Europe Mission
Spreading the Light of the Gospel Since 1969
“You will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth”— Acts 1:8
Starting from Missionary Samuel Lee's vision for Europe in 1967, and since the first nurse missionaries were sent to West Germany in 1969, UBF Europe Mission has grown to 54 chapters in 25 countries with approximately 400 missionaries under God's guidance. As pioneers of the self-supporting professional missionary model, they continue to spread the Gospel on European campuses.
Five Eras
Msn. Samuel Lee's European vision led to the first nurse missionary dispatch. In 1969, three nurse missionaries arrived in West Germany, starting UBF European mission. Recorded as the first self-supporting professional missionaries in Korean Christian history.
1974 First UBF World Mission Conference in Interlaken, Switzerland (169 attendees). Korean shepherd husbands who married nurse missionaries came to Germany, launching campus pioneering in earnest.
Establishment of many chapters in Germany. 1989 opening of Eastern Europe with continued missionary dispatch. Expansion from Germany to France, Switzerland, Belgium, UK and beyond.
All-directional expansion to Western, Southern, Eastern, Northern Europe, and the Balkans. 2015 Encounter conference launched with young leaders.
Next-generation leadership transition, expansion of digital ministry and continued growth.
The Gospel is being shared in 25 European countries. Click on a country card to see detailed chapter information.
Europe Coordinator
UBF European mission began in 1969 when three nurses arrived in West Germany without knowing even "Guten Morgen." Msn. Samuel Lee saw them as "five loaves and two fish" and offered them in faith. They are credited with "digging the well for campus discipleship history in Germany."
Germany is UBF's first mission field and the hub of European mission. With 18 chapters in Germany alone, the European headquarters is in Cologne. Missionaries and local shepherds trained in Germany are sent throughout Europe, serving as a "missionary-sending nation."
Local European leaders play key roles: Volker Keller (first German student, 1974), Walter Nett (Europe coordinator 2012-2019), and many others. German and European local shepherds have grown into Bible teachers and leaders.
European UBF ministers in German, English, French, Czech, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, and more. French-speaking joint conferences, German regional retreats, and the European Summer Bible Conference (ESBC) are conducted multinationally.
Continuing the early nurse missionaries' tradition, European missionaries maintain professions as doctors, professors, engineers, and business owners. Notable examples include Msn. Hanna Shin (Korean food business in Prague) and Msn. Andrew Kim (tourism guide in Budapest).
European UBF partners with Mission-Net, Open Doors, Operation Mobilisation (OM), Call2All, and other international mission organizations.
The "Encounter" European youth leader conference, started in 2015, is held annually for young Europeans aged 18-25. Established as a key program for raising future leaders of European campus mission, the 2025 edition will be held in Panarbora, Germany.
- •Have accepted Jesus Christ as personal Savior
- •Have received or willing to receive discipleship training at UBF
- •Have a profession or skill (self-supporting mission)
- •Have a calling and passion for Europe mission
Your Calling is in Europe
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” — Matthew 28:19
Europe Booth Board
Below are all the blog posts posted by the Europe booth team.
Hungary
Introduction and Pioneering History of Hungary Hungary was the first country in the former communist bloc to open the Iron Curtain, opening the door t...
Greece
About Greece Greece's population and geopolitical position: 10.3 million as of 2022. Distribution of industry and labor force in Greece: 12.0% in prim...
Ukraine
Ukraine is the largest country in Europe, located in Eastern Europe. It has the picturesque Carpathian Mountains, the Black and Azov Seas, and the 2 l...
United Kingdom
United Kingdom United Kingdom Introduction The United Kingdom is a nation with a profound Christian heritage, having served as a global fountainhead f...
Portugal
University Field: Some influential universities are University of Lisbon, University of Porto, University of Coimbra, NOVA University Lisbon, Catholic...
Photos & Videos
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