Western Europe Update

Western Europe Update

Open Hearts, Hungry Hearts in Europe

In May when Pastor Dave and his son Gary ministered at pastors' conferences in Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland, they found thousands of church leaders and their spouses deeply hungry for God and eager for a fresh touch. Many had been discouraged and struggling in countries with widespread despair and spiritual dryness. "We're really in need," confessed one minister from Wales, Chris Cartwright.

Pastor David brought a challenging word, calling them back to Jesus, to their first love. In all the meetings, the presence of the Lord was so manifest that the pastors were broken, weeping, as the Holy Spirit brought healing and restoration to lives and marriages. Denis Phillips of Swansea, South Wales, said: "If you don't want to meet God, don't come here!" But hundreds had come just for that reason, particularly young pastors who flooded the sessions, desperate for the encounter with God that they longed for.

The Body Comes Together

Miraculously, the Lord drew His precious shepherds by the thousands — every denomination was welcome. Among one thousand pastors who gathered for the session in Belfast, and thousands more in Birmingham, Dublin, London, Perth, were leaders from Methodist, Pentecostal, Charismatic and numerous other churches. God is using these conferences to draw His divided church body closer together. Bickering and differing is set aside when ministers from various denominations are compelled to work together to plan the conferences. After the Wilkerson's leave, collaboration is generally continuing. Ministers in one country have agreed to meet monthly to pray for God to move in their nation.

Young People Hungry for Christ

Although Pastor David's foremost burden is for reaching out to pastors, he and Pastor Gary preached at several public rallies in Europe that were packed with young people. He didn't mince words with the youth, making it clear that "there is a price to pay to follow Christ." To the amazement of church leaders, young people were running to the altars, crying and pouring out their hearts to God. In Westminster Chapel in London, many young people ran to the backroom to cry out to God, their faces on the floor, hungry for a real relationship. And their pastors simply marveled that the young would respond to what Pastor Dave was saying: " You have to make a choice, you may have to cut off your relationship with friends...change your ways..." Tired of religion and the emptiness, young people seem to miss God, they wanted Him to fill their hearts, and the Lord moved on their hungry hearts.

Open Doors in England

In England God opened the door for Pastor Dave to speak to members of parliament in the House of Commons. With about two hundred in attendance, he delivered a message on the exclusiveness of Jesus Christ. It was a prophetic word that left these political leaders stunned. This meeting also led to an interview on British Broadcasting Corporation, which has a nationwide audience. Although BBC had insisted that he could not evangelize on air, the Lord must have moved on the interviewers for they kept asking questions that gave Pastor Dave opportunity to share the gospel.