Christians Are a Minority in Estonia, but Their Fervent Prayers Could Pave the Way for Revival

The Gospel Gains Traction

Hamm attributes this hopelessness and lack of religion to the “atheistic, communist influence on the Soviet Union,” as well as the nation’s proximity to the Western world. The capital of Tallinn is located just across the Baltic Sea from Helsinki, Finland.

“They have embraced the liberalism and godlessness of the West in an effort to break from the past,” he explained.

And yet, the Gospel may once again be gaining a foothold as some of the most visible evangelical leaders in Estonia are coming together for one cause: to reach their neighbors with news of the abundant life Christ alone offers.

The Most Reverend Urmas Viilma, archbishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, signed up to train others in BGEA’s Christian Life and Witness Course (CLWC), designed to strengthen believers’ faith and equip them to share it with others.

During the Celebration launch event, Viilma prayed with Rev. Robert Tšerenkov, superintendent of the Estonian Methodist Church; and Capt. Ago Lilleorg, Chief of Chaplains for the Estonian Joint Forces Command, shared the Gospel’s impact on Estonians—and the increase in church attendance—following Franklin Graham’s three-day Festival there in 2009.

Will Graham spurred these leaders on in their unified cause and encouraged the hundreds in attendance to keep praying as they prepare for another outreach in October.

“Prayer is the bedrock of revival, and it’s something that we must be wholly committed to as we approach this [event],” he shared in his video message.

During January’s launch event, Hamm, who grew up in Vorkuta (a Gulag labour camp in the Arctic Circle), preached from the same pulpit at St. Olaf’s Church where Billy Graham stood in 1984—seven years before Estonia broke away from the Soviet Union.

“Now is not the time, as Paul the apostle said, to ‘be conformed to this world,’” Hamm told those gathered, citing Romans 12:2. “This is not the time to be timid about our faith and the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

‘It’s Something I’ve Never Seen’

Jógvan Zachariassen, city director for the Time for Hope Celebration, said many religious leaders in Estonia want their congregations to become more missional and share their faith. The Lutheran church,

which is the largest denomination there,

“is seeing that the church is just declining and declining and at the same time people are becoming more hopeless.”

Largely due to their past, Estonians are often hesitant to trust others, Zachariassen said. Along with an economic downturn and fears of political turmoil, a large portion of Estonians are seeking to numb their anxieties with temporary, worldly pleasures.

Christians are a minority, and church youth programs are limited. Out of roughly 350 evangelical churches in Estonia, around 30 have over 100 members. The rest are smaller.

It’s in hard circumstances like these, however, that people are frequently drawn to God. And a praying, prepared church should never be underestimated.

Zachariassen said “the investment of the churches, the teaching, and the training” go a long way in equipping believers to spread the Gospel and disciple new Christians. More than 55 leaders from various denominations have been trained to equip others through CLWC—which will ultimately challenge hundreds of Christ followers to live out their faith and tell others about the difference He makes now and for eternity.

One person committing his or her life to Jesus Christ could change an entire family, Zachariassen said, and have a far-reaching impact for years to come.

Zachariassen has joined some local men’s prayer meetings in Tallinn ahead of the Celebration.

“The way that they pray and their vulnerability and their open heart to seek the Lord, it’s something I’ve never seen,” he said.

Estonia’s Place in the Evangelical Movement

Hamm remembers another powerful moment in this nation back in 1988 that helped set the stage for Gospel outreaches like the one this fall.

“Estonia has a very important place in the history of the evangelical movement in the entire Soviet Union,” he explained.

In July 1988, Tallinn hosted an event celebrating the millennium of Christianity in Russia. A thin carpet was placed over the ice arena at the sprawling Lenin Palace of Culture and Sport (now called the Linnahall), originally built for the Moscow Summer Olympics.

The venue was filled to capacity with 7,000 inside, but there was no platform or pulpit. Hamm delivered a Gospel message while standing on a box in the middle of the arena.

“The spiritual hunger was palpable,” he said. “The service lasted for hours, featuring choirs, a brass orchestra, and messages in both Russian and Estonian.”

Hundreds responded, kneeling on the floor.

“We didn’t have counselors, we didn’t have literature, we had nothing. So whatever we had in our hands, we gave to people—songbooks, Bibles, New Testaments. … Those who received a Bible kissed it and hugged it. Some were offering large sums of money to buy a Bible. Some people were asking just to hold the Bible for a minute.”

Years later, Hamm met a pastor who had knelt on the thinly covered ice that day and asked Christ into his life.

If God can move powerfully during Billy Graham’s visit in 1984, at the arena in 1988, or during Franklin Graham’s Festival in 2009, He can surely use the local church to once again usher in a spiritual awakening in October.

The Time for Hope Celebration with Will Graham will be held Oct. 18–19 at Tondiraba Arena in Tallinn. Please pray for the local churches as they prepare the way and invite their loved ones to hear the Gospel.