Go for Jesus

The Marche for Jesus is a contemporary Christian demonstration organized annually in several cities of the world. Their initiators claim Protestantisme evangelic.

History

Beginnings in Europe

It is in 1987, in England, the desire to publicly reaffirm the Christian faith in a company perceived as in the process of dechristianization which was at the origin of the first Walk for Jesus who gathered: 15000 people: a procession in the streets of London accompanied by prayers for the principal public institutions of the city, under the streamer " The City March: Prayer and Praise for London" (Walk for the city: Prayer and Praise for London). On the initiative of the movement, one finds three main actors: the person in charge of Youth on mission (Youth With has Mission) in London Lynn Green, the Pioneer networks and Ichtus Christian Fellowship, close to the movement of the churches of house. In parallel in France, within the framework of meetings inter-churches, a walk of prayer takes place in the streets of Belleville to Paris then is followed in 1988 by a walk on the Place of Trocadéro. In 1989, the Three days of Beaubourg (mission of evangelization organized by an association) were followed by a Walk accompanied by song.

However, this same year, Reunion (Campus for Christ) and Youth on mission, with the support of French evangelic Alliance, organize one night of prayer the June 24th. This gathering sees nearly thousand Christians brought together to request a whole night for the France, whereas the country celebrates the bicentenary of the Révolution. Since, many nights of prayer are organized in the capital.

With the desire to repeat the following year such a gathering for the prayer, the people who had organized, on the one hand walk in the center of Paris, and on the other hand, the night of prayer, make the decision to have in 1990 only one event which would be a “Walk of Prayer”, the June 10th. This Walk was followed by close to: 1300 people according to the police force and had as a subject “Jesus, King of the kings”. In 1991, association “Goes for Jesus” is created in Paris, London, and with the Brésil, with the objective to go each year during 10 years, that is to say until the year 2000.

Since, the number of Steps did not cease growing.

According to the sociologist Yannick Iron, the Steps for Jesus fall under a broader tendency inspired by the " third vague" Pentecôtiste which aims at a " Re-sémantisation" and a reappropriation symbolic system of the urban territory. Theorists of the " third vague" , such as C. Peter Wagner, George Otis Jr or John Dawson (international president of Youth on mission and author in 1989 of one entitled book To conquer our cities for God ), the sets of themes of " develop indeed; spiritual Cartography " (Mapping Negro spiritual, identification of guardian spirits of the places) and of the " spirituel" fights; (Warfare Negro spiritual) for the " libération" urban territories. While ravelling and while requesting in the streets of the big cities, the Steps for Jesus have they also for objective - even if for much participants, they are especially to express a evangelic pride - to reconquer urban space against the " bad esprits" associated with the retreat of Christianity in the contemporary companies, " to take again autorité" on the city according to an expression used in the mediums evangelic.

Expansion of the movement between 1990 and 2000

May 23rd 1992, more: 300000 Christians walked to Europe through 30 countries and 45 big cities, with the participation of: 50000 people in London: 70000 with Berlin: 10000 with Copenhagen: 2700 in Paris. 150 big cities of the the United States joined to Europeans, adding up: 120000 walkers.

June 12th, 1993, close to: 1500000 Christians take part in the various steps, that is to say 840 steps in 40 countries. Four thousand people walk in 8 big cities to France.

June 25th, 1994, the first world Walk takes place on the topic “One day to change the world”, gathering 20 million people, the same day in the large capitals. The whole of the time zones of planet is covered, which represents the greatest human movement never carried out. It is coupled with the world Day of prayer. During 24 hours: 160000000 of Christians of all denominations will be plain in the prayer.

May 25th, 1996, on the topic “to gain the world Together”: 2000 Chinese leaders join the Walk of Hong-Kong: 10000 Christians in Indonesia, 10 cities in Russia: 750000 with the Filipino : 100000 in India: 200000 in Australia: 3000000 with the Brazil: 1000000 with the Zaire: 100000 with the Ghana: 200000 with the Costa Rica: 800000 with the the United States: 200000 with the Canada: 150000 in Argentinian: 10000 with the Netherlands, …

May 30th, 1998, a Walk for Jesus is organized in 130 countries, 700 cities in the United States: 10000 walkers with Moscow… It receives the support of very many political personalities of which that of the Queen Elisabeth II of the United Kingdom.

In 1999, one will see: 100000 people to go to Rio de Janeiro: 30000 in London: 50000 in Berlin.

In 2000, 7 Steps and: 20000 participants in the Japan, 104 Steps and: 400000 in Philippines: 75000 participants in New Zealand, 5 Steps with the the United Kingdom: 20000 participants in Finland: 10000000 of Christians entered in the whole world go together the same day on the topic “the Child of the millenium”. A telephone bond is set up with the Steps everywhere in the world.

Since 2001

Then in 2001, the international committee of Surrey is dissolved. In Paris, an small group continues to meet, Walk continues with some charismatic churches. End 2003, new a Board of directors takes new orientations. Association anchors in the movement evangelic and becomes a body of rallying of the diversity of the evangelic churches. From six churches in 2003, the number of churches partners passed to twelve in 2004, forty in 2005, and sixty-six churches in 2006 and 2007. Other cities, as from 2005, such Bordeaux (700 people) or Strasbourg (850 people), organize a local walk.

In other countries, some cities (Richmond in the United States, Moscow in Russia, Lubango downtown Angola, several in Venezuela…) the company one or more times continued. The event also continues in Brazil, annually this time.

This phenomenon represents an indicator of the progression of the evangelic faith and makes visible this mobility. In France, the Walk of June 2nd, 2007 in Paris, door of Vincennes in the place of the Bastille, gathered approximately 10000 people.

Precise details on the Steps in Paris region between 1989 and 2006

In Brazil, São Paulo

In 2005: : 2000000 people
In 2006, the event profits from a broad promotion on television national, and from a budget of more than 2 million Euro S. Close to: 3000000 people, according to the military Police force of Brazil, ravel on June 14th, 2006. The daily newspaper with the high circulation figure of South America, the Folha de S.Paulo , gives an account of it the following day.

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