By Isolde Doubell
Pieter Vermeulen is the fourth generation in his family serving the Lord full-time. He served among the least-reached peoples of the lower Himalayas for twenty-seven years. “It is a place where the Gospel often advances at great cost. Many Believers experience persecution, churches meet in secret, and pastors faithfully serve despite the constant threat of imprisonment. Yet it was also a place where I witnessed the extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit. As the Church devoted itself to prayer, discipleship, and the proclamation of the Gospel, entire communities were transformed. Looking back, I realise that revival has never been about geography. It has always been about the presence of God and the obedience of His people.”
When Pieter left the Himalayas, he never imagined that God would redirect him to Europe, Switzerland in particular. Switzerland after the Reformation and the 19th Century Awakening Movement used to have a large Christian population, but the number of Believers in Jesus Christ has dwindled considerably over the past decades, just like in the rest of Europe. Today, less than 5% of the 8.8 million Swiss population are evangelical.
However, Pieter has experienced God moving in this nation. This is his story:
During the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Seoul in 2024, two different Swiss leaders independently invited me to come and join them in the work that they do in Switzerland. I also asked my wife to pray, and as she was walking on Table Mountain, she met a lady from Bern in Switzerland! I also remembered a dream I had of a friend’s wife, who is a missionary, urging me three times to go to Bern. Then I heard Sarah Breuel, founder and director of Revive Europe, make a statement at the Congress that has remained with me ever since: “Europe is not post-Christian; it is pre-revival.” At that moment, the Holy Spirit firmly placed Switzerland on my heart.
Since then, I have spent considerable time travelling throughout Switzerland, praying with pastors, meeting Christian leaders, and seeking to understand what God is doing. The more time I spend there, the more convinced I become that beneath Europe’s secular exterior lies a deep spiritual hunger. Many people have turned away from religion, but they have not stopped searching for meaning, hope, purpose, and an authentic relationship.
How does evangelism in Europe differ from the Himalayas?
The answer surprises many people. In the Himalayas, many people have never heard the name of Jesus. They are often eager to listen because they are hearing the Gospel for the very first time. The greatest obstacles are persecution, difficult geography, and limited access to remote communities.
Europe presents an entirely different challenge. Many people already know about Jesus. They know the history of Christianity. Many have attended church at some stage of their lives. Yet countless people have become deeply disillusioned with institutional religion. They are not necessarily rejecting Christ; they are rejecting a version of Christianity that feels distant, formal, or lifeless.
This means that Gospel conversations in Europe often begin very differently. Rather than starting with doctrinal issues, we begin by listening, building trust and genuine relationships, and inviting people into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. This is especially true among Gen Z. Many young people are deeply sceptical of institutions, polished religion, and anything that feels artificial, yet when they discover that Jesus is not merely an idea to be discussed, but a living Person who sees them, knows them, and meets them in their pain and searching, they immediately invite their friends. Their response often reflects the first disciples, who, after meeting Christ, went to those closest to them and said, in effect, “Come and see.” This has reminded me that, although cultures differ dramatically, the deepest needs of the human heart remain the same. Every person longs to be known, loved, forgiven, accepted, and restored to a living relationship with Jesus.
Please tell us about the recent outreaches in Switzerland?
This summer I had the privilege of serving alongside Revive Switzerland, Awakening Europe, The Million Month, Swiss Missionary Community (SMG) and numerous local churches throughout Switzerland.
The Million Month is much more than an evangelistic campaign. It is a movement that mobilises hundreds of mostly young believers from across Europe to live a lifestyle of prayer, evangelism, and discipleship. One of the most inspiring aspects of the movement is that entire churches send all their members into the mission field. One local church even closed its normal Sunday programme for the whole month of July so that every member could participate in the outreaches.
That simple decision says something profound: The mission of the Church is not simply to gather people on Sundays. The mission of the Church is to send them.
During this year’s outreaches across Europe, more than 35,000 people heard the Gospel personally, and over 3,500 people made decisions to follow Jesus Christ. For many observers, these numbers represent one of the most significant evangelistic harvests Europe has witnessed in many years. Yet statistics never tell the whole story. Behind every number is a name. Behind every decision is a life. Behind every life is a family that can be changed forever.
Can you share a few testimonies from the Switzerland outreach?
One of the greatest encouragements during the outreaches was seeing how the Holy Spirit confirmed the Gospel with demonstrations of His power.
