Operation Mobilisation
Encyclopedia
Operation Mobilisation is an Evangelical
Christian
organization founded by George Verwer
to mobilise young people to live and share the Gospel
of Jesus
. OM, as it is known, started in Mexico
and had spread to Europe
and India
by 1963.
around the world, seeking to "demonstrate and proclaim the love of God
." In every situation OM teams attempt to adapt to the local culture
and situation, endeavouring to find the best ways to share the Gospel
using literature, the creative arts, friendship, Bible studies, video and cassette tapes, correspondence courses, relief and development work as well as other methods.
The people working for Operation Mobilisation tell people how their lives have been changed and how others can also come to "personal faith in God through Christ."
Wherever possible, Operation Mobilisation works in partnership with the local church
, encouraging and supporting local communities. Where there is no church they seek to establish one.
, OM’s founder and leader until 2003, received a Gospel of John
from a local woman while still in high school in the 1950s. In 1955, Verwer became a Christian at a Billy Graham
meeting at Madison Square Garden
, and made a commitment to global missions and spreading God’s Word on a massive scale.
Operation Mobilisation started in 1957 when Walter Borchard, Dale Rhoton
and George Verwer
traveled to Mexico
to distribute Christian literature and Gospels. The Gospels were very important to the men and the beginning of OM’s long history.
The trip in 1957 was the first of three summer trips to Mexico
. By 1960, the men turned their attention to Europe
, focusing on “mobilising” the national churches to global missions. Verwer’s vision for global mission was that leadership would come from the local Christian community, wherever possible, and not led by foreigners (Randall 2008).
In Summer 1963, the first short-term missions teams – over 2,000 people – blanketed Europe to train national leaders, carry God’s Word throughout the continent, and to find creative ways of getting it behind the Iron Curtain
.
Teams were also starting in India
and the Middle East
in 1963, but getting to those countries overland was becoming more expensive and slower, due to border closings and holdups, and mechanical problems with the vehicles, among different problems (Randall 2008).
OM and Verwer’s vision for spreading the Gospel expanded to the seas and a ship with the purchase of the MV Logos in October 1970. OM expanded its ships ministry with the MV Doulos
, MV Logos II
and MV Logos Hope
. The MV Logos II stopped sailing in late 2008.
Back in Europe, the summer conferences were continuing but the number of participants was dwindling. In late 1987, a renewed vision for reaching Europe was borne, which led to the “Love Europe” outreaches that started in July 1989, just prior to the fall of the Iron Curtain
. OM planned for 5,000 young people from 50 nations to participate; in fact, about 7,000 from 76 nations came. With this first “Love Europe” conference, the vision of OM – birthed in Europe – had been renewed (Randall 2008).
OM’s expansion in Europe today includes ministry in over 30 countries. Throughout the world, over 5400 OMers are working in over 110 countries and on two ships. In August 2003, Peter Maiden, who served as Verwer’s associate international director for 15 years, became the leader of OM during a ceremony attended by over 2,000 OMers and friends (Randall 2008).
. The first ship, MV Logos, ran aground on rocks off Tierra del Fuego, Chile, in atrocious weather conditions. Although the ship could not be saved, not a single crewmember was lost or even injured. The skeletal hulk of the ship is still visible and has become something of a tourist attraction over the years. Over a 17-year period, more than seven million people visited MV Logos during 250 ports of call in 102 countries.
Later that year, the former Antonio Lazaro became MV Logos II.
The MV Logos II
was retired in February 2009.
The MV Doulos
, previously held the record holder for the oldest ocean-going ship still in service, was retired at the end of 2009.
MV Logos Hope
was launched into service in 2009. Twice the size of the MV Doulos, it provides much greater capacity for operations.
The OM ships visit port cities throughout the world, supplying literature, encouraging cross-cultural understanding, training young people for 'more effective life and service', providing relief and sharing a message of hope
in God wherever there is opportunity.
Since 1970, OM's ships have visited over 480 different ports in 150 countries and territories around the globe. On average, 1 million visitors are welcomed on board every year.
In total, over 30 million visitors have come aboard to purchase from the selection of 6,000 titles available. Titles cover a wide range of subjects, such as science, sports, hobbies, cookery, the arts, philosophy, medicine and children's books, as well as faith and life. The books have been carefully chosen to be of interest to every member of the family, and with the educational, social and moral needs of the local community in mind. Books are on offer at a fraction of their retail value, while in certain ports, books are also donated.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
organization founded by George Verwer
George Verwer
George Verwer is the founder of Operation Mobilisation , a Christian missions organization. Verwer has written several books on various Christian themes...
to mobilise young people to live and share the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. OM, as it is known, started in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and had spread to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
by 1963.
