My Memory of George Verwer

Passion:

During that Logos visit George preached to a packed auditorium, and I was captivated by his passion for Jesus, the lost and the world. Over these 47 years I’ve listened to him many times speaking the Word with a clear simplicity, with humour, challenge and always a strong prophetic edge.

Julyan and I met at Bible College (BTI). He had been in India with OM for 4 years and embodied the values I was seeking to embrace through OM’s required reading – Roy Hession’s ‘Calvary Road’ and George’s own ‘Revolution of Love’. It was during an OM short term mission to Belgium that I felt God’s call on my life in a special way – through George’s preaching! The statistics were clear – a tiny minority of missionaries were serving amongst the least reached. I was willing to go if God would take me. Our call to Muslims through serving with OM gave us a special bond. Julyan and I married and moved to Turkey; now based back in Glasgow, we are still serving with OM International.

Prayer:

George led through prayer. Over the years I’ve been at many prayer nights where he took the lead. We prayed with passion and pace for the least reached, for world issues, for the church, for OM and other mission agencies (there would be no rivalry allowed), for recruits, for finance. Everything was bathed in prayer. He would often break out in spontaneous singing and as he got older he would whistle to protect his vocal chords. In more recent years he would dance with his global beachball.

Prayer was key to who George was and I learned such a lot about intercession through his example. I don’t have to wait for the perfect prayer. If the Holy Spirit can interpret sighs too deep for words, he can interpret my faltering prayers. These ‘just do it’ experiences with George shaped me.

For such a big picture visionary, he had a remarkable commitment to pray for individuals, reading newsletters and remembering details of their circumstances. One morning when I was feeling concern for our teenage children in the angst of reverse culture shock, he phoned to say he was holding our family photo and praying for us all.

Personally:

George had great self awareness and God blessed his integrity and transparency with a powerful spiritual authority. Although he held himself to high moral standards, he recognised his own weaknesses and had compassion for those who failed or fell, encouraging them to get up and get back in the race. His commitment to the task enabled him to take risks with people, accepting divorcees like me, when many missions turned them away. George affirmed women in ministry and once paid my flights to join a prayer journey through Iran. I grew as a speaker and a writer because of him. He pre ordered 1000 copies of my book, ‘You Will See Hoopoes’, for distribution which certainly encouraged its publication!

His life was not mainly about mobilising God’s ‘frozen chosen’ into mission, but rather about Jesus. He would agree with John Piper that ‘mission exists because worship doesn’t’. Shortly before he died he was asked for his favourite hymn and managed to sing a line,

Here I am wholly available, As for me, I will serve the Lord.

Let it be true in my life as it was in his.