During the last weekend of September 2019 around 400 people, from French-speaking Europe and further afield, gath-ered in Brussels to celebrate the 100th anni-versary of the Brussels Bible Institute (IBB).
The weekend festivities included: an evangelistic concert by the French band Yatal; a keynote address by the prominent French theologian Henri Blocher on gospel progress over the last century in Europe; and Bible expositions by Pastor Thomas Koning, Albi, France.
James Hely Hutchinson, Director of the IBB, commented: ‘It has been encouraging to see how closely aligned today’s vision is with that of 100 years ago. The imperative remains that of raising up faithful, godly, competent gospel workers for God’s glory.’
The theme of the conference was ‘May the gospel continue to spread’. Thomas Koning said: ‘Let us never become cold technicians of the gospel, but rather let us feed on it daily, and preach it to ourselves and to others.’
Music at the conference was provided by the Colossians 3.16 Collective who are producing French songs to serve and build up the church.
Belgium witnessed a surge in gospel openness between the two World Wars. This was in large part aided by the ministry of American missionaries Ralph and Edith Norton, who shared the gospel with wounded Belgian and French soldiers on the streets of London during the First World War. In time they moved to Brussels where they quickly realised the need to train church leaders in order to serve the blossoming Protestant church in Belgium.
In 1919, the Ecole Biblique de Belgique was founded, with Donald Grey Barnhouse serving as Director. Six students attended the classes, of whom four were former soldiers.
Today’s Institute serves French-speaking Europe (France, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg). There are 24 full-time students across four year groups who meet for lectures in central Brussels and receive ‘on-the-job’ training at placement churches and Christian organisations across French-speaking Belgium.
