ASI Abroad ASI Europe (edit, back)
02/28/2014
The 7th annual ASI Europe Convention, “Time to Wake Up Europe!”—held July 3 to 6, 2013, in Porto, Portugal— drew delegates from 17 chapters of ASI Europe as well as 1,200 members and visitors to hear guest speakers John Bradshaw and Justin Kim. Workshops were offered on topics ranging from personal evangelism to financing supporting ministries, with special musical presentations by the Fountainview Academy choir and orchestra, a choir from Lisbon, and José Alves Dias, director of the Albufeira Conservatory in Portugal.
New leaders were elected, with Rene Metz, director of Maranatha, a supporting ministry in the Czech Republic, taking the helm as president. Kim Busl, who works for VitaSalus, a supporting health ministry in Portugal, was elected vice president for evangelism and will also serve as chairman of the Projects Selection Committee. Other newly elected leaders include ASI Switzerland president Christiane Theiss, elected vice president for communication and growth; José Colaço of Portugal, who will serve as vice president for finance; and Remus Benta of Romania, vice president for special tasks. Markus Alt of Switzerland was reelected as executive secretary.
The new leaders of ASI Europe share a continuing commitment to spread the gospel throughout Europe, a continent with a diverse, largely secular population. Outreach efforts over the past two years by the more than 1,000 members in ASI Europe’s national chapters contributed to more than 750 baptisms in Europe and around the world.
“After this convention, Porto might become known as the site where a new chapter in the history of ASI Europe was begun,” said Gerhard Padderatz, president of ASI Germany.
There has been notable growth in satellite- and Internet-based television and radio ministries in Europe, most of them operated by young people. ASI Germany, the largest of the 17 chapters of ASI Europe, has 9 media ministries proclaiming the three angels’ messages via regional broadcasts and the Internet. The $232,580 raised at the convention will go primarily toward training young people in evangelism.