This story is about the life of Torben Søndergaard, the founder of The Last Reformation. He is 44 years old, married to Lene for 24 years and they have three children and two grandchildren.
Like every born-again believer, Torben had the desire to do something for God. But how and where? The only way he could think of, was to become an usher in the church, welcoming people, collecting the offering etc. It was good, but in a very short time he found himself part of a certain church system, where many things were wrong. He did not experience any growth, nor did he see any fruit in his life.
As the years passed, he got more and more frustrated over this. The life he experienced inside of him slowly died and the desire for God began to leave him. But one day God opened his eyes. He saw that many of the people in his church were also losing their fire for God or they had already lost it. Besides coming to church Sunday after Sunday, nothing happened in their life. So he and his wife decided to flee that church. Because they felt that if they continued there, they will end up like the rest. This was not an option for them.
free from sin
the journey continues
That became the beginning of a long journey where they have learned a lot. They moved to another city, where there was a couple planting a church. They decided to help them. But after a year, there were still not many good fruits, so they went to another city and worked with someone else in that city.
There they started a new church again. But still there was something missing. Their life was so different from what they read in the Bible and especially in the Book of Acts.
It was first in the year 2000 when he decided to fast for 40 days, after which things really started to happen.
That fast really made a big impact in his life. He experienced a fear of God, like never before. He also experienced a freedom from sin he did not have before. Before this fast Torben lived in Romans 7, like many Christians nowadays: the bad things I do not want to do, I do, and the good things I want to do, I don’t do etc. But now he could live in Romans 6, in freedom from sin – sin has no dominion over you, you are not under the law, but under grace. That is the normal Christian life!
Suddenly he understood: Wow, I am free, free not to sin! And from here many things started to happen. Torben started to write different books, was on TV and saw many people healed, set free and coming to Christ.
how torben came to faith
turning point
Torben Søndergaard was born in 1976 in a non-christian family. He was baptized as a baby in the state church and later confirmed, but it was only because of tradition. One day, when he was 16, his mother had a stroke. His mother really meant a lot to him and when he heard this bad news he cried and cried and then he prayed to God. Not a prayer of tradition but of his whole heart: ‘God if you are there, please let my mom survive, do something’.
When he prayed that it was like God was not there. It was like Torben was praying to the ceiling, God was so far away. His mother became paralyzed and spent 1½ years in the hospital. One day he was thinking: “Is this life, just to experience bad things and then it is all over?” But he felt God was not there, so he took the little faith and religion he had and threw it away.
After this, about 1½ years later, he was working in a bakery and he was frustrated about life. He knew there was something more, but he did not know what. One night he was working in the bakery and he looked up in the air and said: ‘Come on, God. There must be more in life than this! If you are there come and take me.’ It was just a desperation for God, but in his mind he was thinking about a UFO coming and taking him or an angel coming and lifting him up, a hand coming down and writing on the wall.
He wanted something that was real, not like in the state church when he got confirmed. That was not real. That was religion, that was tradition. When he said that it was not Christianity, it was not Jesus, it was just a desperation for something. God heard those words and a short time later Torben met an old friend. That friend told him more about God and a short time later Torben got born again.
A few months later he went to a big Christian concert and God spoke very clearly and he heard God say in the middle of the concert: ’The girl that is standing behind you, is going to be your wife one day’. When Torben turned around he saw the girl (Lene) and he just knew: this is going to be my wife some day! Three months later he met her again and now has been married to her 24 years and they have three children and two grandchildren.
"I wanted to see fruit!"
the past few years have been amazing
living the life
From then, they started to travel and seeing amazing things. They experienced a lot of things where they were led by the Holy Spirit. They heard testimonies of people all over the world about how The Pioneer School changed their life.
They started a training center in Denmark. After some time, that became too small and they found a much larger facility in a nearby town. So in 2018 they moved to a new place which they called the Jesus Center.
At this place they held 3 week and 3 month training schools.
All went well, until January 2019 when a great persecution started. Danish TV was filming a program about Torben Sondergaard and The Last Reformation. Or, at least that was what he was told… It turned out there was an agenda and the program put Torben and his work in a really bad light. As a result, a certain law was changed that made it difficult or even dangerous to continue the work in Denmark.
Seeking asylum in America
seeking asylum in the usa
a new start
Following the change in politics, they left Denmark overnight to seek asylum in the United States. After a few months, God opened a new door and they got a place called ‘The Ark‘ in North Carolina where Torben and Lene started to continuing their work in God’s Kingdom. But this was not the last place in the USA they would call their new home.
After some time in this new place, God gave Torben a new task. To start a tent revival tour all across America. They were running this revival campaign for some months and hundreds of lives got changed radically. It was really powerful and amazing to be a part of. You can see some of it in the video below.
revival is here
Florida
Then, a new season started. God called Torben and Lene to Florida, where they started many Luke 10 schools as well. They started to do roadtrips across the country too, starting from their homebase in Florida too.
And Now it is time for california
This chapter in Florida came to an end too. But this time, only for Torben and Lene. The work in Florida for the Kingdom of God is still being done, but now it’s done by a different team within TLR. For Torben and Lene, their journey continued as God brought them to California. In the video below Torben explains how God led them here. And as soon as they arrived, He showed His greatness by blessing them abundantly with a beautfiul place to stay for the next 6 months.