25.-29.01. 2015: GPC-Conference Krakow (Poland)

“Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, says the Lord!” is the central theme of the GPC-Conference in Krakow/Auschwitz (Poland), Jan. 25-29, 2015. 

In this deeply moving verse from Isaiah 40:1, the God of Israel exhorts us as non-Jewish believers to comfort his people, which has gone through so much suffering. On Jan. 27, 1945, the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, where more than one million Jews were systematically and brutally killed within only 3 years, was liberated. Auschwitz came to symbolize the Holocaust, during which 6 Million of the 13 Million Jews living in Europe at that time perished between 1940 and 1945 – exactly 70 years ago. In 2005-2006 the European Union as well as the United Nations established January 27th as the official Holocaust memorial day. 

Hatred of the Jews within the Christian Church in Europe (both Catholic and Protestant) was a major factor preparing the way for the Holocaust. Starting with the early church fathers and carried on by the great reformer, Martin Luther, replacement theology, whose premise is that God had rejected the Jews because they rejected Jesus, had permeated the European Church. Not only the church, but also most European nations were united in their dislike, mistrust, even hatred of the Jewish people. Most others were simply indifferent to their plight. These attitudes were particularly strong in Germany and helped usher Hitler into power and pave the way for his “final solution” – the Holocaust.

On Jan. 27, 2015, we, a representation of the praying and repentant church in Europe, invite praying Christians around the world to join us in crying out to the Lord, the God of Israel, in the spirit of Daniel chapter 9. May we together confess and repent of the sins of our fathers! May we turn from our evil ways, past and present! May we learn from History and nurture a warm, loving and compassionate heart toward the Jewish people in light of what they have had to suffer! May we allow God to transform us as praying Christians and Christians in responsibility to be far more sensitive, far more watchful and far more alert regarding the plight His People! And may He increase our anointing to rise up and take a stand on behalf of the the Jewish people and the Nation of Israel in our day and in our generation – particularly as we see the Jews threatened with a second Holocaust by the overt hatred of the Muslim world and ever growing antisemitism worldwide.

As European ministries, dear brothers and sisters around the world, we warmly invite and strongly encourage you to send your national delegations of prayer leaders and leaders in your churches to the GPC-Conference in Krakow, Poland (Jan. 25-29, 2015) marking the beginning of the 100 days of prayer (and partial fasting).