Preaching to the Hungry: An interview with Evangelist Matti Wendelin

 

PR: How did you know that the Lord called you into the specific kind of ministry that you are now involved in?

Matti Wendelin: The Lord showed me many visions where I was preaching to multitudes in many different countries and to many different peoples. Also the Lord spoke to me in 1980 that I should learn about what a German Evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke, was doing. I did not know anything about him that time. The Lord spoke to me, “The time is coming when you will do similar things.” In December 1986, I met him for the first time during his crusade in Africa (Accra, Ghana). That was the first time that I saw miracles like blind being made to see and the deaf made to hear. And the Lord spoke to me: “This is what you also are going to do.”

 

PR: Were you mentored in this ministry?

Matti Wendelin: One Monday morning the Holy Spirit came to me and all that day I was “drunken” in the Spirit. During the next few days He also came to me and started to teach me. I asked Him many questions and He answered me. He has been my highest mentor for my entire life. I also have a master’s degree in theology from university.

 

PR: What countries have you ministered in?

Matti Wendelin: My first mission trip was to Papua New Guinea in 1980. Since then, I have been in many different countries across Africa, as well as Pakistan, India, Poland, Australia, Russian, and Sweden.

 

PR: Is there one country that you feel has been a particularly fruitful mission field?

Matti Wendelin: There is a special place in my heart for Asian countries like Pakistan and India. Particularly in Pakistan, people are really hungry for God. They come in busses from different villages to my crusades. Last time, we had to say to over one hundred villages, who wanted take part of the crusade, “Please do not come, we can´t take you, because we do not have enough power in our amplifier system, and we do not have enough lights.” During that time I was really crying. People wanted to come to my crusades in a Muslim country and we had to forbid them. This is a question of money. Crusades are very costly and we can go to the fields for harvest only according to how we get finances. It is also a question of security, we cannot let people stay outside where there are no lights in the evening. The harvest is really ready and it is plenty! Please pray for us.

Tags: evangelist, hungry, interview, matti, preaching, wendelin

Category: Fall 2014, Ministry