International Lineup Highlights Final Session at Empowered 21
Tulsa, OK – Close to 10,000 people attended the closing session of Empowered21: Global Congress on Holy Spirit Empowerment in the 21st Century tonight in Tulsa. International leaders representing all seven continents spoke at this special International Impartation service at the Mabee Center. The International speakers from ministries from seven continents spoke on a wide range of topics designed to challenge attendees regarding the new realities of the 21st century and how the Church can engage the new generations more effectively.
Billy Wilson, Chair of Empowered21 and Executive Director of the International Center for Spiritual Renewal, said prior to the meeting that, “Saturday Night will be a session unlike any I have ever attended. We will have a dynamic ministry from every continent in the world converging on one stage for this moment with each challenging us to reach the world for Christ in the 21st Century. We believe that the commissioning moment at the end of this Congress will represent the sending of a whole new generation to the ends of the earth. I can’t wait!”
Europe was represented by Ulf Ekman, founder and pastor of Word of Life Church and founder and president of Livets Ord University. He has been a major influence for Christ in Europe and the former Soviet Union. Word of Life produces books in several languages that are distributed all over the world, including 5 million distributed in Russia alone. More than 1,000 churches were planted in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, either directly or indirectly as a result of his missions work.
Mr. Ekman said, “The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will raise up a new generation of spirited-filled, overcoming believers in Europe and all over the world. It will happen through Empowered21.
Tommy Barnett, Senior Pastor of Phoenix First Assembly of God and Founder of the L.A. Dream Center represented the North American continent. His church is one of the fastest growing churches in America. In 1994, Barnett and his son Matthew founded the L.A. Dream Center, a massive outreach center in the heart of Los Angeles. The Center helps people in need by providing food, clothing, shelter, life rehabilitation, education and job training, biblical training and more.
Tennis great Margaret Court, founder and senior pastor of Victory Life Centre in Australia, represented the Australian continent. Throughout her career as a tennis player, she amassed and incredible 62 grand slam tennis tournament victories to her name, including 11 Australian Opens, 5 US Opens, 5 French Opens and 3 Wimbledon titles, more than any other tennis athlete, male or female. Victory Life Centre is one of the fastest growing churches in Perth and Western Australia.
“Endowment from on High to take cities and nations for Jesus, release of His gifts to demonstrate God’s power to a lost and dying world was experienced at Empowered 21,” exclaimed Court.
The Latin American continent (Central and South America) was represented by Pastor Claudio Freidzon, founder of the Rey de Reyes church in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has led crusades and conferences on five continents, ministering to more than 2.5 million people. He also hosts evangelistic programs on radio and television.
Niko Njotorahardjo is the Senior Pastor of the Gereja Bethel Indonesia in Jakarta, spoke on behalf of the continent of Asia. He has organized 800 church branches worldwide from his original congregation, with a membership of more than 200,000 people worldwide. He has also conducted more than 130 healing crusades in Indonesia and overseas with attendance at services of up to 95,000 people.
Arthur Blessit, who is famous for his crusade of carrying the cross to every continent and every nation, carried his cross in front of an exciting crowd and spoke of his expoits in ministry over the last 40+ years of his crusade. He prepresented the continent of Antarctica.
E.A. Adeboye, general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), finished the lineup of speakers and represented the African Continent. His ministry is deeply impacting nations around the world with RCCG churches in Nigeria and in other African nations, Europe, Haiti, Jamaica and the United States. He coordinates an annual Holy Ghost Congress in Lagos, Nigeria, which is attended by more than 4 million people each year and is held in a complex with a covered worship center measuring one mile by a half mile.
During the last year, conversation events with these groups of Christian leaders, scholars and next gens have taken place around the world with over 530 people from 54 different nations. The major thrust was a focus on the future of Spirit-empowered Christianity and how to engage new generations for Christ. The culmination of these global conversations was Empowered21.
The general session was broadcast internationally on Daystar TV and Enlace TV, streamed via Streaming Faith and aired locally on KGEB TV. Languages offered in translation at the Congress included Spanish, French, Russian, Korean, Chinese, German and Portuguese.
To see a complete list of all general sessions, speakers, learning sessions, leaders and others involved with Empowered21, view the Program Guide at www.empowered21.com/e21_program_guide.
