Pentecost will be celebrated in one of the world’s most visited cities as delegates from around the globe gather in London, England for the inaugural Empowered21 Europe Congress. The historic Gaumont State Theatre will be the site, now home to the Ruach City Church.
Worship, impartation, and celebration will highlight the three days of May 11-13 where hundreds have already gathered for pre-conference activities. Empowered21 begins with a Wednesday night opening service to be led by Ruach Pastor John Francis and Dr. George Wood, Global Co-Chair of Empowered21 and superintendent of the Assemblies of God.
“From the 18th century revival movements in the U.K. to the move of the Holy Spirit in Europe in the 21st century, this continent has always had an important role to play in the history of God’s providence,” Wood stated. “Let us be joyful as we encounter the powerful presence of God and pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”
Thursday and Friday will be filled from morning to evening with prayer, devotions, and general sessions. Thursday morning will feature Morris Cerullo of Morris Cerullo World Evangelism, along with Cindy Jacobs, founder of Generals International, and J. John, founder of Philo Trust. Later that day, three 50-minute afternoon sessions will address topics dealing with Migrant Opportunities, Grace, and Healing and Miracles. They will be lead by panels of experts in each field.
Three powerful European church leaders will bring messages on Thursday evening. They include Agu Irukwu, senior pastor of Jesus House for All Nations London, Nicky Gumbel, vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London and Peter Wenz, pastor of Gospel Forum in Stuttgart, Germany. This night’s praise and worship will be highlighted by the dynamic Australia-based Christian worship band, Planetshakers.
Friday’s slate of activities mirrors the previous day, including afternoon sessions, but dealing with three additional subjects pertinent to leading from a Pentecostal perspective. The topics include Raising a Family in the 21st Century, Real Talk with the Next Generation, and Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit. Morning devotional leader will be Pastor Marilyn Hickey, followed by messages by Edinburgh, England pastor Karl Martin and Argentine King of Kings Church Head Pastor Claudio Freidzon.
Closing out the conference will be Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, followed by president of Oral Roberts University and Empowered21 Co-Chair Dr. Billy Wilson.
Empowered21 holds to a vision stating, “That every person on earth would have an authentic encounter with Jesus Christ the power and presence of the Holy Spirit … by Pentecost 2033.” The mission is to help shape the future of the global Spirit-empowered movement throughout the world by focusing on crucial issues facing the movement and connecting generations for intergenerational blessing and impartation.
Wilson stated, “Our earnest prayer for Pentecost 2016 is that through our efforts, we will experience an acceleration of the promise from Habakkuk 2:14 that says, ‘the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.'”
The Empowered21 network of churches is encouraged to engage in the Pentecost Sunday initiative. Resources and additional information about the event as well as registration for London 2016 can be found at www.empowered21.com.
