p ho et tre es
R LPH June-Aug.‘18 - Issue 70 - trimonthly magazine - P206948
Dependance avenue
Magazine of the Belgian Evangelical Mission
bou leva rd
street y e n Jour
unio
rd eva l u o ip b
n st reet
h les p i isc
gr comeat squ missi are on
refl ecti on
eet n str o i t a r Integ
Bible square
n mu
stre et
eet str et tre ys istr
Me plac eting e sq uar e
g yin a r p rk pa
min
gospel street
Faith River
e
participation street
u ven na
sio pas
com
unit ys tree t
rest orat ion
Good news boulevard
praising park
ns tre et
ue
ity
reaching people outside the churches p5-6
Mis sio
n ave nt
m co
me
mit
m Co
d
editorial
On a mission
Kurt Maeyens
For almost a century, the BEM has been responding in its own way, to the missionary call of the Master (Matthew 28), by planting churches and doing evangelism in Belgium. In 2015, when I became Director for the Dutch and German-speaking ministries, it was my heart-felt desire that Peter Hartman, Luc Salsac and I should seek God together, and ask ourselves the following questions: How can we spread the Gospel in a way that’s relevant in a world that’s constantly evolving? What’s your will, Lord? How can we spread your wonderful message of salvation and forgiveness? During the course of a frank discussion with Jan-Willem and Kathy Vink, BEM consultants, we came to realise that the consequences of asking these questions were much greater than we’d imagined. It’s a bit like with an old car. At first, you think you just need a few adjustments, replacing the windscreen wipers, repairing a broken window, or adjusting the headlights. But then you open up the bonnet and see smoke coming out of the engine! Over the last few decades, Belgium’s been changing at an incredible rate, just like many other Western countries. Our little Catholic country has become a post-Christian society. Our towns and cities now comprise many different cultures and religions. There is a climate of insecurity. Many now live in fear; fear of further terrorist attacks, or the growing
RALPh MAGAZINE
number of refugees, the lack of flexibility in the job market, or the growing gulf between rich and poor. Many churches are emptying, with the young in particular staying away. Yet equally, this is a time when there are enormous possibilities for reaching people with the Gospel. Many are yearning for answers, hope, inner peace and a world that is stable. We waited on God together, asking Him to show us how to reach Belgium with the Gospel today. A strategy committee was formed of people from inside and outside BEM to discuss and reflect in all honesty on the possibilities and opportunities before us. These discussions were an enriching experience for us all. We saw God at work and several of us came to have very similar heart convictions by the end. In this issue, we want to share what God has shown us, and invite you to pray for the BEM. ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain.’ We want to create a network of disciples that will be integrated into society bringing salt and light along with them. In recent years, God has richly blessed several BEM ministries. We praise God for His provision and His faithfulness! However, the spiritual needs in Belgium remain critical: many young people have never even heard the Gospel; many older people have no hope for the future. As long as this remains the case, our mission is not over. That’s why, holding onto God, and incarnated into society around us, we want to shine as lights reflecting God’s love. Please pray with us that His Spirit may work powerfully!
refers to Ralph Norton. Ralph and his wife Edith founded the
Belgian Evangelical Mission in 1918. The BEM has a desire to bring the Gospel to the Belgian population.
COLO PH ON
This magazine keeps you posted on our work and our workers.
RALPH | 2
Editor Kurt Maeyens Team Eunice Parodi - Ciara Goossens Kathy Oost - Jan Willem Vink Translation Madeleine Blake/Ruth Trump
Contact Bd Lambermont, 158 1030 Brussels BELGIUM Tel: +32(0)2/241.30.15. E-mail: information@b-e-m.org Website: www.b-e-m.org Facebook: Belgian Evangelical Mission
short news
BEM Day at Camp Limauges
On Ascension Day, there’s always something going on at Limauges. In the past it was ‘The Day of the Mission’, which later became ‘The Day of the Camp’. Now for the third year running, it’s been ‘The Day of the BEM and the Camp’ that we celebrate - and we do mean celebrate! From the hubbub of all the happy reunions, to the preaching and the news flashes, visiting the stands, everyone queuing for their free portions of chips, the children enthusiastically making the most of the bouncy castles and the playground, and the time given over to praise and thanksgiving in the afternoon through song and testimony – yes, we certainly did make ourselves heard! What a joy it was, this year once again, to come together from all over Belgium to benefit from these blessed moments of fellowship.