We prayed for an elderly lady walking on crutches, and Jesus completely healed her.
An eighty-nine-year-old man surrendered his life to Christ in a small Swiss village. As we left, he smiled and said to one of the young evangelists, “I will wait for you in heaven.“
Three schoolboys witnessed God heal one of their friends after prayer, and all three committed their lives to Jesus.
We met people trapped in fear, loneliness, and spiritual darkness who encountered the peace and freedom that only Christ can give.
Perhaps the greatest miracle I witnessed during these weeks was the transformation of a young man’s life. On the final Saturday of the outreach, a young man shared with the team what Jesus had done in his life. His father was also present, and he confirmed every part of his son’s testimony. Because of severe mental health struggles, he had previously been declared permanently disabled. Humanly speaking, there seemed to be little hope that his life would ever change. Then, during one of our Glory Nights, he encountered the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit. Something happened that no human effort, counselling, or programme could accomplish. Jesus met him personally. The Holy Spirit ministered deeply within him, bringing healing, restoration, and a profound transformation. Those who know him best testify that his life has been completely changed.
One of the strongest impressions I carried away from Switzerland is that God is raising up an entirely new generation of revivalists across Europe. These young people are deeply committed to prayer. They love the presence of God. They are passionate about holiness. They are unashamed of the Gospel. Watching the Holy Spirit transform ordinary young people into confident witnesses reminded me of the disciples in the Book of Acts. God is still doing today what He did at Pentecost.
Many of our evenings did not end when the programme finished. Worship often continued until two, three, or even five o’clock in the morning as young people lingered in the presence of God. They were not driven by emotional excitement but by genuine hunger for Jesus.
During one Glory Night in the city of Thun, the Holy Spirit reminded us of Elijah rebuilding the altar before the fire fell from heaven. His message was simple: God sends His fire where His people prepare the altar. As people knelt before the cross in repentance and surrender, it became clear that revival always begins with God’s people before it reaches the world.
The Church in Switzerland is not dying
Many people assume that the Church in Switzerland is dying. Certainly, Switzerland faces many of the same challenges affecting much of Western Europe. Church attendance has declined, secular thinking has increased, and many people have grown sceptical of organised religion. Yet, pastors across Bern testify that churches which faithfully embraced prayer and evangelism are seeing new growth. Prayer houses are emerging across the nation. Churches are increasingly working together across denominational lines. City movements are developing. New church plants are being launched. There is a growing expectation that God is preparing Switzerland for something far greater than anyone could have imagined only a few years ago.
I have become convinced that the Kingdom of God is spreading exactly as Jesus described it, like yeast working quietly through the dough. Much of what God is doing is almost invisible at first, yet its influence continues to spread from village to village and city to city.
As I have reflected on these past weeks in Switzerland, I have found myself asking a simple question:
What is revival?
Revival is far more than a series of successful meetings, inspiring worship services, or remarkable testimonies. It begins when the people of God return to their first love. It begins when we are willing to lay down our brands, our reputations, our personal ambitions, and our desire to build our own platforms and ministries. It begins when Jesus once again becomes the centre of everything.
When the Church humbles itself before the Lord, rebuilds the altar, and seeks His presence above all else, the tangible presence of God begins to fill His people. His holiness exposes our pride, His love melts our hearts, and His Spirit transforms us into the likeness of Christ.
But revival was never meant to remain inside the four walls of a church.
When the presence of God overflows from His people into the streets, villages, universities, workplaces, and homes, men and women who have never known Christ encounter Him personally. The Gospel is no longer merely heard; it is experienced. Hearts are awakened. Lives are transformed. Families are restored. Communities begin to change. An awakening happens. The Kingdom of God becomes visible wherever His people live and serve. Society is changed because people have first been changed by the presence of Jesus. I believe this is what God is doing in Switzerland today, but not only in Switzerland.
The Holy Spirit is preparing His Church across the nations. He is calling His Bride back to holiness, purity, humility, and wholehearted devotion as we await the return of our Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. This is not the work of one ministry, one denomination, one movement, or one nation. It is the work of God Himself.
The invitation before us is therefore wonderfully simple. Do not merely admire what God is doing; join Him. Open your life completely to the Holy Spirit and ask, “Lord, what part do You want me to play in what You are doing in this generation?” History reminds us that every great move of God has been carried by ordinary men and women who simply said “yes” to Him.
