Mission congress bankrupt

Just heard that TEMA-Mission, the ministry that hosted the big European missions congresses for youth, went bankrupt. The last congress in Bad Salzuflen, Germany, drew just up to 5,500 youth, which pushed TEMA several hundredthousand euros in the red records. It's a pity - over the last 30 years the Mission congresses have been a blessing to around 50,000 young people who wanted to find God's direction for their lives.

I remember the first Mission congress I attended in Utrecht at the start of 1987, which gave me a strong vision for world missions. The 'kingdom songs' of Graham Kendrick and radical appeals from 'oldies' like George Verwer (insert) and Brother Andrew gripped my heart. I started praying and giving for world missions, and joined the first Love Europe outreach of Operation Mobilisation.

In 1990 and 1993 I visited the congress as a journalist for Music & Art magazine, which was a good excuse to have in-depth talks with inspiring people like Peter Kuzmic, Carlos Ortiz, Brother Andrew, Carlos Martinez, and Steve Chalke, and participants who were moving in the field of creativity.

Somehow the 1996 congress is a white spot in my memory. The last time I joined was in Zuid-Laren in 1999, where Wout Bouwman and I ran the prayer department. The first and also last time there was a 24-hour prayer cover for the congress and hands-on prayer training. Communications went bad, and TEMA felt we were too charismatic. A guy was spontaneously healed in the prayer room, the Holy Spirit knocked some people down in the isles while they received prayer, and an unplanned reconciliation meeting took place - called for by the German participants. Later it turned out that TEMA had a different perception of prayer. They wanted us to pray for the program, not to hear from God and allow spontaneous action.

Nevertheless we are thankful for the many blessings of the Mission congresses. No doubt other ministries will continue to run with the mandate to challenge young people in Europe to pray, give and go.

Comments

[Branko]

I did not know tema people did not like what you did. We in Serbia copied your idea with the cross and the sins at our conference last year. I thought your seminar on prayer was terrific!
Thanks, Marc!
Branko