From the January-March 2009 Issue
First experience of Greece
Tom McKendry
Evangelical Church building IoanninaOn Saturday 4th October Martin Leech and I set off from London Luton to visit our EMF brethren in Greece. Leaving Luton and a cool 7 degrees, we were met with 22 degrees as we descended the aircraft steps. This was to be the first of a number of contrasts that we would experience during what proved to be a very memorable visit.
Beginning in Athens
After picking up our car, Martin set the newly acquired GPS (satellite navigational system) to the address of John and Sophie Manousarides (Athens) which brought us almost to John’s front door. This first experience of Greek driving was quite a shock, for not only is it a case of becoming familiar with driving on the opposite side of the road, but a different philosophy of driving – I think they would call it ’foot loose and fancy free’. Even though it was late in the evening when we arrived with John and Sophie, we were met with what might be called a typical Greek welcome. Almost immediately a meal was set before us of pasta and salad, which was most enjoyable.
On the Lord’s Day Martin preached in the church in Piraeus on the text of Luke 19:10 on the words, Lost, Seek and Save, which was translated by John. After a lovely church lunch, we were introduced to the sights of Athens and Piraeus with Sophie as our guide. During our short time with John and Sophie we also visited the Acropolis and Mars Hill where Paul preached as recorded in Acts seventeen. John, who is over seventy, is one of four EMF men in Greece whose zeal is most admirable, not least for his dedication and perseverance in a situation that is dominated by an intolerant godless Greek Orthodox Church, that arrogantly boasts its New Testament roots, but bears little resemblance to the New Testament Church, either in doctrine or practice.
The Greek Orthodox Church buildings enshrine the most shocking idolatry. Icons, statues, paintings, relics and candles are the chief features of the interior of these buildings. The faithful on entering proceed to kiss the various icons, an act of devotion which I personally found particularly sickening, since this is so contrary to the clear teaching of Holy Scripture concerning the worship of God through the unique mediation of Jesus Christ. The most amazing thing about this system is that it refers to evangelicals as heretics and openly classes them along with Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons and other similar sects.
On to Volos
On taking our leave of John and Sophie we made our way to Volos, a city of one hundred thousand people, and to the home of Evangelos and Evropi Tzelis, where once again we were treated with kindness and hospitality of the true Christian kind. Evangelos, like John Manousarides, is over seventy. When, as a teenager, Evangelos discovered a Bible, which had been left some time before by an itinerant colporteur, he soon found the truth as it is in Jesus Christ and was converted. The next step for him was to leave the Greek Orthodox Church, which he did, only to find himself with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Evangelos became actively involved with this heretical sect, but then discovered the error of the Watch Tower organization, and left. He then joined himself to a group of evangelical believers. It was at this time he was put in contact with EMF, which was then situated in Watford, where he became the first student at the EMF School of Biblical Studies, between 1964 and 1966.
Evangelos is a man of strong Biblical convictions that have governed his life as he stood apart from error and compromise. This has been costly for both himself and Evropi in a number of ways, most notably their health. Evangelos functions with just one kidney, while Evropi suffers from a serious degree of diabetes, which has significantly affected her eyesight. Evangelos pastors a small independent church in Volos of sixteen members, mostly elderly people, and has a particular ministry to Jehovah’s Witnesses, where his past experience of association with that society is undoubtedly of great value. He has written a very helpful book on the subject that refutes their errors and directs the reader to the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
I felt a certain sadness on leaving Evangelos and Evropi, which has lingered with me ever since. It is a sadness that I fear that my own convictions would fail me if put to the kind of test that these good people have had to face.
North to Ioannina
From Volos we headed north to Ioannina to the home of Leonidas and Irene Kollaros. This was a long drive through some of the most magnificent mountains I have ever seen. On the way, I began to think that if the road between Volos and Ioannina was to be straightened out, it would reach to the moon. Driving on this stage of our journey (I was driving at this point) was particularly frightening. These were mountain roads that twisted and contorted, such as I have never experienced. This became even worse when darkness fell. Greek drivers have the same philosophy of driving on unlit twisty mountain roads as they do on straight roads in daylight. I did not enjoy this part of my Greek experience one little bit.
On our arrival in Ioannina the arrangement was that we would meet Leonidas at a certain set of traffic lights. Sounds fine, but we had entered Ioannina from a different direction than had been arranged, which presented a problem, compounded by the fact we had no GPS, as maps are not yet available for the northern part of Greece. It was by a gracious providence that Martin happened to spot Leonidas standing at the appointed place which we should have approached from the opposite direction. Thankful, somewhat hungry and tired, we were once more treated royally by our gracious hosts. Irene set before us a delightful Greek meal in fine English style.
Leonidas has spent the last twenty-five years in Gospel ministry in Greece. Prior to coming to Ioannina, where he has been for the past eight years, Leonidas spent four years alongside Evangelos Tzelis in Volos, followed by thirteen years of service in the Greek Evangelical Church in Karditsa. He, like the two men previously mentioned, already possesses the rare Christian jewel of perseverance in the face of a great deal of opposition. We saw this first-hand when he took us to the local university which he regularly visits. His evangelism in this situation takes the form of walking around the campus and engaging with the students in meaningful conversation concerning the things of God, giving them literature, and inviting them to attend his church services.
It was not difficult to get a sense of the spirit of university life with posters pasted on almost every square inch of wall and graffiti where there were no posters. A great amount of this material was communist, encouraging protest against just about everything that involved work and reasonable moral values. We also saw where he sets up his table during the summer months in the town centre, again seeking to confront passers-by with the claims of the Lord Jesus Christ, and offering free Bibles and evangelistic literature.
Leonidas is also an able writer and contributes articles of some theological substance to his denomination’s magazine. His next piece of material will be on the Reformed Doctrine of Election.
Patra
Our final visit was to Patra, a city of almost a quarter of a million people, and the home of Evangelos and Georgia Sikoutris and their family. The welcome we received was once again warm and most gracious. Georgia and the family provided us with food and fellowship in abundance, for which we were most grateful.
Evangelos began the work in Patra in 1984 and has seen a small evangelical church established. He is a zealous, industrious, warm-hearted brother who, like the others, works against superstition and idolatry such as is little known in Western Europe. Evangelos works constantly at visitation. He has visited the whole of the city at least twice in his ministry and continues in this particular work. In addition to his preaching, pastoral and visitation programme Evangelos also writes and distributes two thousand copies of his bi-monthly newspaper Times of Refreshing. His ministry also involves a follow-up Bible Correspondence Course for people who (as the EMF Handbook puts it) may be reluctant to attend public meetings. He also visits a small group of Christians in the town of Pyrgos, some 105 kilometres from Patra.
I should like in closing, to commend all our Greek brothers and their wives and families to your prayers. Two of these men are well past retirement age and the other two are really not too many years away from retirement, which suggests little hope for EMF work in Greece. The need is for like-minded men to be raised up to carry on the good work that our faithful brethren have carried on so well for so long. Pray for Greece, and if possible offer what financial support you can, to forward the Gospel in one of the most notable Bible lands on earth.