History

 

​25 years in the making

Mission For Unity is the result of prayer over more than 25 years by Roger Maatje-Fortin. Roger has spiritual grow up in an ecumenical and interdenominational environment. Via a friend, he came in contact with other youth at the cafe bar of Youth for Christ. And he became involved in Youth for Christ Bible study and prayer groups.  He has done a diaconal training year at Youth for Christ in the Netherlands. Later attended Bible College and studied theology. He has worked for Youth for Christ in the Netherlands.

He was born and raised in a Catholic family, when he was 16 years old, he had a personal encounter, Jesus. He is connected with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Pentecostal and Evangelical Churches and Ministries.

In his hometown Eindhoven, he has been involved with a local foundation of different churches that work together in street evangelism. They also organise every year in January the night of prayer ‘‘ St. Steven’’. For 8 years, he has been a presenter at a Christian radio program  'St. Perspective'.

 

Roger meets Brother Roger of Taize

During a retreat in Taize, Roger Maatje was sitting alone in the Church of the Reconsecration after a prayer meeting. When one of the Dutch-speaking brothers, Sebastian came to him and invited Roger to the brother house. There, in the middle of the living room, in front of the Icon of the Trinity, Brother Roger came to him and he was very surprised to meet a young man with the same name. They drank a cup of chocolate milk together. During that time, Brother Roger told the story about his life and explain about the Icon of the Trinity, in the relationship with the calling for the Unity. As a worker for Youth for Christ, he has visited the various church denominations and was involved in multiple projects, all aimed at bringing the youth of different churches together. For more than 10 years he has worked for YFC in the Netherlands.

For 18 years, he was a member of a local evangelical church, but he was also at the same time involved in a prayer group of the Catholic Emmanuel Community. He has worked for the Dutch part of the organisation the World Youth Days that was held in Paris in 1997. He became a member of the Anglican Church in Eindhoven.

Via contacts inside the Anglican church, he became involved in the Community of Chemin Neuf, with a circle w member and Net for God Prayer group. Roger still has contacts with the Community Chemin Neuf. 

 

The vision of the Corpus of Jesus with cut off hands

It was in 1995 in Toronto, Canada that Roger received a vision during a time of prayer and adoration, the Holy Spirit let him see the Corpus of Jesus with cut-off hands.

Roger's response to that life-changing event was to pray and take a time of fasting to seek the answer for that. After one week, he saw another vision: the corpus of Christ, and both hands, who still were separated, each of them one meter apart. He then asks Jesus: "why are your hands cut off from your body?" Jesus by the Holy Spirit answers: the right hand is the Catholic church and all of them who connected with it. And the left hand is the Protestant church and all who are connected with it. Roger says: "Lord, what can I do, how can they come together?"

 

Jesus by the Holy Spirit says:

"be a bridge-builder for me, I have trained and equipped you to bring those hands together. Be a bridge of reconciliation, help me bring my hands back into my body."

 

Roger marries Maud

In August 2010, Roger meets Maud in France during a mission trip in the South of France, where he was invited to baptise some people, also to bless in a married with a good friend of him who is a missionary in France. Rigth after this trip, he receives a calling to serve the Lord in France and in August 2011, Maud and Roger get married. Shortly after, together they found the association and become missionaries for Unity.

Roger and Maud share the same background and carry the same vocation for the Unity of Christians. At Passover 2012, the Association Mission pour l'Unité -France was founded. In June 2013, the Foundation Mission For Unity International was founded as a religious Charity in the Netherlands.

Roger is ordained pastor/priest in the Anglican Orthodox Episcopal Communion and missionary in France and regularly speaks in churches,

as well as home groups together with Maud. Maud is an ordinated pastor as well. Together, they speak French, English and Dutch as needed.