Purpose:To motivate Christian women in leadership to bring hope into their own areas of responsibility by sharing experiences with like-minded women from across the continent; to inspire, encourage and equip women representing various ministries and women’s networks around Europe; and to provide ministry and pastoral care for these leaders.

Network convenor:
Romkje Fountain
romkje@ywam.eu
 

NOTE:  MP3 Audio recordings of the HOPE.II WIL consultation messages can be downloaded here
 

History
by Elizabeth Mittelstaed
 
Austria – 1992
In 1992 forty women in leadership from Eastern and Western Europe met together in Linz, Austria. The women met, talked and exchanged ideas of what they could do together for women in Europe. As they were sharing, the women from the East were fascinated by the wealth of ideas which Western Christians had on how to share their faith with others. The women from the West were deeply impressed by the uncompromising faith of the Eastern Europeans. At that time it was decided to offer an international and interdenominational women´s conference every two years in order to learn from each other and to encourage one another.

This gathering was a moving experience, as it was the first time after forty years of separation between Eastern and Western Europe that these women could meet together. Many joyful tears were shed at this reunion. This was the birth of the Women in Leadership Conferences in Europe. This first meeting was held under the umbrella of Women of Global Action, formerly known as AD 2000. These women from 21 nations came at the invitation of Elizabeth Mittelstaedt and their contact through Lydia, the Christian magazine for women.
 

Poland - 1995
In 1995 the second Women in Leadership Conference was held in Ustron, Poland. Ninety delegates attended from 22 countries. The theme was prayer and the speaker was Evelyn Christenson. On the last day a meeting open to the public was held and over 600 Polish women were in attendance. Alina Wieja and her team were in charge of this last meeting. This was the first time the final day was opened to the public and it was very well received.

It was at this meeting the Women in Leadership came under the umbrella of Hope for Europe, which was a new network. They became Hope for Europe Women in Leadership Track. Stuart McAllister was leader of European Evangelical Alliance, as well as the founder of Hope for Europe at this time. As he could not attend to present the vision for the organization, he sent two representatives.

Our purpose for the Women in Leadership Track is to provide opportunities for Christian women leaders to meet, network, share ideas, and work together to bring hope for tomorrow to families, churches, communities and the world.

Our Goals:

    to motivate Christian women to take the whole Gospel to the whole world.
    to inspire, encourage and equip women to fulfill the purposes of God for their lives.
    to mobilize prayer for the unreached, especially those in the 10/40 window.
    to model how God can use women in a variety of ways
    to challenge European women leaders to bring the transforming power of the Gospel to the continent of Europe and to every nation within it. Psalm 2:8 says – What do you want? Name it: nations as a present? Continents as a prize? (from the Message Bible)

Hungary – 1997
In 1997, at the third Women in Leadership Conference they came from every corner of Europe to Budapest, Hungary, the pearl of the East, with its renewed splendor emerging from the ashes of communism. More than 180 women in Christian leadership from 28 nations gathered together. The conference drew women from most major denominations and para-church organizations. This alone made the conference newsworthy, for European Christians have not been noted for their unity and cooperation. The purpose of the Women in Leadership Conference was to unite women across denominational and national lines – mobilizing them to use their gifts to fulfill the Great Commission.

Though coming from very diverse backgrounds, the women share a theological commitment to the Lausanne Covenant. They share a common purpose of reaching those without Christ, while continuing their distinctives in their own organizations.

Jill Briscoe, well-known British-born author and speaker, in her evening messages challenged women to face the stresses and demands of leadership. During the day a representative from each country presented the needs of women’s ministry opportunities in her country. Not only did this open a window to what God is doing in Europe, it also gave the women new information and a burden to pray for each other.

On the final day, the women were driven to the sports arena in Budapest where approximately 3,000 Hungarian women gathered from all over the country. Never before had so many women come together for a Christian meeting. This was the first time a group of Hungarian women had the opportunity to plan such a function, for under communism such a meeting would have been prohibited.

Every part of the program spoke to some hearts. When Tuula Akerlund, a Gypsy from Finland, gave her testimony and several Gypsy songs, word got out in the city. By the afternoon session dozens of Gypsy women, often despised and scorned, had come to the hall to meet Tuula and to rejoice that one of their own had been given such prominence.

The testimony of Ana Veres from Romania moved many to tears as she told of the suffering of her family under the communist regime.

When Jill Briscoe challenged the women to become fishers for Jesus, over 50 responded to the call for salvation. One group of young girls stood weeping in the hall until someone asked if they could help. They explained that they had been challenged to offer themselves for missions and wanted to know if there was an organization in Hungary to which they could apply.

Germany – 1999
In 1999, in the midst of the pain and anguish which hangs like a brooding cloud over Europe, nearly 170 women from 32 nations gathered to demonstrate their oneness in Christ and their commitment to His church. Compassion and pain mingled as Croats and Serbs hugged one another, Germans and Poles chatted over cups of tea, and Finns and Russians exchanged stories.

The conference in a retreat center near Frankfurt was a gathering of the Hope for Europe Women in Leadership Network. During a daily Windows to Europe presentation, representatives from each country reported on what was happening in their countries.

A Romanian teacher and writer drew a heartbreaking picture of babies left in maternity wards of hospitals because mothers cannot afford to take them home. “The situation is no better now than it was ten years ago,” she reported. The children may spend several years in the same bed, with almost no human touch except to have their diapers changed.

In the midst of these painful reports, an Estonian Messianic Jew rejoiced in her recent conversion and danced her praise before the Lord. A Russian doctor of theology told the audience that “women can help our world in peacemaking. Our vulnerability and weakness are really our strengths.”

