European leaders gather

In May, while the UK pondered the EU referendum campaign, I was privileged to attend the European Leadership Forum.

Over 700 evangelical leaders from all over Europe gathered for six days at a hotel in Poland. The object is to serve and equip national leaders to renew the biblical church and re-evangelise Europe, through a strategy of identifying, uniting, mentoring, and resourcing evangelical leaders. The Forum brings together experienced leaders from the US and Europe to serve and equip the next generation.

News across the continent

The highlight of the Forum, for me, is the opportunity to hear how the Lord is at work across the continent. The Muslim world, Japan and Europe are the three areas of the world in most need of gospel mission. Many European countries have tiny percentages of born-again believers.

It was humbling to meet leaders serving in Eastern Europe in circumstances of great poverty, those from northern European countries battling against liberalism and theological compromise in state Protestant churches, and those labouring in southern Europe in a predominantly Roman Catholic context. It was encouraging to hear of many conversions amongst Muslim refugees fleeing to Europe, of the great opportunity that this offers for the gospel and of rapid church growth in France. It was challenging to hear Ukrainian leaders speak of the new opportunities for church planting that had arisen from the conflict with Russia. I was delighted to hear more about the church planting work of Acts29 Europe.

John Piper

The programme offered was wide-ranging and sought to equip church leaders, evangelists, apologists, theologians, counsellors, politicians and others to stand firm for Christ. The daily ministry saw John Piper preach from Philippians with power and clarity. He reminded us of the crucial importance of the doctrine of justification by faith alone, and of the vital necessity of ensuring that prayer is the engine for all our ministry.

I was greatly helped by a series of seminars on Roman Catholicism by Leonardo Di Chirico, which highlighted the differences between biblical Christianity and Roman Catholicism, showing why we must not be deceived into thinking that the Reformation is over.

Terry Virgo gave an excellent seminar on shepherding the people of God. Dave Patty, who leads Josiah Venture, a thriving youth ministry in the Czech Republic, closed the Forum with a powerful call from John 4 to see Europe not with eyes of discouragement, but as Jesus sees it. The fields are ripe for harvest and we need to have the confidence to go out and share the good news about Jesus. All the ministry and seminars from the Forum are or will be available online at http://www.foclonline.org

Europe needs us

The Forum is a yearly reminder of the wealth of gospel privileges we enjoy in the UK. We have a strong gospel heritage and, despite decline and secularisation, we still have remarkable resources to share with others, especially in theology and biblical ministry. A large number of leaders from the UK helped to serve the Forum, including Phil Walter (FIEC Revitalisation Co-Ordinator), Mike Reeves (President, Union School of Theology), Peter Mead (Cor Deo), Pete Williams (Warden Tyndale House), Peter Saunders (CMF), Terry Virgo (New Frontiers), Mark Sterling (Director of the Stirling Centre), Timothy Laurence (Head of Strategic Research UCCF) and Charlie Hoare (CARE).

Whatever your views on the right relationship between Britain and the European Union, the European Leadership Forum convinced me that UK Christians must have a growing concern for the cause of the gospel on the continent. We continue to be the largest evangelical community in Europe, with considerable resources to share.

I was especially moved to speak to a Spanish leader who could remember how, little less than 40 years ago, evangelicals were banned and persecuted in Spain and churches were forcibly closed. Spanish membership of the European Union has secured and guaranteed religious freedom for them, and for many other believers especially across Eastern Europe, that was unknown just a generation ago.