Baie dankie, Barry en Coreen ! This is the story of a family living happily in South Africa, who gradually found themselves being called to leave it all behind. Barry and Coreen were living with their three sons near the ocean, both with full-time jobs, but at the same time members of a church congregation of 1200 people. They’d heard about the spiritual needs of Belgium. Their church supported the BEM Mission post of Hamme, and they themselves had offered hospitality to BEM missionaries. They’d even participated in a three-week mission trip to Flanders. But there was nothing to indicate that they would be the ones to make a great leap of faith. And yet, little by little, that’s exactly what happened. On July 31st 2001, Barry, Coreen and their son Bernard, then 12 years old, arrived in Brussels leaving behind family, friends, sunshine, broad plains and high mountains. In exchange, they discovered not only a country that was certainly small, flat and rain-swept, but also the changing seasons, the long summer evenings, Belgian cuisine and Belgian beers, as well as loving fellowship with colleagues and a new local church. For seventeen years they’ve welcomed brothers and sisters from across the world, showing them hospitality, then ‘sending them on their journey in a manner worthy of God’ (3 John 5-8) and thus also helping them in their ministries. Their joy in serving others and their gift of hospitality have made he Norton House what it has become, - in the words of
an 8 year-old boy: ‘a big house where everyone loves each other’. In the years that followed, Barry also made use of his professional skills in taking on part of the work on the BEM accounts. Now Barry and Coreen are returning home, enriched by unforgettable experiences and many multicultural encounters. It’s time for us to get out our handkerchiefs to say a big thank you and ‘au revoir’! Baie dankie, Barrie en Coreen. Mooi loop! (Afrikaans for ‘Thank you.’ Barrie and Coreen ‘ Take care.’)
Merci, Gérald et Bernadette! For nine years they’ve been the public face of Camp Limauges – Gérald with his slightly greying beard, Bernadette with her welcoming smile, not forgetting their three younger children who joined them on this adventure. We’ve seen our friends at work all over the camp, at all hours and in all weathers. Their desire to see a job well done, and their reassuring presence, has blessed the thousands who benefit from the increasingly modern infrastructure of the camp. As they make ready to leave Limauges to begin a new chapter in their lives, the BEM wants to take the time to honour their dedication and their faithfulness in the ministry. Thank you, Gérald and Bernadette. It’s been a privilege to count you among our colleagues. May the Lord richly bless you both!
RALPH | 3
Missionary in belgium What is the impact of Belgian culture ?
“So are Protestants Christians too?” I was dumbfounded by this strange question. I was in conversation with an older Flemish Catholic lady. In her eyes only Catholics were Christians. She didn’t
About two years ago, my husband Jan Willem Vink and I were approached by BEM. They asked us to undertake research in order to open up avenues for the development of a new vision. The work brought us into exciting encounters with missionaries, leaders, Christians and non-Christians in Belgium. At the time, I would have used the term “the Belgians”, but today I prefer to distinguish the Flemish from the Walloons. My husband, who’d spent a good deal of his youth in Belgium, was on familiar territory. But for my part, as a good Dutchwoman, I quickly realised that I’d under-estimated the cultural differences between our two countries. The picture we were getting again and again from these meetings was that RALPH | 4
know much about Protestants. “Aren’t they a sect? Those weird people who take the Bible literally? So out of date, don’t you think?”
living in Belgium was uphill work for missionaries, and the soil was hard. Despite the obvious spiritual needs, there seems to be little openness to the Gospel. Most churches or fellowships remain small and years can pass with only a handful coming to faith. Some older missionaries spoke with enthusiasm of the good old days they’d known in the past when people were more open to the Gospel. The 80s and 90s in particular saw many coming to faith.
hard ground This all made us think. If what we’d been told was right, Belgium had not always been such hard ground. We wondered what factors had to be tak-
en into account. Having studied various missionary organisations, we’d noticed that the most important thing in their evangelism was God at the centre, along with the prayers of His followers. But Jesus also calls us in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all nations. So Belgians are included! But why then does the Gospel have so much difficulty in making headway here? Is it the fault of those ‘unresponsive, difficult Belgians, who resist any change’? No, I don’t think so! We’d met so many amazing, wonderful people who did show interest and asked questions about God, that we could only conclude the opposite. It must be said though that they didn’t really seem to know and understand much about God. And yes, usually you
only love what you know and understand.
gium: these methods just don’t have the same impact here as in the USA, England or Holland.
