Millions missing the message

Nearly all of Earth’s most precious possessions have disappeared from the grand, beautiful cathedrals in every city and town of the Nordic-Baltic region.

A century ago — even decades ago — people sought God and embraced him in these buildings. But today, more tourists enter sites of sacred architecture than Latvian, Estonian or Lithuanian worshipers. The churches of Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden now welcome more drop-ins than disciples.

“You can’t go anywhere without finding very large cathedrals,” Converge Nordic-Baltic Initiative leader Jimmy Smith said. 

Thirty-three million people live in the eight countries, yet only 2% to 3% of the population follows Jesus. That’s why the initiative team is asking God to establish a Converge ministry with staff, projects and indigenous partners in all eight countries.

“We feel like God has called us to this region to make an impact,” Smith said.

Today’s fruit comes from yesterday’s farmers

Smith, who started leading Converge’s Nordic-Baltic Initiative a year ago, spent 17 days in the region this past fall. His travels deepened his relationships with Converge partners who offer significant gospel ministry in the eight least-reached countries.

“There are good things happening for the gospel in all of these countries,” he said.

Smith’s observations and current connections stand upon the long obedience of global workers like Bill Ankerberg, who previously led the Nordic-Baltic Initiative, Jim and Lynn Jarman in Sweden and Crick and Mindy Porier in Estonia.

Ankerberg joined God’s work in the region in 1999, pioneering Converge’s work with former Converge International Ministries director Ron Larson, Converge Southwest president Bruce Sumner and others. Together, they formed vibrant partnerships, global workers and resources to create spiritual opportunities for millions of people who’ve yet to trust Christ.

The fall of the Soviet Union a few decades ago helped the underground church in some countries to start anew in sharing the good news of a loving, powerful God.

The Union of Free Evangelical and Baptist Churches of Estonia said their churches number about 6400 members. They estimate there are approximately 9000 worshipers in other Estonian baptistic churches. 

Other Estonians are far from Christ because of secularism, atheism, new-age practices and folk religions.

“Our part of the world is very much post-Christian,” Smith said. 

Not that God’s arm is too short to save or that he doesn’t have a plan for his people to spread the salvation of Christ.

New leaders and servants keep joining the initiative

Smith and his colleagues who live and serve in the region have formed a way forward. The Lord desires more workers to mobilize so thousands and tens of thousands of people — the Earth’s most precious possession — can meet, know and follow Jesus.

National workers like Helari Puu of Estonia make a huge difference in the next chapter of making disciples. Puu was the first of several Nordic or Baltic people who supported and helped form the current approach to evangelism. This collaboration shows God can unite local workers and Converge International Ministries staff to make disciples in this part of Europe.

Another indigenous couple has begun reflecting on a deeper partnership with Converge’s future ministry in Finland. This couple ministers in Finland and throughout Europe with deep and wide relationships developed over many years.  They’ve been impressed by Converge’s competency and commitment to starting and strengthening churches.

Bailey, a young woman who worships at Arise Church in Denver, Jimmy Smith’s home church, is eager to do missions. She is exploring partnership with Finland as part of the Nordic-Baltic Initiative.

“God has brought multiple people to us and dropped them in our lap,” Smith said.

God did it a third time while Smith and a team from Arise Church and Grace Fellowship Church in Lakewood, Colorado, volunteered together in Antsla, Estonia. The Coloradans met Hannah in that town while she served with the town church. Converge has assessed and approved Hannah for global work and is pursuing an appointment in Estonia.

Related: Learn six ways that churches embrace global work through Converge partnerships.

“God is just bringing people to our team in incredible ways,” Smith said.

Smith recognizes the blessing and confirmation of God’s will through new and deeper partners. That fits Smith, who is wired to mobilize God’s people among the least-reached peoples of the Nordic and Baltic countries. 

The initiative needs God to create connections and open doors for ministry in Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Lithuania, where Converge staff don’t yet have many opportunities.

There’s confidence about those four countries because Smith and his colleagues see how the gospel partnerships Ankerberg and others forged since the 1990s became friendships that still bear significant fruit. Multiple indigenous leaders serve in and lead five projects alongside Converge global workers in the nation of 1.3 million people.

Related: The Poriers may have introduced s’mores to Estonia, but they’re definitely sharing Jesus.

The buildings are back; bring in the people

Good work has also begun in Sweden, Finland and Latvia, even when an absence of faith seems to have emptied church buildings and left them silent. In the 1920s, there was a building boom among Baptist churches in Latvia to fill the land with praise. 

However, the Soviet Union took control of the small country and seized all church buildings. For decades, the Soviets utilized these buildings but neglected their upkeep. 

Then, when the U.S.S.R. lost power, the buildings were returned to the churches in disrepair. Small congregations were thankful for the return but were burdened with revitalizing the facility.

“Despite the challenges, they have lots of space for new, emerging congregations,” Smith said.

That’s part of the world’s greatest injustice: 70,000 people will die each day having never had a chance to hear a credible presentation of the gospel. 

Not that God struggles to accomplish what he longs for: saving the people who are his precious possessions. The Lord who sends his servants out that his house may be full never stops working around the Nordic-Baltic countries.

God is redeeming the disruption to Ukrainians fleeing to Latvia after the war in their home country. Many of these Ukrainians have construction skills, so churches are giving them a place to live and work as they fix up and care for these houses of worship.

People are doing more than just restoring sacred spaces. More than that, global workers proclaim Christ in sincere relationships, and lives have been changed. Untold numbers of Christ’s most precious possessions can someday worship and love him in these redeemed places.

“There are amazing things happening, and they don’t have enough workers,” Smith said. “We still feel like there’s work to be done.”

Converge’s International Ministries team is asking God for a gospel movement among every least-reached people group — in our generation. Learn more about the vision and mission.