“My hope is that many followers of Jesus will be equipped to handle the Word of God.”
Abby Galzote works diligently to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with her brothers and sisters in the Philippines. As a full-time missionary for her local church, Abby serves as the Training Director for Every Community for Christ Philippines. Additionally, she is a Preaching Trainer for Langham.
Abby is also part of Langham Connect, a group of Langham Preaching facilitators and movement leaders worldwide who regularly meet online to learn together. Abby explains that the team “meets online to learn the principles and methods of a learner-centred environment and how we can apply these in our varied contexts so that the movement of training preachers who deliver faithful, clear, and relevant sermons will continue.”
The Langham Preaching Program
Her involvement with Langham began in 2018 when Iljo de Keijzer, a Dutch missionary in the Philippines and the current preaching movement coordinator in the Philippines, invited her to a meeting to discuss and brainstorm how to initiate a movement of Biblical preachers and preaching in the Philippines. Langham preaching East Asia Coordinator Phil Nicholson facilitated the meeting and presented the Langham Preaching method of training. Following the meeting, the group decided to begin the Level 1 Langham Preaching program.
Abby shares, “My involvement with Langham Philippines includes being a member of the organising committee, translator, training facilitator, and curriculum writer (Interactive Adult Learning) for both face-to-face and online training for Levels 1, 2, and 3 of Langham Preaching.”
In 2019, the team held the first Level 1 Langham Preaching session with around 70 participants, including workers, leaders, and Bible teachers from the islands of the Philippines.
“Since then, I have been actively involved in regular meetings with leaders of organisations, denominations, and Bible schools to discuss how we can start the movement of Biblical preaching in our own churches. Multiple Level 1 Langham Preaching seminars were held by those who were trained in January 2019. We held a Level 2 Langham Preaching seminar in January 2020 for those who had already applied the Level 1 principles and for those who are actively joining and/or leading preaching clubs. I became a part of a preaching club and also started my own preaching club,” Abby shared.
The positive feedback from pastors and leaders who have trained with the program encourages and fulfils Abby. “They have grown in their love of God’s Word and have developed an appreciation for applying the Word of God in their own lives,” she said.
“Being part of Langham Preaching has given me an opportunity to witness, in different contexts and cultures, the power of the Word of God when preached. I myself have grown in my love to read, study, meditate on, and apply the Word of God. My involvement in Langham Preaching is instrumental in my personal spiritual journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I want others to share the joy that I am experiencing.”
Looking Forward
Initially, there was a lack of confident facilitators to run the Level 1 program, but the demand was strong and growing. Part of Abby’s role as Training Director became instrumental in training learner-centred facilitators for Langham Preaching seminars.
As Langham Preaching has grown in the Philippines, so has the team.
“In May 2024, we also launched our own local Langham Connect. This is a two-hour monthly Zoom meeting composed of local facilitators who share best practices and learn from one another to create a participative learning environment in our preaching clubs and seminars in the Philippines. I facilitate these meetings with the intention of raising individuals who will be able to do the same things I am doing with others,” Abby shared.
As Abby and the other facilitators continue to run the Langham Preaching seminars, she hopes that many people will be well equipped in God’s Word so they can preach effectively, ensuring all people hear, understand, and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“What a joy it is to witness the power of God’s Word in transforming lives!”
Abby’s prayer for Langham Preaching in the Philippines is “that there will be a sustained movement of Biblical preachers. I pray that there will be preaching club coordinators who are dedicated to meeting regularly so that they will grow in their conviction and character. I pray that more facilitators will be raised who are committed to participative learning.”
Thank God for the work of Langham Preaching in the Philippines, and please pray with Abby that there will be an abundance of Biblical preachers sharing the Gospel.