The influence of culture Intercultural studies Of course, we do know that in a period of spiritual drought, several factors, both spiritual and practical, need to be taken into account. This includes the influence of the culture in which the person who hears the message grew up. Culture influences the way a message is received, and culture changes over time. We live at a time which differs in many ways from the 80s and 90s. At that period people knew something about Christianity, whether they had a Catholic or a Protestant background. Nowadays many young people have no Christian frame of reference at all. For many the Bible is a history book or even just a fairy tale from which you might possibly pick up some good lessons for life. In this post-modern age where ‘truth’ is a relative concept, not many people even know the gospel. Theologian Stefan Pass writes about this in his book ‘Vreemelingen en priesters’ (Aliens and Priests): “We live in a cultural phase in which Christianised Europe is disappearing before our very eyes.1” A time when young people in particular know almost nothing about Christianity. What does this mean for evangelism and mission today? How can we connect better with the culture of this country and what are the implications for our evangelistic methods? The missionaries told us that what worked well in the 80s and 90s no longer connects to the culture of today. And the same is true of methods imported from elsewhere. The Anglo-Saxon approach, based on church growth and measurable results doesn’t seem to work in Bel-
The experts at the ETF (Evangelical Theological Faculty) and ABC ministries recommended we read the intercultural studies of Professor Geert Hofstede. He lists five dimensions to use when comparing cultural differences between countries, including for example ‘uncertainty avoidance index’ (UAD) and ‘power distance index’ (PDI). The UAD factor evaluates the way in which someone in a given culture reacts to situations that are uncertain or unknown. The Flemish and the Walloons live with a higher degree of uncertainty avoidance than, for example, Americans, Austrians, or Dutch. Even when convinced that change is good and necessary, it’ll be more difficult for them to let go of what they’ve always known. They won’t easily embrace change. Missionaries from abroad note the faithfulness and perseverance of the church in Belgium, but then run into resistance when they suggest something new. This is due to the high level of uncertainty avoidance here.
We found that people in Belgian open up when you take an interest in them as people and show you value them, when you’re ready to learn from them and try to understand their culture. This requires humility. We should also mention that Belgians are quick to consider someone who comes over as ‘knowing it all’ as arrogant!
His kingdom So much more could be said about a country’s culture in relation to mission and evangelisation. Jesus calls us to live by the culture and values of His Kingdom, which are often out of phase with the culture in which we’ve been raised. However, He calls us to spread the Good News of His Kingdom in this world. How can we build bridges to enable us to reach the inhabitants of Belgium of all generations? In formulating its new vision BEM has chosen to become a movement from which will spring communities of disciples of Jesus functioning on the basis of values like integration, journeying, participation and community. You’ll learn more in the next article. Text: Kathy Vink-Oost
1
The PDI factor evaluates the way a society accepts hierarchical differences between individuals as a given fact. In Belgium this ‘hierarchical distance’ is also much greater than, for example, in America or Northern Europe. Much more power and influence is attributed to people in positions of authority, such as teachers, or church leaders by the average Belgian. Taking the initiative is generally left to those in authority rather than suggesting something oneself. On the other hand, gaining the trust of a Belgian is more difficult. Gaining their trust means investing in long-term relationships.
Source: Stefan Paas (2015) Vreemdelingen en
Priesters
More information about the approach of Professor Hofstede and also evangelical Belgian culture can be found in the brochure published by ABC ministries (in Dutch): https://www.abcministries.be/ vorming1/culture-gospel
RALPH | 5
A new
Vision for the BEM “As a missionary organisation we want to reach those outside the churches.”
Belgium has changed. In consequence, the BEM, a year before its centenary, is looking again at its mission statement. “Our society has changed,” explains Kurt Maeyens. “We need to recognise that we live in a post-Christian culture. People no longer have natural links to the Christian world.” The process of reflexion and research that BEM
Our new vision goes like this: “We see a thriving movement of integrated communities of disciples of Jesus throughout Belgium.” Enthusiastically Kurt and Luc explain how the BEM wants to go out in order to meet people where they are. The BEM will in fact be returning to its original vision, choosing to become once again a missionary organisation one hundred per cent. “A few years ago, when I became BEM director for Flanders,” recalls Kurt, “we didn’t really know how to reach Belgium with the Gospel any more. RALPH | 6
began nearly two years ago is leading them to explore new paths. For example, all BEM ministries will from now on be centred on four core values. Why this change? Because it’s no longer enough just to invite people to church. We have to go out to find them where they are. Let’s listen to Kurt Maeyens and Luc Salsac.