One of the evening speakers, Reona Joly, brought the situation in Albania to life for the delegates. She reported that the country’s fledging new churches are coordinating outreach to the Kosovar refugees. “The response is fantastic,” said Reona, “in every town the churches are joining forces to work together.” The need is overwhelming. In one instance, a single church oversees a camp of twenty thousand people.

The stage was set for reconciliation. The following day, when an Albanian delegate completed her report, the delegate from Yugoslavia rushed to her to beg forgiveness before the entire group for what her countrymen were doing to the Albanians.

The root of Balkan hatred goes back centuries. When a Turkish woman from Bulgaria took the podium she recalled the 400 years of Ottoman oppression in the Balkans. With deep sorrow and penitence she tearfully begged forgiveness for the hatred and killing her people had inflicted on the people of the Balkans. Within minutes, Croats, Bosnian, Bulgarians, Albanians and Romanians surrounded her. Even Gigi Graham Tchividjian, whose husband is Armenian, expressed forgiveness on behalf of her husband’s people, who had been slaughtered by Turks at the beginning of the XXth century.

A Day of Surprises
On the final day of the conference, which was again open to the public, we watched in awe as some 10,000 women streamed into the massive auditorium on the trade fair grounds in Frankfurt, Germany. Excited, joyful faces beamed up at us as we convened the congress for women in a day of celebration under the title Hope for Tomorrow.

Although most of the participants came from German-speaking countries, women leaders representing 32 European nations launched the congress with a march of flags, which they carried to the foot of the cross erected on the platform. Tears flowed as they knelt humbly, asking God for mercy for our continent.

Surely God was in this place. Although much work and preparation had gone into the congress, we knew that no person and no amount of energy and effort could have produced the miracle of this day. Even the 200 volunteers who had worked for months to prepare the congress called it a miracle. One of the committee members declared to reporters at a press conference that the only explanation for the attendance of such unexpectedly large numbers of women was hunger for God and their search for direction and purpose in life.

The main message of multiple speakers throughout the day was the cross, the centerpiece of our faith. It seemed to us a day of rejoicing like that experienced by the woman described by Jesus in Luke 15, who called together her friends and neighbors to celebrate the return of the precious coin she had lost. No wonder more than 300 women made a decision to follow Christ.

The purpose of the congress was to strengthen women’s faith and to encourage them to reach out to the lost. Our theme was “Hope is lighting a candle instead of cursing the darkness.” It was beautiful to see how this vision was caught as many returned home declaring, “Yes, we will light the candles in our cities and countries by sharing the message that our hope is in God.”

Budapest 2002, HOPE.21                                          
Almost one hundred attended the Women in Leadership Track at Hope.21 with a good representation from both Eastern and Western Europe.

We had a full programme, which incorporated relevant Bible teaching, practical seminars and meetings in small affinity groups. This provided an opportunity to discuss the needs of women in our individual countries and how the network could facilitate partnership and support for the future.

We concluded that our purpose at future Women in Leadership (WIL) conferences was to encourage:

•    ministry to and pastoral care of our leaders,

•    envisioning, equipping and resourcing,

•    networking, fellowship and prayer.

We were encouraged to hear of new ministries, which WIL had inspired:

- Filia - National Women’s Prayer Days in different cities in Germany,
- Intercessory Prayer Link - Belgium,
- Scotfest, Scotland, and Femmes 2000, France - Major events for women.

The Ladies Outreach Day during Hope.21 at Budapest Congress Centre was a wonderful success, which is still reaping benefits for the Kingdom of God.

The organising team has been meeting regularly since. Now we operate as the women’s network of the Hungarian Evangelical Alliance... At Hope 21 a new friend of mine participated... she is from the Catholic Church... she understood grace during the conference! Praise God!
Ildiko Kovacs

Future Plans

•    A further HfE Women in Leadership network is tentatively planned for March 2005
•    A Newsletter - A central body will receive information from different countries and transmit across Europe
•    Development of a prayer network
•    Channel resources East / West e.g. exchange speakers
•    Vision / Ministry trips to different countries
•    Regional conferences / training
Praise for just some developments since Hope 21

•    Our national meeting was filled with mutual understanding, openness acceptance and the promise to meet again in Croatia. And we did, as participants of all the networks at the Budapest conference. Our meeting was so informative and encouraging that I cannot wait to meet again. We continue to communicate by e-mail informing each other of events and initiatives etc., and we promised to pray for each other
Marija Znidar CROATIA

•    We met in Zagreb June 13… even a sister from Slovenija came… We shared together about a subject we had agreed beforehand (contemporary issues and how to deal with them as Christians... Our next meting is October 10 2002.
Eva Gonzalez-Diez-Mrsic CROATIA

•    After Hope 21 we really developed a relationship with the YWAM Lithuania branch, who are working in the same city. We have a lot of activities, seminars and camps organised together for the city. Now we are at the beginning of a new project to buy premises together for joint activities... It will be something special in trusting and supporting each other…
Regina Shevelkaitiene LITHUANIA

•    Linda Dillow was so kind to present to me her book titled Intimate Questions, and gave us permission to translate it into Russian and publish parts of it in our womens magazine called Hope for You.
Larisa Zhibrik BELARUS

•    In Germany we have our National Womens Prayer Day sponsored by Filia in about 15 cities. We plan another big evangelistic day for women in 2004 (like we had in Frankfurt in 1999)
Ulrika Herrmann GERMANY