About OM
OM currently has more than 6,100 people working in more than 110 countriesCountry
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
around the world, seeking to "demonstrate and proclaim the love of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
." In every situation OM teams attempt to adapt to the local culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
and situation, endeavouring to find the best ways to share the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
using literature, the creative arts, friendship, Bible studies, video and cassette tapes, correspondence courses, relief and development work as well as other methods.
The people working for Operation Mobilisation tell people how their lives have been changed and how others can also come to "personal faith in God through Christ."
Wherever possible, Operation Mobilisation works in partnership with the local church
National church
National church is a concept of a Christian church associated with a specific ethnic group or nation state. The idea was notably discussed during the 19th century, during the emergence of modern nationalism....
, encouraging and supporting local communities. Where there is no church they seek to establish one.
History
George VerwerGeorge Verwer
George Verwer is the founder of Operation Mobilisation , a Christian missions organization. Verwer has written several books on various Christian themes...
, OM’s founder and leader until 2003, received a Gospel of John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
from a local woman while still in high school in the 1950s. In 1955, Verwer became a Christian at a Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
meeting at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, and made a commitment to global missions and spreading God’s Word on a massive scale.
Operation Mobilisation started in 1957 when Walter Borchard, Dale Rhoton
Dale Rhoton
Dale Rhoton is an author of several books on Christian apologetics and missions and a founding member of Operation Mobilisation, with which he served many years with in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Rhoton is President Emiretus of OM Ships.Rhoton met George Verwer at Maryville College...
and George Verwer
George Verwer
George Verwer is the founder of Operation Mobilisation , a Christian missions organization. Verwer has written several books on various Christian themes...
traveled to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to distribute Christian literature and Gospels. The Gospels were very important to the men and the beginning of OM’s long history.
The trip in 1957 was the first of three summer trips to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. By 1960, the men turned their attention to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, focusing on “mobilising” the national churches to global missions. Verwer’s vision for global mission was that leadership would come from the local Christian community, wherever possible, and not led by foreigners (Randall 2008).
In Summer 1963, the first short-term missions teams – over 2,000 people – blanketed Europe to train national leaders, carry God’s Word throughout the continent, and to find creative ways of getting it behind the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
.
Teams were also starting in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in 1963, but getting to those countries overland was becoming more expensive and slower, due to border closings and holdups, and mechanical problems with the vehicles, among different problems (Randall 2008).
OM and Verwer’s vision for spreading the Gospel expanded to the seas and a ship with the purchase of the MV Logos in October 1970. OM expanded its ships ministry with the MV Doulos
MV Doulos
The MV Doulos Phos was the world's oldest active ocean-faring passenger ship. She is now owned by Mr. Eric Saw, Director and Chief Executive of BizNaz Resources International Pte Ltd in Singapore. She was previously owned by the German charity Gute Bücher für Alle , and was used as a floating ...
, MV Logos II
MV Logos II
The MV Logos II was a ship built in Spain, 1968, which was purchased in 1989 by Educational Book Exhibits Ltd., a private, non-profit, charitable organisation registered in the UK. MV Logos II was operated on behalf of EBE by GBA Ships, a second private, non-profit, charitable organisation...
and MV Logos Hope
MV Logos Hope
MV Logos Hope is operated by the German charitable organisation GBA Ships e.V. As the fourth ship operated by the organisation, she follows in the line of MV Logos, the wrecked hulk of which now sits on a rock shelf on the Chilean coast, MV Logos II which was retired in the fall of 2008 and which...
. The MV Logos II stopped sailing in late 2008.
Back in Europe, the summer conferences were continuing but the number of participants was dwindling. In late 1987, a renewed vision for reaching Europe was borne, which led to the “Love Europe” outreaches that started in July 1989, just prior to the fall of the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
. OM planned for 5,000 young people from 50 nations to participate; in fact, about 7,000 from 76 nations came. With this first “Love Europe” conference, the vision of OM – birthed in Europe – had been renewed (Randall 2008).
OM’s expansion in Europe today includes ministry in over 30 countries. Throughout the world, over 5400 OMers are working in over 110 countries and on two ships. In August 2003, Peter Maiden, who served as Verwer’s associate international director for 15 years, became the leader of OM during a ceremony attended by over 2,000 OMers and friends (Randall 2008).
