Running from March 18 through 26, the event has been aired daily via satellite to 1,250 venues in 21 European countries with up to 20 different language translations. According to the organisers more than 160,000 participants watched the programme on Sunday, figures falling slightly behind compared to the last ProChrist campaign in 2003, when 200,000 met in 1,304 venues on the opening night.
This year’s theme “From Doubt to Amazement" stemmed from the attitude toward religious happenings in Germany and Europe. While many have turned from the church, and churches themselves have been losing ground, discussions on religious and ethical issues have increasingly opened up in society.
The main speaker was Rev. Ulrich Parzany, former general secretary of the German YMCA. Known for his clear and direct words, Parzany has headed the previous five ProChrist events since 1995.
In the wake of the Mohammed cartoons, he challenged the notion that religious tolerance means that all religions are equal. He went on to stress that a personal relationship with Christ remains essential.
"Jesus Christ satisfies our desire for healing," Parzany said at the event, adding that, “the root of our pain is separation from God”.
The ProChrist event has won the support of the German Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Ursula von der Leyen, who said she associates the ProChrist event with “many things that are important to me – family, young people and God,” a ProChrist press statement said.
ProChrist 2006 kicked off on March 18 with “ProChrist for Kids”, with the programme being transmitted to 4,500 children across 400 local venues.
Founded in 1991, ProChrist took the first steps toward using modern satellite technology for evangelization. In 1993, the Billy Graham Crusade in Essen, Germany, was the first ProChrist event and the largest evangelisation effort ever held in the twentieth century. It was one of the first times the crusade was transmitted across the continent. Ever since then, ProChrist has modelled similarly after the renowned Graham crusade every two to three years.
Nearly a year ahead of ProChrist 2006, a new campaign called "The smallest church in the world" was launched in May 2005. The ten-month journey was marked with 70 small "smart" cars visiting over 100 cities in Germany and neighbouring countries to do evangelistic outreach and community service projects. Over 3,000 Christians volunteered as drivers.
