Lausanne World Pulse – Leadership Profiles – Leadership Profile: Hannelore Illgen, Women’s Ministry, Prayer Warrior, Evangelist, Germany

April 2011

Q. Who has been the most influential person in your life/ministry, and why?
A. Betty (from the U.S.), who was called to establish AGLOW International in Europe and especially in Germany at the end of the 1970s. When I did not see my gifts and calling, she did. Her prayers, spiritual training, and encouragement laid the foundation for everything that followed in my life.

Evangelism. On Point. Q. Please describe a time in which you shared your faith in Christ with someone who didn’t know him, and then saw God clearly work in that situation. A. I was a young mother and had contact with other young mothers because I was working as a teacher. We saw some come to Christ through personal witnessing and an evangelistic meeting for women (a breakfast meeting, for example). In one case, years after sharing my testimony, one woman came to a meeting and received Christ. This also changed her family; her son is now studying to become a pastor!

Q. What is the best piece of advice you’ve received?
A. It actually came from the Holy Spirit, when I had to face a new challenge in leadership: I don’t have to be perfect, and will grow through practising. Betty also helped me to love my nation, which until only recently has not been self-evident in my generation due to our history. Only when you love your nation can you minister to it.

Q. What one issue do you believe is the greatest barrier or opportunity to evangelism, and why?
A. There are three: a lack of Christ’s love, a lack of relationships with unbelievers, and a self-centeredness in not only our personal lives, but also in our churches and denominations. I have seen how God sometimes comes into this “circle“ and throws persons into the harvest field. For if he didn’t, no one else would!

Q. What book do you most often recommend to others to read, and why?
A. I mostly like to read biographies of Christian leaders. They inspire me, and I can identify with them in certain areas of their struggle and leadership. So I often say, “Read the biography of Billy Graham, or… how he faced…“

Q. What would you like to be doing in five years?
A. In the coming years I would like to give over each one of my responsibilies to persons who are visionaries like myself and can bring forth new things for the sake of growing the Kingdom of God. Concerning Lausanne in Germany, I would like to bring in young leaders from my denomination (there are none at the Lausanne Round Table!), because the Pentecostal leadership still does not see the necessity of the Lausanne network.

Q. How can people be praying for you?
A. Because I am so busy in many areas (including helping out my husband), I need to know how to best divide my time, where to set priorities, in what areas to delegate, wisdom not to overburden myself with too much vision, and that my health remains well. I am thankful for every prayer!