Spirit-Empowered Event Reaches Over 100,000 People From 197 Nations
The Empowered21 (E21) Global Congress wrapped up Wednesday, June 10, 2020 with powerful messages from evangelists Daniel Kolenda and Christine Caine, along with a summation statement from E21 Global Co-chair Dr. Billy Wilson. The online Congress began on Monday, June 1, and featured over 70 world-renowned Spirit-empowered leaders. The event focused on encouraging believers to unite around completing the remaining task of the Great Commission by 2033. Over 100,000 people participated in the Congress with registered participants representing 197 nations.
Wilson has been a part of significant conferences in the past, but shared how this event was different: “This entire Global Congress has been unprecedented in many ways, as people from around the world—197 nations—have come together with a focus on unity, the Holy Spirit, the next generation, and fulfilling the Great Commission. The geographical breadth of the participants demonstrates the global growth of the Spirit-empowered movement. I’m grateful for what the Lord has done!”
Speaking of the unique moment in history that the world is experiencing with the pandemic and the response of the global church, Kolenda, president of Christ for All Nations and co-chair of the E21 Global Evangelist Alliance said, “I believe this window of opportunity we’ve been given is a window of opportunity that may never come around again. The night is coming; we must work while it is day.”
Over 100,000 attendees streamed the event, which had originally been scheduled to take place in Jerusalem before being moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We saw this initial setback as an opportunity to innovate and reach more people,” said Caleb Wehrli, executive director of Empowered21. “This experience has been a good reminder that the Holy Spirit empowers us for any emergency, and He was sent by God to be our helper in times of need.”
Many of the speakers addressed the crisis and encouraged believers to focus on Jesus, trust the Holy Spirit and prepare for a new season of revival.
“Jesus isn’t behind this virus, but maybe He is in the delay, because in the delay is … a divine invitation,” said Mark Varughese, senior pastor of Kingdomcity, a church with locations in Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe. “For me personally, this delay has been both rest and a summons to go deeper and to build a reserve for that which is ahead.”
“Over the course of the last 10 days we have heard some amazing reports from people watching from all over the world, from the South Pacific islands to Iceland, from Mauritius to Mongolia and actually across all continents, except maybe Antarctica … but we are still working on that!” said Ashley Wilson, assistant director of Empowered21.
During the Global Congress Online the Empowered21 Global Council, led by Dr. Billy Wilson, and Dr. George Wood, also held a private virtual meeting on Monday June 1, 2020. Sixty-one global leaders from 26 countries participated in that meeting as they shared updates about what God is doing around the world. In the discussion they announced the formation of a new collective Prayer Commission whose goal is to pray for every person on earth by 2033, by name where possible. The Global Council also announced plans for a Global Evangelist Conference to be held in Amsterdam in 2023 to facilitate the fulfillment of the Empowered21 vision “that every person on earth would have an authentic encounter with Jesus through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit by Pentecost 2033.”