We were trying to carry on with what we already had.” Over the years BEM has seen many periods of growth, but also of stagnation. In the 80s and 90s churches were growing, but methods that seemed effective then no longer appear to work. For Kurt it’s quite wrong to say that, by definition, Belgians can’t be reached with the Gospel any more. “In the past, we were always trying to find a link with the Christian world” he explains. “But now because many people have no Catholic roots at all and therefore no Christian back-
ground, we’ve tended to say they’re no longer open to the Gospel. However, if you start by building a relationship with them, it can even turn out to be the exact opposite.”
amazing “In the development of this new vision, I’ve really become convinced that God has a new plan for Belgium,” Kurt goes on enthusiastically. “The whole process was amazing and we’ve really seen the Holy Spirit at work.” “I didn’t really know what to expect
when we started” adds Luc.”It seemed important to me that we invite a number of people from outside BEM to join us. There was a crucial meeting when Filip de Cavel, Nat Winston and Eric Zander each gave a presentation. This was really an eye-opener. Filip explained why the old, tried and tested approach doesn’t work in Flanders anymore, and he pointed us to new initiatives that are proving relevant today. Nat shared his experience as a pioneer in Brussels and Eric talked about ‘L’Autre Rive’ where he’s been working. And then he pointed out
Integration
journeying
participation
community Integration
Luc’s already been working in Hannut for some years using these same four values. He says, “When considering the church and the world, it’s not a question of us and them. We deliberately choose to be out there amongst other people. We realise that Jesus left heaven to come down to earth to live amongst men. If we don’t do the same, the gap between us and them will only grow wider.” For Luc, in practice this means being committed to a local organisation ‘La Maison du Coeur’ (The House of the Heart) which helps destitute people. “Every Thursday morning, I go out and
the general principles common to all three experiences. This made a great impression on all of us.”
DNA “The values that we finally chose for the Mission come straight out of each of these stories,” continues Luc. “One of them is integration. It’s about the way we deal with people, not just by inviting them, but by living among them.” The DNA of the Mission has been finally formulated as follows: The
about in a furniture van with two other people. I find myself among people I would never have met under other circumstances. Some have drugs or drink problems, some have been in prison, others have family difficulties. I’ve learned a lot from them. I can’t preach openly but I can serve them. When the opportunity arises, I talk about God. They respect me and sometimes ask me questions. One Thursday, I couldn’t be there because I had to go to hospital; and my wife and children were out of the country. These friends offered to help by doing the shopping for me. Sometimes I even find this sort of work showing me what church should be like.”
BEM commits itself to incarnating the Good News of Jesus in society, to making disciples of Jesus, and to developing integrated and relevant communities in every socio-cultural context and for every people group in Belgium and beyond.” Kurt explains, “Above all we want to focus on the ways of making an impact on society and the means of bringing Christ to people today.” The new approach of BEM rests on four strategic values: all taken from pioneer ministries or pioneer communities.
journeying This next value means a lot to Kurt personally. It’s a reflection of the fact that in Belgium we sometimes have to spend years with people in order to see them change. “My daughter, Liesbeth, got married recently. When she was five she became friends with Evelien, a classmate. They became best friends and Liesbeth invited her to a Christian camp. One day, Evelien’s parents came to visit, and we became friends with them. They were grateful for the special friendship between our two daughters. She even came on holiday with us. Evelien was one of the witnesses at Liesbeth’s RALPH | 7
marriage. Her parents helped with all the preparations and really enjoyed the service. For me this was all about the principle of journeying together, being open to others in our daily lives. Evelien did become a Christian, but it took ten years.”
from ‘La Maison du Coeur’ put a question mark next to faith, but they had a lot to say about love because they’re living it out on a daily basis. They felt free to talk about this and it captured their interest.”
Participation
Community
Participation is a central feature of the services in Luc’s fellowship in Hannut. “We choose to put this value into practice because the Holy Spirit speaks to all of us. Naturally there is always someone leading the service, but everyone has the chance to share something themselves, to speak of what they have or haven’t understood. We never put a lid on people’s questions.”
The fourth value is community. “Community is wider than church.” remarks Luc. “It’s any group of people. There are all sorts of communities in the world; it could be a football club, or a rugby club or a club of cycle enthusiasts. As Christians we should be taking part in this sort of thing, or starting something up ourselves in order to be involved with others. Community is not only about planting churches but about building bridges with others based on shared interests. For example, the café Expressé in Charleroi will be a place where people can come to experience community. It will be run by Christians and so people will be able to ‘get a taste of’ Christ. This aspect brings new meaning to our traditional idea of what church means.”
