Eurofest '75 was an International Youth Conference and Evangelistic Campaign organised by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association held in Brussels, Belgium. It followed on from Spree '73 held in London. The General Secretary for both was Harvey Thomas.
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. Vallotton gave a talk each morning before the Bible expositions, that she illustrated on an overhead projector, fitted with an acetate scroll.
Committees Delegates' handbook, page 14
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-ordinators 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 (Argentina & 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).
ArtistAnnie VallottonSwitzerlandChildren's programmeUrsel NawakFederal GermanyCounsellors co-ordinatorsIngulf DiesenNorwayGien KarssenNetherlandsEuroshop managerJean WilsonU.K.Lonely hearts patrolVijay MenonU.K.Masters of ceremoniesWerner BurklinFederal GermanyArnold van HeusdenNetherlandsDavid PopeU.K.Bernd SchlottoffFederal GermanyPrayer co-ordinatorEliane VuffraySwitzerlandProduction managerHarvey ThomasU.K.Witnessing co-ordinatorClaude LefebvreBelgium
Music The Finnish 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. He was secured for the conference too late to be mentioned in the handbook. Choralerna, who had featured at Spree '73, performed their gospel oratorio Living Water. The Dutch gospel band 'The Lighters' 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.Delegates' handbook, page 7 Les AmbassadeursFranceThe AdvocatesU.K.Lois BuckleyU.K.ChoralernaSwedenCroix de CamargueSwitzerlandGarth HewittU.K.Pelle KarlssonSwedenThe LightersNetherlandsManfred SiebaldFederal GermanyEvie TornquistNorwayTreklangenFinlandTrio EmmanuelFranceVoces de Nueva VidaSpainEmanuel WieserAustria
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 in each Eurofest language included a songbook of 28 songs. The words for most of the songs were translated, if not original, and a further six remained untranslated. The non-English songs in the English handbook were:
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)
The non-English handbooks did not translate number 21. SEEK YE FIRST, as it had recently been written (1973) by Karen Lafferty.
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 Delegates' handbook, page 8 Thursday
24 JulyFriday
25 JulySaturday
26 JulySunday
27 JulyMonday
28 JulyTuesday
29 JulyWednesday
30 JulyThursday
31 JulyFriday
1 AugustSaturday
2 AugustDaily ThemeKnowing
SalvationBuilding the Relationship with God_____Understanding the FellowshipDeveloping a LifestyleSpiritual
WarfareEvangelismGoing HomeFacing the
Future07.00 -
09.00Quiet Time, Breakfast and Music09.00 -
10.30Bible
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 Service11.00 –
13.00SeminarSeminarSeminarSeminarSeminarSeminarSeminar*14.00 –
18.00Optional +Optional_____OptionalOptionalOptionalOptionalOptionalClear Up16.00
Campaign16.00
Campaign16.00
Campaign*Close20.00 –
22.00Welcome Rally (Participants only)CampaignInternational Gospel Music FestivalTogether in MusicCampaignCampaignCampaignCampaignCampaign*22.30 -
23.30_____Late Night Special__________Late Night SpecialLate Night SpecialLate Night SpecialLate Night SpecialLate Night Special
+Optional programme Delegates' handbook, pages 7 and 9
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
PersonnelTitleTimeApostolos Bliates (Greece)"Leading a Youth Group"first Saturday 14.00Pieter Boomsma (Netherlands)"The Young Christian in the Local Church"Wednesday 16.00Stuart Briscoe (U.S.A.)"Sex and Marriage" Monday 16.00Karl Erik Freed (Sweden)"Helping New Christians"first Friday 14.15Gilbert Kirby (U.K.)"The Occult"Monday 14.15Bill LathamCliff Richard′s manager (U.K.)"The Christian Viewpoint on Social Problems"Tuesday 14.30Hans Rookmaaker (Netherlands)"Reaching Thinking People" Wednesday 14.15Hugh Silvester (U.K.)"Giving a Talk"second Friday 16.00John Stott (U.K.)"The Calling and Qualifications of a Minister"Thursday 16.00Svante Widen (Sweden)"The Christian and Music"first Friday 16.00A panel including bishop Festo Kivengere and Luis PalauQuestion and answer plenary sessionsecond Friday 14.15
Stott's seminar on leadership was originally intended for "pastors or those interested in full-time service".Delegates' handbook, page 9 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".The Blue Ribandrichardbewes.com
References
External links A page of photographs: More photos: Richard Bewes obituary for John Stott, where he tells how Graham changed the programme at Eurofest ′75 to give Stott a larger platform: http://www.richardbewes.com/2014/12/the-blue-riband-evangelical-john-rw.html A film in monochrome showing many aspects of the festival (Hungarian commentary): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbqV9WwW3Bs&t=311s 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: