Langham Preaching in Australia!
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Langham’s Preaching program is about training pastors and lay leaders (most of whom will never get to attend Bible college) to teach the Bible, equipping them to biblically shepherd their churches. The program is active in over 60 countries: throughout the Majority World and in other places where there are few evangelicals and a lack of training in expository preaching.
We are delighted to share with you two recent events held in Australia with pastors and lay leaders who will also benefit from this training. |
Aboriginal Preacher’s training |
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This event had been planned for 2020, but was postponed twice due to the pandemic. The Level 1 training had been held in 2019. Last month they were finally able to do the Level 2, along with a Level 1 Refresher. Steve Williams, Regional Coordinator for Langham Preaching in the South Pacific, writes: Nine Aboriginal preachers met at Wyee on the NSW central coast for five days at the end of March for a long-postponed training seminar. It was both a refresher and a course in preaching from the New Testament. The training was organised by an Aboriginal minister, Rick Manton and his wife Kayleen who minister at a church in Mt Druitt in western Sydney. People came from their church and there was also a young couple who came from the coast where they are wanting to begin a ministry. Rick said this was a much needed seminar: “It is very important that we train and equip our leaders and pastors to become better preachers that know how to exegete passages and to have skilled preachers to show how that can be done.” Further training is planned at their church for those who were unable to come to Wyee. Among those who led was a man from Fiji – Eroni, who did Langham training there and is now in Australia, where he has been serving in an Aboriginal community in Arnhem Land (Northern Territory). The week was marked by great joy, hard work, and enthusiasm.” Stephen thanks you for your prayers for this small-scale but important work. |
Rural preacher’s training
The second is described by our Langham Australia CEO Gillean Smiley, who also attended this event:
“Trudging through the dust from their camps to the corrugated iron shed that served as the training venue, the participants gathered for the first session of the Level 1 preaching training. Mostly farmers, they were all rural folk, many of whom came from small churches with no pastor at all, but all were eager to learn how to better preach God’s Word faithfully, clearly and relevantly.
This could have happened almost anywhere in the world, but to our great joy it was here in Australia that this first training session for rural Church elders and lay leaders was taking place. Partnering with Presbyterian Inland Mission at the training facility at New Dunesk, in Ardlethan NSW, Langham was delighted to bring the preaching training program to folk who are leading their churches and preaching regularly without the benefit of having attended theological colleges or Bible schools. Held over four days in early April, it was a time of great encouragement and learning facilitated by Steve Williams and Tim Johnson. As participants worked together to develop sermon outlines using the principles being taught, they agreed that continuing to meet together, whether physically or over zoom, would be a great advantage as they practiced their preaching, in line with the Preaching Clubs being established all over the world.
While there were many similarities with the Majority World preaching training seminars, one key difference was the ability for participants to afford the cost of the program. My dream is that this new initiative may continue to grow, with the potential for Australian training participants to partner with Majority World brothers and sisters, to help them experience the same benefits and opportunities from the program.
The tents have been taken down, and the campervans moved on, but the enthusiasm and new skills generated in the participants by these few days will bless their rural congregations as they continue to grow and mature under the faithful preaching of the Word.”
Two preaching clubs have begun as a result of the training: one in the Riverina and another in Victoria.
Two preaching clubs have begun as a result of the training: one in the Riverina and another in Victoria.
Join us in prayer…
PREACHING
- In North West Asia, an online seminar, which was successfully trialled last year, is in process. Students and church leaders from several North West Asian countries will be participating, including those involved with the work of IFES. This project is a real encouragement as leaders attend from countries where Christians are often persecuted for their faith. Pray for their protection and for a productive time of learning together.
- Give thanks for the Aboriginal and the rural preachers training programs. Pray that all the participants will be able to put into practice what they learned at the seminars. Pray that if God wills, we will be able to offer this training to other Aboriginal pastors and rural preachers around the country.
- Thank you for praying for these upcoming Preaching training events (where a country is sensitive, the region is given):
- 10-16 April: East Asia, West Asia
- 17-23 April: Burundi, Austria, Sierra Leone, Uganda
- 24-30 April: Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Bolivia
- 1-7 May: East Asia, Albania, Croatia, Kenya, Thailand
- 8-14 May: Uganda (2), Colombia, Burundi, Switzerland, Sweden
LITERATURE
- Please continue to pray for the various editorial teams involved in the large one-volume commentary projects, particularly those involved in the Africa Bible Commentary (revised edition), the Central and Eastern European Bible Commentary, and the Central Asian Bible Commentary. The projects are all at various stages, pray for effective and efficient work as these important resources are edited and proof-read.
SCHOLARS
- Pray for Ugandan Scholar Joseph Byamukama (supported by LPA) as he studies for his PhD in Kampala.
- As travel restrictions are lifting, there are a lot of study residencies taking place over the coming months, with Langham Scholars and Graduates taking the opportunity to travel and be part of a wider, international community, while still making progress with their PhD studies or other projects. Please pray for them.
LEADERSHIP
- Please pray for the Leadership Team which will (for the first time in over two years) have some members meeting in person. Please pray for the technology to make a new hybrid form of meeting work well and communication smooth and open. Please pray God will give wisdom and discern in the strategic planning during that week.
- Pray for the International Council which will be meeting at the end of this month. Please pray for Jill McGilvray as she once again chairs these meeting via zoom
Happy Easter…
Join us on social media over Easter!
We will be posting links to three short videos from Langham folk around the world talking about what Easter means to them, starting on Thursday with Rev Dr Sunday Agang from Nigeria.
The Easter Sunday message is from Langham’s Global Ambassador Rev Dr Chris Wright and of course talks about the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
In case you’re not on Facebook, here is a link to his message.
May you be blessed this Easter as you remember Christ’s death and resurrection… our source of eternal hope!