Bearing the Dawn: Two Swiss Missionaries as Today’s Symbolic Mary and Magdalene

At a time when the global Church wrestles with fragmentation and mistrust, the JC2033 movement is emerging as a bold call to unity as Christians prepare for the 2000th anniversary of the Resurrection in 2033. At its center stand two Swiss leaders whose message of hope and reconciliation is resonating across continents: Rev. Martin Hoegger and Rev. Olivier Fleury.

Rev. Hoegger, a priest of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Vaud, has dedicated his ministry to ecumenism and spiritual accompaniment. After serving as Secretary General of the Swiss Bible Society and ministering for more than 15 years at the Community of Saint Loup, he now works full-time with JC2033. His commitments include the Forum chrétien romand, teaching ecumenism in Switzerland, and contributing to the Global Christian Forum.

Rev. Fleury’s journey began in the graphic arts before he joined Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in 1995. Trained in Dallas and Sydney, he went on to lead the Alpha Course in French-speaking Switzerland and later became Executive Director of YWAM Switzerland. A life-changing spiritual experience in 2007 solidified his calling to champion JC2033, a vision he has pursued relentlessly, driven by a desire to see global revival and renewed Christian witness.

During their recent visit to the Ecumenical Commission for Human Development (ECHD) and to the Focolare Movement in Pakistan, both leaders shared heartfelt reflections on the global significance of JC2033. They described it not as a single event but as a worldwide spiritual pilgrimage, an invitation for churches of every tradition to journey together toward the Resurrection Jubilee.

Their presence evoked powerful imagery. Not literal biblical figures, yet in symbolic meaning, Rev. Hoegger and Rev. Fleury stand as contemporary Mary and Magdalene bearers of a message that the world urgently needs: the Resurrection is a living call to unity, reconciliation, and renewed mission.

Like the women at the empty tomb who first carried the news that changed history, these modern witnesses travel across nations with a similar urgency: “A new morning is breaking; let us proclaim it together.” Their pastoral visits to bishops, pastors, youth leaders, theologians, and community workers often spark a rare and genuine longing for unity within the Body of Christ.

They acknowledge the challenges: centuries-old divisions, doctrinal caution, and cultural distance. Yet their conviction is unwavering; the Church cannot celebrate the Resurrection divided. Unity, they insist, is not optional; it is a resurrection mandate.

In a polarized world where despair often overshadows hope, their leadership offers a quiet but compelling testimony that unity is possible and already unfolding. JC2033 is, in their vision, a resurrection movement: awakening what is dormant, restoring what has been broken, and renewing what has grown weary.

To young Christians disillusioned by conflict and institutional failures, their message is especially energizing. Unity is not abstract theology; it is lived discipleship, prayer, encounter, service, and shared mission. They call youth not to watch from the margins but to become co-pilgrims and co-bearers of resurrection light.

As the global Church moves closer to 2033, the ministry of Rev. Hoegger and Rev. Fleury stands as a reminder that the Resurrection remains the heartbeat of Christian faith, and unity its visible fruit. They are pilgrims of this moment, urging the Church forward, lifting it from fatigue, and pointing it toward the dawn.

In their symbolic role as today’s Mary and Magdalene, their message echoes the one that began Christianity itself:

“Do not fear. He is risen. Rise together, and tell the world.”