Core Values as described by OM
Core Values of OM are Knowing and glorifying God, Living in submission to God's Word, Being people of grace & integrity, Serving sacrificially, Loving & valuing people, Evangelising the world, Reflecting the diversity of the body of Christ, Global intercession and Esteeming the church.OM Ships
Currently, OM Ships operates one ship cruising all around the world, the MV Logos HopeMV Logos Hope
MV Logos Hope is operated by the German charitable organisation GBA Ships e.V. As the fourth ship operated by the organisation, she follows in the line of MV Logos, the wrecked hulk of which now sits on a rock shelf on the Chilean coast, MV Logos II which was retired in the fall of 2008 and which...
. The first ship, MV Logos, ran aground on rocks off Tierra del Fuego, Chile, in atrocious weather conditions. Although the ship could not be saved, not a single crewmember was lost or even injured. The skeletal hulk of the ship is still visible and has become something of a tourist attraction over the years. Over a 17-year period, more than seven million people visited MV Logos during 250 ports of call in 102 countries.
Later that year, the former Antonio Lazaro became MV Logos II.
The MV Logos II
MV Logos II
The MV Logos II was a ship built in Spain, 1968, which was purchased in 1989 by Educational Book Exhibits Ltd., a private, non-profit, charitable organisation registered in the UK. MV Logos II was operated on behalf of EBE by GBA Ships, a second private, non-profit, charitable organisation...
was retired in February 2009.
The MV Doulos
MV Doulos
The MV Doulos Phos was the world's oldest active ocean-faring passenger ship. She is now owned by Mr. Eric Saw, Director and Chief Executive of BizNaz Resources International Pte Ltd in Singapore. She was previously owned by the German charity Gute Bücher für Alle , and was used as a floating ...
, previously held the record holder for the oldest ocean-going ship still in service, was retired at the end of 2009.
MV Logos Hope
MV Logos Hope
MV Logos Hope is operated by the German charitable organisation GBA Ships e.V. As the fourth ship operated by the organisation, she follows in the line of MV Logos, the wrecked hulk of which now sits on a rock shelf on the Chilean coast, MV Logos II which was retired in the fall of 2008 and which...
was launched into service in 2009. Twice the size of the MV Doulos, it provides much greater capacity for operations.
The OM ships visit port cities throughout the world, supplying literature, encouraging cross-cultural understanding, training young people for 'more effective life and service', providing relief and sharing a message of hope
Hope
Hope is the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. It is the "feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best" or the act of "look[ing] forward to with desire and reasonable confidence" or...
in God wherever there is opportunity.
Since 1970, OM's ships have visited over 480 different ports in 150 countries and territories around the globe. On average, 1 million visitors are welcomed on board every year.
In total, over 30 million visitors have come aboard to purchase from the selection of 6,000 titles available. Titles cover a wide range of subjects, such as science, sports, hobbies, cookery, the arts, philosophy, medicine and children's books, as well as faith and life. The books have been carefully chosen to be of interest to every member of the family, and with the educational, social and moral needs of the local community in mind. Books are on offer at a fraction of their retail value, while in certain ports, books are also donated.
See also
- TeenstreetTeenstreetTeenStreet is an annual international week-long congress for Christian teenagers between 13 and 17 years old. It is presented by Operation Mobilisation. The first TeenStreet, held in Offenburg, Germany in 1993, hosted about 50 people. It was part of the Love Europe Congress. Today, over 3,600...
, an annual international week-long congress for Christian teenagers presented by OM. - OM Arts International, the arts in missions ministry of OM.
External links
- OM.org - the official international website of Operation Mobilisation
- OM in the USA
- OM Ships International
- OM Arts International
- OM in the UK
- Transform
- Dalit Education
- Teenstreet
- George's site
- Omnivision
- Omnitube
- Canada
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Netherlands
- Ireland
- France
- Lifehope
- Faroe Islands
- Denmark
- Finland
- Norway
- Sweden
- Belgium
- Italy
- Greece
- Albania
- Austria
- East
- Russia
- Hungary
- Czech Republic
- Ukraine
- Caribbean
- Mexico
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Brazil
- Uruguay
- Argentina
- Chile
- South Africa - World cup
- Silk Road
- ACT
- India
- Singapore
- China
- Japan
- Korea
- Australia
- Hong Kong
- New Zealand