Members of The Foundation for Evangelism’s staff visited global evangelism grant recipients in Germany and Estonia in mid-July. The visits included celebrations of decades of Foundation-supported ministry, teaching, and transformation in Europe.
E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Reutlingen School of Theology, Germany
The Foundation staff excitedly joined in the retirement celebration for one of the longest-serving E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism (ESJP), Prof. Achim Härtner, at Reutlingen Theological Seminary in Germany. You can read about Prof. Härtner’s ministry and leadership in this article.
Heather Lear, the Foundation’s vice-president for grants, reflected that the influence and impact of our E. Stanley Jones Professors does not end once students leave their classrooms. She said,
“The ripples from the teaching and mentorship offered by Prof. Härtner was evident as we visited the congregations of former students engaging in bold and creative ministries to connect with their communities, meet needs, and share and embody the love of Jesus in tangible, practical ways.”
Foundation president, Jack Jackson, observed that Prof. Härtner has helped place the sharing of the good news of Jesus Christ at the heart of the seminary’s curriculum. The Wesleyan movement in Germany has been helped immensely through the Foundation’s partnership with the school.
Taking over Prof. Härtner’s ESJ professorship position is Prof. Dr. Maximilian “Max” Bühler, a professor at Reutlingen since 2023. Dr. Bühler served as a pastor in the Darmstadt/Dreieich district for two years prior to joining the school staff.
Jack followed up saying,
“I am so excited that Prof. Dr. Max Bühler will follow Achim in this role, and I trust he will shape part of the Wesleyan movement in Germany and beyond in the coming years.”
In the video below, Prof. Bühler describes how former students are now leading churches that are making an impact in their communities.
Estonian Methodist Church – Youth Ministry Initiative
The Foundation staff departed Germany and made their way to Tallinn, Estonia, where they met up with leaders from the Estonian Methodist Church. In 2022, this Wesleyan-tradition church received the very first So That The World May Know Jesus grant from the Dr. H. Eddie and Mary Nell Fox Endowment for Evangelism. District Superintendent, Rev. Robert Tserenkov, and the director of youth ministries who has been leading the efforts across the church to revitalize ministry with young people!
Estonia is considered the most secular country in Europe. The Methodist youth there embrace this statistic and eagerly accept the challenge of boldly sharing their faith and claiming their identity as children of God.
Heather shared that,
“The 2022 Fox grant enabled the expansion of the Estonia youth ministry and camp experiences where Methodist youth can invite their friends to encounter the power of God’s transforming love and grace.”
This youth ministry involves five congregations from the Estonian Methodist Church. The Foundation’s grant has primarily helped to fund training for youth leaders to discern calling and to learn effective ministry with teenagers. This has allowed new opportunities for engaging with young people in ways that are meaningful to them and help them grow in their Christian discipleship. From the time the grant started in 2022, more than 63 youth attended camps held in the summer and winter. The youth leaders lean heavily on social media to engage these youth, averaging about 2,000 views per week.
Whether in Europe or in a Wesleyan-tradition church around the corner, The Foundation for Evangelism’s grants are helping equip disciples to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
