Global Missions Pioneer to Speak at Magnify

Published: June 16th, 2010

We are excited and delighted that George Verwer, the founder of worldwide mission Operation Mobilisation (OM) has confirmed that he will be with us at Magnify, both to speak and lead us in prayer for the nations. George has carried and heralded a passion for prayer, justice and mission for over 50 years but many of us youngsters may not know much about him. Ian Nicholson, 24-7 Prayer's European Director spent a number of his formative years with OM so we asked him to give us a bit of an insight into who George is and what we should expect.

The first time I heard George Verwer speak was nearly 35 years ago and is still clear in my mind. I was a university student, new Christian and zealous while at the same time carrying many hidden struggles. This skinny, intense and loud bundle of energy declared war on lukewarmness, challenged us to pray and to spend our lives for Jesus and the nations. However what also sticks in my mind was his honesty about struggles and failings – a vulnerability about weaknesses I never imagined preachers and leaders had. To me this combination of passion for God alongside ruthless honesty and humility has always characterised George - he was living what he was speaking about ; I signed up and was an OMer for a number of years and don’t regret a second of it.

Operation Mobilisation as a movement was conceived in the place of prayer. A mother prayed for her local High School for 16 years that it would be a place of revival and touch the nations. Verwer was given a copy of the gospel of John, converted at 16 in 1954 and within a couple of years several hundred pupils had become Christians.

OM as a mission was launched in the place of prayer as George and other Bible College students began to take the book of Acts seriously and spend an entire night in prayer every week around a map of the world. A few of them then initiated summer mission trips to Mexico (in fact George and his wife Drena spent their honeymoon on one of these early missions) in the late fifties and then switched their attention to Europe. A British leader wrote about Verwer’s arrival in Britain (where he has now been based for over 45 years).

In 1962 Britain’s evangelical quietness was shattered with a cry for ‘spiritual revolution’ from a very thin and very intense young American. George Verwer was immediately labelled a fanatic and good Christian parents and pastors were advised to lock up their young.

And George himself said:

Wherever two or three are gathered in the Lord’s name, sooner or later there will be a mess!

It had been some time since someone with George’s energy and enthusiasm had disrupted the status quo in the country.

And so the following summer in 1963, 2000 young people fanned out on OM’s first mission teams throughout Europe and from there their eyes turned to the unreached in the Communist nations, India and the Moslem world – always built around the half nights of prayer every week for the nations. In the late sixties the plan was conceived to buy an ocean going ship and the Logos was purchased to be later followed by the Doulos and several other ships. This growth was carried by prayer and for the first thirty years OM’s only fund raising strategy was the prayer meetings. In more recent years OM has developed a strong heart for justice and compassion alongside prayer and mission.

OM is no longer the new kid on the block and has 5400 missionaries in over 100 nations. However in my opinion its greatest impact has been hidden - the tens of thousands of missionaries, ministers, church planters and leaders who were stirred into radical discipleship through OM and then moved on – the influence has been huge.

I am so pleased that George Verwer is speaking at Magnify in Edinburgh and am praying it will be a key and significant gathering; one thing is for sure, it will not be dull! One of my favourite quotes from the man who kick-started my Christian life sums up my journey and the story of 24-7 Prayer

…it all comes down to the discipline of daring, of being willing to take risks for God. This is what the life of faith is ... we must be willing to gamble and trust.

If we can pick up just a tiny bit of George’s appreciation of God’s grace, commitment to his friends, passion for mission and faithfulness in prayer we will do well.

I emailed George yesterday to ask why he is coming? He replied..

Greetings from Australia...   I am coming because I love you guys and love what you’re doing.....and you invited me to speak which together with prayer is one of my passions.   I have kept a prayer life as priority for 55 years and thank the Lord for the movement of the Holy Spirit though Pete and the team of you. I have read and heard about what you are doing and want to learn more about it and see if there are ways we can encourage one another.  I am hoping also that I can give everyone a couple of key books and mobilize prayer for the more unreached places in the world! See you in September, George.

Do join us!

Magnify is 24-7 Prayer's international gathering which will be held in Edinburgh Scotland from 16th – 18th September. Tickets are available to purchase online.

Ian Nicholson lives and works in Guildford, England and is one of the leaders of Guildford Boiler Room.  With a heart for mission and particularly Europe Ian is part of 24-7 Prayer's International Leadership Team and enjoys football, food with friends and international travel.

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