Eurofest '75

Eurofest '75 was an International Youth Conference and Evangelistic Campaign organised by the Billy Graham Organisation in Brussels, Belgium. It followed on from Spree '73 held in London. The General Secretary for both was Harvey Thomas.[1]

Graham preached from Phillipians teaching on the connections between joy and prayer - two of the book's major themes. He insisted: "Young people should learn to pray."

The festival took place from 24 July - 2 August 1975, in the Centenary Palace Exhibition Halls whilst the public Campaigns were in the near-by Heysel Stadium, Brussels.

Personnel

Many well-known evangelical figures first came to prominence at the festival, such as Luis Palau, Bishop Festo Kivengere, Annie Vallotton the French-Swiss Good News Bible illustrator and Manfred Siebald the German singer-songwriter. Vallatton gave a talk each morning before the Bible expositions, that she illustrated on an overhead projector, fitted with an acetate scroll.

Committees

[2]

Executive Committee

Chairman: Werner Bürklin (Federal Germany)

Vice-Chairman: Brian Kingsmore (Ireland)

Secretary: Elon Svanell (Sweden)

Richard Bewes (U.K)

Ingulf Diesen (Norway)

Juan Gili (Spain)

Gien Karssen (Netherlands)

Elio Milazzo (Italy)

Richard Møller Petersen (Denmark)

Herbert Müller (Federal Germany)

Jean-Jacques Weiler (France)

Programme Committee

Chairman: Richard Bewes (U.K.)

Vice-Chairman/Training: Arnold van Heusden (Netherlands)

Vice-Chairman/Music: Svante Widen (Sweden)

Maisie Adamson (Ireland)

Ruth Büchli (Switzerland)

Hermogenes Fernandez (Spain)

Herbert Müller (Federal Germany)

Yves Perrier (France)

Paul Vandenbroeck (Belgium)

Prayer Committee

Chairlady: Eliana Vuffray (Switzerland)

Moises Gomes (Portugal)

Sheila Stone (U.K.)

Veli-Pekka Toiviainen (Finland)

Dora Winston (Belgium)

Administration

General Director: John Corts

General Secretary: Harvey Thomas

Full-time co-odinators

German-speaking Europe: Hans-Jürgen Beulshausen

Iberia: Hermogenes Fernandez

Denmark and Norway: Peter Hofman-Bang

Finland and Sweden: Peo Lannerö

Greece and Italy: Salvatore Loria

Ireland: Cassells Morrell

Netherlands: Bouke Ottow

Great Britain: Tony Stone

French-speaking Europe: Jean-Jacques Weiler

The Co-ordinators were also supported by more than 3,000 district and local voluntary representatives.

Developers

The morning programmes and materials were developed by:-

George Brucks (Netherlands) "Developing a Lifestyle"
Tom Houston (U.K.) "Building the Relationship with God"
Anton Schulte (Federal Germany) "Going Home"
Ralph Shallis (France) "Understanding the Fellowship"
Gilbert Kirby (U.K.) "Knowing Salvation"
Alfred Kuen (France) "Evangelism"
Don Stephens (Switzerland) "Spiritual Warfare"

Expositors

Anglican Bishop Festo Kivengere (Uganda) and evangelist Luis Palau (Argentinia & USA) led the Bible expositions. The handbook labelled Palau "Mexico" as he recently had been a Missionary there.

Seminar teams

Apostolos Bliates (Greece); George Brucks (Netherlands); Alain Burnand (Switzerland); Alain Choiquier (France); Gert Doornenbal (Netherlands); Knut Magne Ellingsen (Norway); Bill Freel (U.K.); Juan Gili (Spain); Charles Guillot (France); Martin Homann (Federal Germany); Tom Houston (U.K.); Brian Kingsmore (N. Ireland); Alfred Kuen (France); Kalevi Lehtinen (Finland); Johannes Lukasse (Belgium); Elio Milazzo (Italy); Yves Perrier (France); Bernhard Rebsch (Federal Germany); Dagfinn Saether (Norway); Anton Schulte (Federal Germany); Hugh Silvester (U.K.); Emmanouel Smpraos (Greece); Theo Sorg (Federal Germany); Don Stephens (Switzerland); Billy Strachan (U.K.); Don Summers (U.K.); Paul Vandenbroeck (Belgium); Virgilio Vangioni (Spain); Jim Wilson (Switzerland).


Artist Annie Vallotton Switzerland
Children's programme Ursel Nawak Federal Germany
Counsellors co-ordinators Ingulf Diesen Norway
Gien Karssen Netherlands
Euroshop manager Jean Wilson U.K.
Lonely hearts patrol Vijay Menon U.K.
Masters of ceremonies Werner Burklin Federal Germany
Arnold van Heusden Netherlands
David Pope U.K.
Bernd Schlottoff Federal Germany
Prayer co-ordinator Eliane Vuffray Switzerland
Production manager Harvey Thomas U.K.
Witnessing co-ordinator Claude Lefebvre Belgium

Music

The Finish group Treklangen sang the theme song: "I don't know what you came to do, but I came to praise the Lord" by Dallas Holm. They recorded on the Pilot label in English and Swedish as well as their own language.

One of the special guests was Cliff Richard.[3] He was secured for the conference too late to be mentioned in the hand book. Choralerna, who had featured at Spree '73, performed their gospel oratorio Living Water.[4] The Dutch gospel band 'The Lighters'[5] also gave several performances.

The organisers wanted to cater to all tastes, so they invited a selection of groups and singers from all over Europe. [6]

Les Ambassadeurs France
The Advocates U.K.
Lois Buckley U.K.
Choralerna Sweden
Croix de Camargue Switzerland
Garth Hewitt U.K.
Pelle Karlsson Sweden
The Lighters Netherlands
Manfred Siebald Federal Germany
Evie Tornquist Norway
Treklangen Finland
Trio Emmanuel France
Voces de Nueva Vida Spain
Emanuel Wieser Austria


The resident staff musician was Peter Bye (U.K.) who, with his band and vocal group, led the morning music spots and accompanied the other sessions.

The handbook included the words for 28 songs including one in each of the other six Eurofest languages.

6. GUD JEG VIL VÆRE KRISTEN (Norwegian)

16. MIJN VADER, DANK U WEL (Dutch)

17. OH, JOVENES VENID (Spanish)

20. QUAND LES MONTAGNES (French)

22. SIGNOR T'ADORIAMO (Italian)

26. VERGISS NICHT ZU DANKEN (German)

Languages

Delegates registered in one of seven official languages. On sign-in they were given a handbook in that language and a colour coded wristband for access to the site. The languages were: English - pink; French - blue; German - yellow; Italian - green; Dutch - white; Spanish - orange and Norwegian - violet.

There were seminars in each of the seven Eurofest languages, as well as in Finnish and Greek. Most seminars had a "Teach Team" of two people that shared the teaching.

The meetings were held in the main hall that was divided into eight language areas with wide walkways in between. They were simultaneously translated from English into the other six official languages delivered by overhead speakers in the language areas. English speakers were told to sit anywhere so that their area could be used for on-the-ground simultaneous translation into the additional seminar languages of Finnish and Greek as well as Swedish and other languages.

Minigroups

All participants were assigned a "minigroup" of 8 - 10 people with a leader to work through each day's Worksheet based on the seminar and pray together. "Minigroup" was the organisers' term for cell group. Some worksheet questions required further subdivision (in half or in partners) to achieve the best group dynamic for the task.

