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Europe, CIS, Middle East

 Bishop Clayton Endecott

The Church of God of Prophecy in Europe has expanded from 12 nations in just a little over a decade. Predominantly, the area of growth has been in the Common Wealth of Independent States (CIS), which roughly represents the former USSR. Although our organization did have some churches in this region many years ago, political and social pressures compelled them to close or join with other movements.

Since the political opening of these nations just over one decade ago, we have planted churches in 7 of these nations with now nearly 65,000 members and over 800 churches. Presently, the greatest revival is in the Ukraine. The other nations are under the capable leadership of their overseers and direction of the CIS Ministry Coordinator, Bishop John Doroshuk, and are growing daily. In addition to Russia, the Ukraine, and Belarus we have organized works in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan. This year new churches were planted in Georgia with efforts in other new nations in this region already in progress.

The Middle East remains one of our most important regions of concentration as it represents one of the least evangelized regions of the world. We now have churches organized in Israel (Palestinian/Arabic speaking) and in Egypt. Each year over the past several years new ministries have been established in Egypt and this year already two new ministries have been planted there and two more will planted this year which are operating as missions now. We are grateful for the open doors and the grace we have experienced in this Middle Eastern nation and believe they will be used of God greatly in the future for their region as neighboring nations are already opening for new outreaches.

In Europe’s western nations we have organized works in Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom (including churches in Wales), France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Finland. These nations, some of which have been organized for several years are growing in number and increasing in leadership. The United Kingdom has increased its traditional efforts in missions and now sends leaders, teams and support throughout Europe, the CIS and Africa. Innovative ministries in Finland with the organization of house churches as well as new efforts to establish international church plants in Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and in the UK represent strong mission fervor in these established nations.

Although we had some work in Italy for a few years, recent efforts with help from the overseer and others in the state of Texas in the USA, have produced several new churches and new doors have been opened including Latin American but also strong Italian churches and leadership. This expansion in Mediterranean Europe has spawned the sending of a missionary director in to the region to help evangelize and to train throughout the southern locations of Spain and France as well as strengthening the work in Malta, Italy and beyond.

Recent, political restructuring of south-eastern Europe including the annexation of several nations to the European Union defy traditional geo-political categories. South-eastern Europe and the Baltic region include some of our long standing works such as Greece and Cyprus who are now increasing in leadership in their own cultures while reaching out to bordering nations. Bulgaria is one of our stronger works in this region with an ever increasing ministry to its own Slavic population as well as ministry with both Roma and Turkish minorities. Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina were new nations added in the last assembly and promise not only to reach their nations but bordering nations as well. To the north are Romania with one strong church and a developing leadership and Hungary which has added new churches every year over the past few years.

Three presbyters (elders) were selected by our overseers and leaders to help serve with General Presbyter Clayton Endecott in spiritual and administrative matters. The area now has 13 overseers, an appointed Ministry Director for the CIS and a missionary is being sent in this year to help establish new and existing work in the Mediterranean. We have two full time mission families from the US, one serving in the CIS, the other in Germany as well as missionaries and teams who are being sent from region to region within Europe. General Counsel meetings are held by the three presbyters with the General Presbyter at least twice each year, overseers and directors meetings are held annually and leadership and youth meetings are held on an area and region wide bases in alternate years. Over the past 6 years a network of friendship and mutual labor has been established throughout the area and there is a sense of belonging as well as a call to join in united ministry efforts. The leadership joins in the goal to penetrate every nation in the area where there are no existing works and to join in united efforts with other believers to saturate every nation in the area with the Gospel. Presently several efforts are being made to establish leadership and training. Global Advance of the United States (Texas) has invited us to cooperate in many of their front shepherd leadership development meetings and has blessed the pastors of the region in many nations. CBL (an arm or our International Discipleship and Leadership Development) gave grants up until 2005 which were very helpful to establish new pastors and leaders and now helps to fund and to organize leadership development meetings. Several Nations have established their own training and development institutes, and some are planning to establish their own colleges (Ukraine has purchased a campus for this purpose). A new lay-missions school was established in the UK two years ago and plans are now being laid for a discipleship and leadership development school in Germany with support of US churches and contributors. In addition to this formal relationships are being established with accredited seminaries and Bible Schools in the nations and recent counsel discussions include a decision to pursue more formal relationships with the European Theological Seminary in Germany, a part of the ministries of the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee, USA.