Intense. Spirit-empowered. Multi-generational. Those are some of the words being used to describe the first-ever Empowered 21 Asia Congress.
Empowered21’s vision is to help shape the future of the global Spirit-empowered movement throughout the world by focusing on crucial issues facing the movement and connecting generations for intergenerational blessing and impartation.
The Asia congress was held Oct. 25-29 at the Sentul International Convention Center in Jakarta, Indonesia. More than 14,000 people from 49 nations attended. Delegations included about 600 house church leaders from China and more than 300 from Vietnam.
“Empowered21 Asia is quite a breakthrough because we had almost 600 Christians from China in attendance,” said Dennis Balcombe, pastor of Revival Chinese Ministries International in Hong Kong. “This is the largest gathering of Christians from China ever to attend an event outside of China.”
Throughout the Congress, Empowered21 Asia, unofficially emphasized a “Three Generational Ministry.” While most of the presenters addressed this theme, pastor Lawrence Kong, senior pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church Singapore and co-chair of the Empowered21 Asian Cabinet, offered a deeper understanding with his speech, “A Three Generational God.”
The week included general sessions and 72 learning conversations. The Congress concluded with a commissioning service. Spiritual mothers and fathers of the movement anointed and prayed for each of the 10,000 attendees at the final service. Together, they sought increased spiritual power and wisdom to face the challenge of bringing the message of the living Jesus to the expansive Asian continent.
This is just the beginning for Empowered21 Asia. Regional and national events are planned across the continent over the next several months. Organizers are also planning a strategy for reclaiming the Day of Pentecost. Thousands of pastors are committing to preach and teach on the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday in 2012.
During the Congress, the Empowered21 global office announced NGYN21, a Next Gen Youth-leaders Network that will connect youth workers around the world. Organizers also tentatively committed to hold the next Empowered21 Global Congress in Jerusalem in 2014.
“The Empowered21 Asia Congress is the first large regional event among our 11 regional, global teams. It was an amazing week that will set the tone for the continued expansion of the Empowered21 movement around the world,” said Billy Wilson, executive director for Empowered21 Global. “We are honored to be serving this movement and witnessing the empowering of the generations for Christ.”
The next Empowered21 Asian cabinet meeting will be held on March 9 in Shanghai, China, and will include an invitation for young leaders to join in forming future strategies with the Empowered21 Asia cabinet.
