David was born in London, the younger twin son of Rev and Mrs. WG Hathaway and dedicated to the Lord as a baby by George Jeffreys, the founder of the Elim Pentecostal Churches in Britain. At the time, David’s father, a great Bible teacher, was working with Jeffreys to establish these churches. 

As a boy of 15, David was on holiday with some friends in Brighton, when one Saturday night, walking alone along the beach, he felt God begin to speak to him. He knew that God was calling him. You may ask, was he called as an evangelist, called as a pastor? No! God simply put His hand on David’s life and said, “I want your life, everything, not just an hour, not just a day. I want everything.”

At age 18, whilst still in Bible College (acceptance letter in gallery), David pastored his first church in Dorking, Surrey. After 11 years as a full-time pastor and evangelist in Britain, David’s ministry to Russia and Europe began in 1961 when he organised the first overland expedition to Jerusalem by road – through the Iron Curtain countries. Out of this experience, David began smuggling Bibles into Russia and Eastern Europe until, in 1972, he was arrested, tortured and imprisoned in Czechoslovakia. – Visit the Czech-Mate image gallery to see pictures.

The miracle of David’s release and his experience with God in the prison meant that during the following two years he ministered around the world, leading more than ¼ million people to Christ, before returning to work in Eastern Europe. Bible smuggling changed into active, then open evangelism with multitudes repenting, with signs and wonders following, even under communist rule!

During the 1980s David travelled all over Europe – Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, even back into Czechoslovakia – often with John Osteen from Lakewood Church, USA, and regularly with the anointed music ministry of Vinesong. In 1985 David held a series of powerful meetings in Hungary – he got permission to minister in Catholic Churches, which were not only packed, but hundreds were standing outside! – News spread by word of mouth until in Budapest, the Catholic Cathedral was totally packed, five thousand attended!

In 1986 David felt challenged to hold a great East-West conference in Karlsruhe, West Germany. This, he did in 1988. Four thousand attended, but the miracle was the six hundred who crossed through the Iron Curtain from every communist country. In total four East-West conferences were held: 1988/89 and again in 91/92.

Following the collapse of the Iron Curtain, the programme of crusades and conferences intensified. Everywhere we saw the Power of God fall, just as God had promised, in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Ukraine. Amongst the most memorable in the early years was the EuroVision Conference we held in Debrecen, Hungary, in May 1990. For the first time in the history of Hungary ALL the churches joined in unity to support the evangelism. We shall never forget the dramatic and exciting crusade we held later that same year in Bulgaria before communism finally collapsed in 1991. The sports hall was packed not only for the evening meetings with 7000 crowded in, but even the morning and afternoon sessions were full with people hungry for the Word of God.

These meetings were followed by evangelism in Ukraine – also before the collapse of communism there – and which culminated in the first ever Christian meetings in the Dynamo Stadium in Kiev. In 1994, God gave David a vision to hold a series of great crusades in Siberia – for the full story read his book ‘Why Siberia?’ – Available in the online shop.

This programme of evangelism expanded again in 2002 with the introduction of the Live-TV Evangelism - preaching in a sports hall/stadium and buying time on TV, broadcasting the whole evangelistic meeting live, reaching the entire region via the ordinary, secular TV!

The vision continues to grow. David says, 'I will not stop until we reach the whole of Russia and Europe with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It takes revoluntionary faith that will overcome every challenge. But with God and your support we can do it!'

Celebrating 60 Years in Ministry: 'What matters most to me is to finish what God started' (Acts 20:24, The Message Bible)

Bishop Mikhail Kindruk worked with David in the early 1990s to evangelise Siberia. He wrote: 'Your desire to spread the good news have installed in many people of Siberia and the Far East, a new wave of the presence of His power. I remember your fiery evangelistic preaching accompanied by God's power. By this message I wish to testify about the wonderful presence of God's power on all the crusades which you organised. For me personally it was an honour to organise and participate in the ministry.'