“One day I invited the team from ‘La Maison du Coeur’ to the service, giving them the opportunity to tell us about their work. Our fellowship has a strap line: ‘A dynamic faith, a radical love, a certain hope’. I asked people to make a drawing showing what that might mean to them. My colleagues
We end this conversation with Luc and Kurt by looking to the future. How do they see BEM developing in the years to come? “I hope BEM will be a platform where people can try out new ideas,” says Luc. “That we won’t end up saying: “But we never tried that idea!” I hope that young people will want to join us and that we will be able to reach a new public.” And Kurt continues, “We don’t want to be content to be an organisation, we want to be a movement directed by God. If we remain faithful to Christ we will have an impact. God has called us to live amongst the lost and to bring Christ to them. I hope that this will inspire the younger generation, that they’ll become part of the movement to reach Belgium with the Gospel at the heart of their communities, whether it be a community of refugees, bikers or footballers… We’re praying for a movement which is led by the Holy Spirit.” Text and interview: Jan Willem Vink
At the time of our interview Kurt Maeyens was Director for the Dutch and German speaking ministries and Luc Salsac, Director for the French-speaking ministries. During our last AGM, all the members of the BEM leadership team stood down to make way for a new structure. After six years as French director, Luc will be concentrating on his local ministry in Hannut from now on. During the coming year Kurt will chair the new Transitional Council which will deal with the process of change on a daily basis.
RALPH | 8
A year of
transition
Kurt MAEYENS
At the end of April the BEM AGM took an important step by approving the following new vision.
Eric ZANDER
“We see a thriving movement of integrated communities of disciples of Jesus throughout Belgium.” It’s essential to have a clear vision of where you’re going as an organisation! However, change doesn’t happen overnight; a ship that’s been sailing in a certain direction needs time to change course. That’s why the AGM has appointed a new Board to oversee the transition. The BEM workers involved are Kurt Maeyens (Chair), Eric Zander, Henk van Dorp, and Willy Fraipont. Joining them are Kees van Velzen (Chair of the ‘Our Hope Foundation’, which represents BEM in Holland), Jan Wisse, until recently working with Operation Mobilisation Belgium, and BEM’s Peter Hartman who’ll be responsible for administration. This is a team with lots of experience in leadership and mission work, both in Belgium and abroad. With this team in place we hope to achieve a smooth transition. We’ll start by inviting every co-worker to indicate where he or she stands in relation to the new vision. Then we’ll formulate a personalized plan for every worker. Every BEM ministry will be closely evaluated to determine to what extent it fits the new vision. If this is no longer the case, we’ll help the ministry towards autonomy, or suggest a partnership with the BEM. The next step is to clearly define how we’re going to evaluate our activities. We want to be able to identify and
measure our strong points in order to decide exactly what we have to offer to this world that’s changing at such an alarming rate. And finally, we want to think about putting in place a new organisational structure that’s as transparent as possible, so that we can be optimal in the way we support the work. We’re praying that after this period of transition, we’ll have become an organisation that responds in a clear and relevant way to the mission Christ has given us. We want to continue to affirm that, in spite of the desperate spiritual needs, there are still opportunities for reaching Belgium with the Gospel. We hope to attract a new generation of workers from Belgium as well as from elsewhere, people who’ll see clearly the difference they could make for the Gospel. We hope to build bridges with many other organisations, churches and individuals so that together we can be even more effective. Will you pray with us? We can’t do this on our own! Change is never easy, we want to hold to our objective whilst allowing everyone concerned the time they need to make the new vision their own.