Daily Timetable

[7]

Thursday

24 July

Friday

25 July

Saturday

26 July

Sunday

27 July

Monday

28 July

Tuesday

29 July

Wednesday

30 July

Thursday

31 July

Friday

1 August

Saturday

2 August

Daily Theme Knowing

Salvation

Building the Relationship with God _____ Understanding the Fellowship Developing a Lifestyle Spiritual

Warfare

Evangelism Going Home Facing the

Future

07.00 -

09.00

Quiet Time, Breakfast and Music
09.00 -

10.30

Bible

Exposition

(Luis Palau)

Bible

Exposition

(Festo

Kivengere)

_____ Bible

Exposition

(Festo Kivengere)

Bible

Exposition

(Luis Palau)

Bible

Exposition

(Festo Kivengere)

Bible

Exposition

(Luis Palau)

Bible

Exposition

(Festo Kivengere)

Bible

Exposition (1)

(Luis Palau)

Bible Exposition (2)

(Festo Kivengere)

Minigroups Prayer

* 10.30

Worship Service

11.00 –

13.00

Seminar Seminar Seminar Seminar Seminar Seminar Seminar
*
14.00 –

18.00

Optional + Optional _____ Optional Optional Optional Optional Optional Clear Up
16.00

Campaign

16.00

Campaign

16.00

Campaign

* Close
20.00 –

22.00

Welcome Rally (Participants only) Campaign International Gospel Music Festival Together in Music Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign
*
22.30 -

23.30

_____ Late Night Special _____ _____ Late Night Special Late Night Special Late Night Special Late Night Special Late Night Special

+Optional programme

[8]

Options offered for the 14.00 - 18.00 slot included:

  • Joining a witnessing team traveling into the city centre
  • Joining prayer groups for the witnessing teams
  • Special interest seminars (detailed below)

Special interest seminars

Personnel Title Time
Apostolos Bliates (Greece) "Leading a Youth Group" first Saturday 14.00
Pieter Boomsma (Netherlands) "The Young Christian in the Local Church" Wednesday 16.00
Stuart Briscoe (U.S.A.) "Sex and Marriage" Monday 16.00
Karl Erik Freed (Sweden) "Helping New Christians" first Friday 14.15
Gilbert Kirby (U.K.) "The Occult" Monday 14.15
Bill Latham[9] (U.K.) "The Christian Viewpoint on Social Problems" Tuesday 14.30
Hans Rookmaaker (Netherlands) "Reaching Thinking People" Wednesday 14.15
Hugh Silvester (U.K.) "Giving a Talk" second Friday 16.00
John Stott (U.K.) "The Calling and Qualifications of a Minister" Thursday 16.00
Svante Widen (Sweden) "The Christian and Music" first Friday 16.00
A panel including bishop Festo Kivengere and Luis Palau Question and answer plenary session second Friday 14.15

Stott's seminar on leadership was originally intended for "pastors or those interested in full-time service".[10] Graham believed that Stott deserved a wider audience, so he up-graded it to a plenary session that he chaired so that "everyone could be present".[11]

References

  1. "Harvey Thomas's CV, showing when he worked for Eurofest '75 and Spree '73". www.hthomas.net. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  2. Delegates' handbook, page 14
  3. Audio of Richard recounting his faith story (testimony) in the Heysel Stadium, retrieved 15 October 2019
  4. Living Water Choralerna The Musical, retrieved 15 October 2019
  5. Video of the Lighters′ performing on the Exhibition hall steps, retrieved 15 October 2019
  6. Delegates' handbook, page 7
  7. Delegates' handbook, page 8
  8. Delegates' handbook, pages 7 and 9
  9. Cliff Richard′s manager
  10. Delegates' handbook, page 9
  11. "Richard Bewes obituary for Stott". www.dropcatch.com. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  • A page of photographs:
  • More photos:
  • Pathe film of the event (no audio) showing Treklagen in the Heysel Stadium singing the theme tune:
  • An Assessment of Mass Meetings as a Method of Evangelism: Case Study of Eurofest '75 and the Billy Graham Crusade in Brussels - Google books:
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