John Watson, founder of music group Vinesong, ministered with David on many occassions throughout Europe. These are his memories... 'Congratulations to David on his 60 years in ministry. David has always been a constant source of encouragement, motivation and inspiration to me. It is incredible how he is using the gift God has given him to reach the nations. The awesome experience we shared together as communism crumbled in Eastern Europe will never be forgotten and I am sure the angels in Heaven are still rejoicing. I remember one specific occasion when a whole city stood on the streets as we sang. The words beckoned the people to kneel and to our amazement everyone knelt as a stillness settled over the multitudes and we experienced the Presence of the Lord. ...The many EuroVision conferences that we shared with David and his team were, I believe, vital in what God was doing in the communist countries and Europe.'

Rev Michael Wieteska, Pastor of the Church of the Living Saviour, Geneva, Switzerland, wrote the following tribute. 'Having come to the Lord in Australia back in 1964, I have met, and had the privilege to know some outstanding men of God from numerous nations since that time. I can truthfully say that the ministry God has entrusted to David Hathaway is second to none... It would take too many words to talk about all that God has done through him, but just read one of his books and you will begin to comprehend the length, width and depth of the ministry.'

Henry Modava, Pastor of Kiev Victory Church, was a student from Zimbabwe and studying in the former Soviet Union, when he acted as David's interpreter in the pioneer crusade meetings in Kiev in 1992 and 1993. When David preached in his church (February 2010), Henry said: "How many of you here have been in prison for your faith? Only David Hathaway, and it was not in his home country, but here in a communist prison!" He went on to recall the great crusades in Kiev in 1992 and 1993 and how the old communist ministers of Religious Affairs continued to harass and persecute David in Ukraine, until in 1998 gunmen were sent to attack him. They took his car and everything in it: - "It was a whole war against him! But David is the kind of man who came out stronger because of it!" Henry concluded: "David was an example to me. I thought if God can move through an Englishman, He can move through me, a black student from Zimbabwe."

Dodie Osteen, Co-Founder of Lakewood Church, Houston, USA, wrote in tribute: 'David Hathaway has been our friend for many years and is a man who is reaching people who seem to be unreachable. He has a heart for the world and was so respectful and loving to my husband. David considered John as a spiritual father. I salute him on 60 years in the ministry and know he has made Jesus proud.'

Bob and Ann Searle, Pastors of Oasis Christian Centre, Dwygyfylchi, wrote: 'We thank God for the multitude of souls that are and will be in Glory because David has been faithful to his calling. ...We eagerly await the future days when it's going to get even better!'

Prophetic Vision is distributed worldwide free of charge in February, May, August and November. Published in multiple languages, the magazine demonstrates the power of God in action today. It will challenge you spiritually to rise up and do something for the glory of God!

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David Hathaway - Founder and President of Eurovision Mission to Europe, Editorial Director of Prophetic Vision magazine - is an International Evangelist who has ministered worldwide for more than 50 years. Today he reaches millions through his live TV crusades in Russia, Siberia, Ukraine and Europe, and through his weekly TV programmes. Eurovision is one of Europe's largest evangelistic oragnisations, and the largest operating in Russia. Prophetic Vision has a worldwide readership and is published in multiple languages.

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For years David Hathaway smuggled Bibles across Communist borders to Christians in the former Soviet Bloc. At first, he took a few copes on trips with tourists. Later, using a specially designed coach, he was able to take up to 5,000 Bibles or 10,000 New Testaments at a time.

He had delivered more than 150,000 before he was eventually arrested on Midsummer's day 1972 at the Czech border. In a widely reported case, he was held, tried and sentenced.

In answer to prayer, God showed him the exact day of his release and, after ten months in prison, by a miracle God sent the British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, to bring him out! This miracle and his experience with God in the prison meant that before returning to work in Eastern Europe, David told his story around the world, leading more than a quarter of a million people to Christ in just two years.

After his release from prison, David's heart continued to burn for Eastern Europe, the last words of one of his fellow prisoners continually ringing in his ears: 'David, don't forget us. No one knows, no one in the West cares.'