Henk VAN DORP
Willy FRAIPONT
Kees VAN VELZEN
Jan WISSE
Peter HARTMAN
Text: Jan Wisse RALPH | 9
The edith column Ruth Trump How do we share our faith with our unbelieving neighbours when they show no interest in spiritual matters at all? I’m blessed with good neighbours here in our village: two are of similar age to me, and really nice to talk to. But if I try to explain the difference Jesus makes in my life, or refer to my God-centred world-view, I can see their eyes glaze over and they change the subject. So I was intrigued when I read about Australian Christine Dillon who describes herself as a story-teller (www.storyingthescriptures.com). She’s learned to tell a whole series of Bible stories which she can then use in a variety of settings: in public, but more often in private conversations, on a train or with neighbours. Encouraged by this, I decided to start learning my first Bible story. I chose part of Luke 7, when Jesus is anointed by a sinful woman in Simon the Pharisee’s house. It wasn’t till I tried to memorise the story that I understood more about the careful way it had been crafted by Luke. It seemed to me that I could discern 7 steps, neatly balancing each other, with a mini-parable in the very centre (v41). The final step is Jesus’ devastating summary in v47: “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven – for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (ESV) And understanding all this, helped me a lot with the memorisation. But of course, I find I need to keep reviewing the 7 steps in this gospel story, so as to be ready when the occasion presents itself! In fact, in the following few weeks I was able to share this powerful story with a student on a train, with my Ladies’ Group at church, at an old people’s home Christmas event – and even with one of my sceptical neighbours, saying ‘would you like to hear one of the Bible stories I’m trying to learn?’ She said yes, and this time, she was really listening…
RALPH | 10
interview For the past few years, Jan Wisse has been the director of Operation Mobilisation Belgium. Today he’s joining BEM and will be participating in the implementation of the new strategy. Jan and his wife, Melinda, have four children.
“Implementing the new strategy is going to be an enormous challenge.”
What did you learn during your years as director of O.M. Belgium? The importance of finding the right balance between working for God and keeping God at the centre of your life. It’s perfectly possible to be so absorbed in your work for God that you forget why you’re doing it. This balance is very important, especially if you tend to be an activist. So what’s the secret? I think the key thing is God himself. You constantly struggle with yourself. Part of me wants to keep the balance, part of me struggles against it. Each time this happens I become aware that it’s God who’s holding me in His arms. The most important thing for me is to make time for Him. It’s a challenge every day: it’ll never be achieved once and for all. I keep needing to remind myself to put God first every single day! Last year you were involved in the reflections on the new BEM strategy. What did you gain from this experience? I agreed to join the team because I find this kind of thinking very interesting. What I found amazing was how all the input finally came together so beautifully. Personally I’m very happy with the outcome. What will be your task in BEM? The idea is for me to help implement the new vision for the communities. That’s all I can say for now. I’ll find out as we
go along, what this is going to mean for me in practice. Why did you choose to do this? One day, as I was driving to Holland, I was overcome by a profound desire to join the team to help put the new vision into place. It was so strong that I wondered what God wanted to tell me. Did it really come from Him or was it just my imagination? I thought about it for a while and then I finally asked Kurt for a meeting to discuss it. He invited me to consider exactly doing what was already on my heart. This was a confirmation for me. So I prayed, “God, if this is your will, we’re ready to go for it!” What’ll be the greatest challenge for BEM in the coming years? The greatest challenge will be to make the new vision a reality. We’ll need more people for this. We’ll need to be doing things differently and that’s never easy. We’ll need to be recruiting, which has notably been a problem over recent years, linked with a lack of funds. So we’ll need finance as well. What’s your dream for Belgium? I’m praying that Belgium might be a land that turns back to God, that people might come to know God for Who He really is, and that the Belgian church may grow. Apparently a little over 1% of the population know Jesus: we can’t be satisfied with this statistic! Texte and interview: Jan Willem Vink
RALPH | 11
The BEM centenary 2019 is a big year for the MEB because we’ll be celebrating our centenary! We’re thankful for all that has been accomplished over the years and we want to celebrate this historic date with you. 2019 will mark 100 years since Ralph and Edith Norton arrived in Belgium to found the Belgian Gospel Mission, known today as the ‘Belgian Evangelical Mission’. The BEM has had a great part to play in the spreading of the gospel in Belgium, and many churches and ministries have come out of that. So in our centenary year, we want to look back with thankful hearts at all that God has done up till now, but also, and more importantly, we want to look to the future by sharing our new vision with you. We’ll be launching a special year of celebrations and you’re all invited to join in. There will be something for everyone! More information, including the key dates, in the next edition of Ralph!
donation@b-e-m.org United States BEM Inc PO Box 2255 Buford , GA 30515 Tel: 001 404.248.7868 USBEM@bellsouth.net Lisa_rob_clark@bellsouth.net Bank info: Routing: 061000227 Account: 2000127122209
United Kingdom Belgian Evangelical Mission – UK PO Box 617 Epsom, Surrey KT17 9JQ Bank account: CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ Sort code: 40 52 40 Account Number: 00008831
“The Belgian Evangelical Mission – UK is a registered charity n°247192 and a registered data user”