Breaking new ground in challenging Serbia
In Serbia, a Balkan country with a population of 7 million, there are just 10,000 evangelical Christians. The main religion in nominal orthodoxy, and evangelicals are often seen as belonging to ‘sects’, so churches face many challenges.
It is within this context that the first ever Langham Preaching seminar took place in Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia from 30th March to 1st April.
Slavko Hadžić, Langham Preaching’s country coordinator for Bosnia, led the seminar.
Langham Preaching began a movement in neighbouring Croatia 10 years ago, with hopes and prayers that a work would begin in Serbia in the future. These prayers have been answered!
A packed programme
Led by Slavko Hadžić, Langham Preaching’s country coordinator for Bosnia, the Level 1 seminar was attended by 22 men and 3 women, most of whom were not experienced in Biblical preaching.
It was a packed programme of teaching – all delivered in the Serbian language – alongside collaborative learning, as participants grappled with the principles of expository preaching.
Attendees worked in smaller groups and delivered presentations to the rest of the group.
Books provided for the seminar.
Slavko said seeing these presentations was a highlight of the whole event, as the participants had very quickly adopted the processes they were being taught.
Langham Literature
Books were provided as learning resources for those attending, including ‘The Challenge of Preaching’ and ‘Relational Preaching’ by Langham Literature.
As this was the first ever Langham Preaching seminar in Serbia, there are currently no local preaching clubs in the country. But plans are afoot to establish at least two groups, one in Belgrade and one in Sremska Mitrovica (the location of the seminar).
The attendees took part in group work during the seminar.
Just one day after the seminar ended, Slavko received a message on social media from a participant, urging him to come to Belgrade and help launch a preaching club there. He said: “I’d like you to come to our club to present Langham, to give a lecture about the importance of Biblical preaching and in this way to begin and open the first preaching club. I would like to do this as soon as possible!”
‘Very encouraging’
Slavko said the seminar was “very encouraging”, and that all the participants are “looking forward” to Level 2.
He believes there will be even more impact stories following the Level 2 seminar in Serbia planned for October this year.
Participants of the first ever Langham Preaching seminar in Serbia pose for a group photo.
