Sometimes the best things take a long time to happen – that’s the case with Langham Preaching in Hungary. After a slow process over eleven years, a movement there is now well established and “raring to go”. A Level 2 preaching training seminar took place in March, which according to Mark Meynell, Preaching Director (Europe and Caribbean), had a real sense of enthusiasm and momentum.
He said it was “fantastic to see a number of different things come together for this. There was a great cross-denominational take-up, including the preaching professors from three or four of the mainline denominational seminaries in the capital.”
Mark Meynell (left) with a member of the new Hungary committee Andy Oatridge (right).
Prayers were also answered for the formation of a national committee, made up of three Hungarians and one Brit married to a Hungarian.
Slow burn
Mark explained the origins of the work in Hungary: “It all began here when I accompanied my then boss Jonathan Lamb way back in 2007, for the European Leadership Forum (ELF) in the beautiful town of Eger.
“We were acutely conscious of how much we were investing here (in time and money, leading the ELF Preachers’ network for six years on the trot) while doing precious little for the country itself – so we started having conversations with a number of individuals every now and then. Now, eleven years later, we are (at last) well established and raring to go. So sometimes, it is really is just a matter of a slow burn over many years.”
Because Langham Preaching is about a movement not events, it takes a long time for networks to establish.
Unpredictable
Photo from the preaching training event in Hungary earlier this year.
“Anybody can organise a conference, but it takes a lot of prayer and a lot of people to create a movement. It’s not just about what happens at the seminars, it’s about the Preaching Clubs [that take place during the year] and the momentum that comes from being part of a network in the country. So you can’t predict where and how it’s going to take off.”
The next seminar is in March next year: please pray for the Preaching Clubs that will take place in Hungary for pastors over the course of this year before then.