New Campus in Norway

A new COP Campus has launched in the northern most University city on Earth. At the invitation of local congregations, Ivar Overgaard (President of COP Europe) led a team including Fred and Sherry Hartley to establish our newest COP campus in Tromso, Norway, located 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle. It is the northernmost university city on earth drawing students from over 120 nations of the world. God's hand  was seen in each step of the way in pioneering this new campus.

It was only in February 2008 while attending the Annual Meeting of the Revival Prayer Institute in Atlanta, GA that Ivar first heard the Lord say "it is time to start a COP campus in Norway". Then in March at a conference, a church leader from Tromso approached Ivar saying, "I just finished reading Fred Hartley's book Everything By Prayer; we must have a College of Prayer in Troms!."

Despite the fact that the Mission Church in Tromso was behind two months in their financial budget, they stepped out in faith and agreed to pay the air travel for the team to come to their city and share the ministry of the COP. It cost 7,000 Kroner (Norwegian currency) which they did not have. The day before the team arrived, they sold an organ that had been for sale for over a year for 7,500 Kroner. Praise the Lord! It was no coincidence that Ivar had previously pastored this congregation for four years and it was the place where Armin Gesswein first tasted revival. (It was in Tromso that Armin met his dear wife, Reidun... and while on this trip Ivar stayed in the home of Reidun's 89 year old sister.)

Everywhere the team went in Tromso they met Christians who had been longing for discipleship in prayer. When they learned about the COP, they each said almost exactly the same thing, "This is exactly what we need in Tromso."
 
Nine years ago a city transformation prayer movement began in Tromso that has been having dramatic results. They pray for the Mayor and local social issues. They have logged quite an impressive list of improvements in the condition of their city. For example, serious crime has decreased by 1400%, alcoholism is down 300%, and domestic crime is down 400%. There had been 360 break-ins each year, almost 1 each day; last year there were only 30. Every Thursday they pray at City Hall. Periodically they meet with the Mayor and he gives them specific prayer requests. This prayer movement is evidence that God has prepared the environment for a great move of the Holy Spirit.

The team was able to establish the first members of the Servant Leadership Team for our Tromso campus with Ivar Overgaard, President; Bjorn Stark, Dean and two others serving as leaders of intercession and GAP Groups. A host of others expressed interest in participation, as well. It only seems appropriate that the upper-most university city in the northern hemisphere should have an upper room...as well as a COP campus.