Poland: leaders gather from across Europe

In May, some 900 Christian leaders from across Europe gathered at a hotel in Wisla in Poland for the annual European Leadership Forum (ELF).

The vision of this conference is to renew the biblical church and thereby to re-evangelise Europe. It brings experienced leaders with a proven track record in ministry together with the emerging leaders of the next generation, so as to equip and envision them for their ministries. The conference offers a wide range of networks linking leaders who specialise in different aspects of evangelical leadership, including theology, preaching, counselling, youth ministry and heading up organisations.

Hold on firmly

Given that this is the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation, it was appropriate that the plenary sessions of the conference emphasised the need to hold firmly and joyfully to the key biblical truths that were recovered by the Protestant Reformers. Leonardo De Chirico, pastor of Breccia di Roma, explained that there are still fundamental differences in regard to authority and salvation between Roman Catholicism and evangelical Protestantism, and highlighted the ways in which Catholics mean very different things when they use the language of ‘grace’ or ‘justification’.

Mike Reeves, the President of Union School of Theology, spoke powerfully about the vital importance of justification by faith alone, and how this glorious doctrine brings peace and assurance of the forgiveness of our sins. Many of the delegates attending the conference are ministering in predominantly Roman Catholic countries, so it is vital that they have confidence in the truth of the gospel. It is concerning that so many British evangelicals wrongly assume that the battles of the Reformation are no longer relevant, and fail to appreciate the irreconcilable differences between the gospel and the official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

Daunting challenge

Professor John Lennox preached passionately and insightfully from the book of Acts, showing how the gospel had gone out from Jerusalem to Europe by the power of the Spirit, crossing barriers of race and culture and in the face of opposition, division and persecution.

As we face the daunting challenge of reevangelising the continent, it was good to be reminded that the gospel has triumphed in the past and that it can do so again, if we commit to faithful prayer and preaching and follow the leading and direction of the Holy Spirit.

Faithful gospel initiatives

A large number of British leaders contribute to the ELF, including Pete Williams and the other staff at Tyndale House in Cambridge. However, it is always humbling to meet other delegates and to hear their stories. While evangelicals in the UK feel increasingly marginalised in society, in most other European countries evangelicals are a much smaller minority and lack many of the resources and opportunities that we take for granted. It was encouraging to hear of faithful gospel initiatives in many countries, including church planting and projects to care for refugees and those who are victims of human trafficking. It was deeply moving to hear from Egyptian Christians about the suffering they have endured at the hands of IS, and the way in which they have made the most of the opportunity to testify to the Lord Jesus and to highlight the differences between Islam and Christianity.

I am thankful for the work of the ELF and for the sacrificial service of the donors, volunteers and organisers who make it possible, and pray that in God’s mercy it might strengthen the work of the gospel across the continent. I pray that evangelicals in the UK will not turn our backs on our brothers and sisters in Europe as a consequence of Brexit, but that we will grasp our responsibility to bring the good news of the gospel to our geographical neighbours who have so much spiritual need. Many of the talks from the ELF are freely available from the Forum of Christian Leaders: www.foclonline.org/resources

New conference

I am also excited that the ELF has inspired the launch of a new conference in Wales that will seek to replicate its benefits for that nation. The first Wales Leadership Forum conference, Equip 2017, will be held at Christchurch Centre, Newport on 15 and 16 September. Speakers include John Lennox, Lindsay Brown, Os Guinness, Michael Green and Ray Evans. It will offer seven leadership networks. Full details about this new initiative can be found at www.walesleadershipforum. org.uk/