“It was certainly the most unusual General Assembly anyone could have ever imagined. Who would have thought that a volcano erupting in Iceland would prevent a Europe-wide conference from happening!” said the outgoing leader of the European Evangelical Alliance, Gordon Showell-Rogers.
In any risk assessment for everything that could possibly go wrong in a General Assembly, one scenario that would never have crossed anyone’s mind would be a volcanic eruption in Iceland causing all flights across the whole of Europe to be grounded.
None of the seminars, Bible studies or talks originally planned for the Assembly – and there were some great ones – could have taught any of us quite such an unforgettable lesson on the ultimate sovereignty of God. No matter what we may plan, God is in control!
Yet there was still plenty to be thankful for because despite only 28 out of the 139 registered delegates making it there in the end, the four days in Kusadasi were remarkably productive and the 5 WEA Regional leaders who were able to attend had very fruitful meetings.
Though the programme was thrown out, creative solutions enabled more than the minimum 18 members needed to vote through legal measures and the appointment of the EEA’s new General Secretary Rev Niek Tramper, of the Netherlands.
Niek will start with the EEA in September. He is a gifted and capable leader who not only understands the challenges facing European Evangelicals, but also the opportunities for revival, growth and development. Sadly the ash cloud prevented Niek from being in Turkey in person to receive everybody’s warm welcome but the EEA hopes to formally welcome him to his new role later in the year.
The hastily revised programme still included the General Secretary’s presentation (about the need to be Christ-like in Europe’s post-secular context), and a scaled down commissioning for Gordon as WEA’s new Associate International Director.
The arrival of John Pearson, of the WEA Leadership Institute, meant that those who had got to Kusadasi were able to benefit from his superb teaching on Association Leadership.
Both that Association Leadership teaching and the newly created Public Engagement modules of the Leadership Institute are stunningly good resources for national and regional Alliances, that will hopefully be widely used and help to grow Alliance capacity globally in the coming decade.
The Members’ Meeting wasn’t the only thing conducted online. Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe, although stuck in London because of the volcanic ash cloud, and disappointed to have missed Gordon’s commissioning, did manage to give his WEA Update across the miles via Skype.
Being able to devote more time to the Global Day of Prayer for Turkey on 18 April together with Turkish pastors (from the Turkish Alliance) was also a highlight. It was good to remember that the Assembly was taking place just a few hours from where three Bible publishing workers were brutally murdered in Malatya in 2007 – and to pray for God’s blessing for Turkey on the anniversary.
Gordon said: “The day of prayer was an opportunity to express our heartfelt solidarity with our Turkish brothers and sisters and let them know how very much they are remembered in our thoughts and prayers. It was great that we were able to be there with them for that.”
The next General Assembly will take place in October 2011. Until then, the EEA will seek to build on the momentum of the last few years, particularly in the areas of religious liberty, social transformation, poverty, migration, human trafficking and creation care.
There will also be a particular focus on making the national alliances more representative and influential within society, with a continued commitment to prayer, evangelism, and socio-political engagement.
Gordon concluded: “These are certainly exciting times for the EEA. We are continuing to expand our engagement in the issues that concern Evangelicals and wider society, at a time when many in Europe are questioning the relevance of the church to their lives. There is a lot of hard work to do but the opportunities for influencing the continent from a biblical perspective are huge. I am sure the EEA’s efforts in these areas will only be strengthened under Niek Tramper’s leadership.”