explained, “will help us.”
Of course, we know that the devil will try to hinder this outreach.
“There are so many distractions, so many lies, the devil is putting out through social media, and some of the church falls for all of it.”
The need for modernising evangelism necessitated a new approach, Graham explained.
It’s not the Gospel that’s failing Europe, the fault is with the church’s capitulation to the culture.
Low morale in the church isn’t because the Gospel is powerless.
The message of the Gospel is being muddled by Christians concerned about offending others.
In effect, he said, they’re more interested in people pleasing and magic bullets than “letting the Gospel work.”
“All you have to do is preach the Gospel, invite people to Christ, then let the Holy Spirit work in the hearts of those who respond to it.”
The “great problem in Europe is that so many churches have caved to LGBTQ+ism” in fear of backlash.
Especially, if they hold fast to the binary biological realities found in the Biblical imperatives about creation, men, women, sin, repentance, and restoration in Christ.
The Church, Graham remarked, has been “deluded, it’s been sidetracked in Europe over sexual issues.”
There are too many blind eyes being turned.
“It’s time we took a stand.
“If we can help the churches in Europe to stand strong, be bold in proclaiming the Gospel, this will be huge.”
This is the reason for the Congress, he added.
“I want the churches in Europe to know that we stand with them. So many are discouraged.”
“I’m hoping and praying God will use the conference in a mighty way,” Graham concluded.
BGEA’s Berlin congress on evangelism will feature BGEA executives Cissie and Will Graham, as well as theologian Albert Mohler and Californian Pastor Greg Laurie, among others.
Will you consider praying with Franklin Graham for a Europe united for Christ?
For more information about the European Congress on Evangelism, go to BerlinCongress.com.
