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Ministry Traineeship: Equipping Europe

25/9/2017

Twenty years ago, EMF made it possible for me to work alongside a mature pastor, Mike Daly, to be mentored and helped in every possible way at Great Whyte Baptist Church in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire. And now the challenge and privilege of mentoring a young man in my church in Luna de Sus, Romania, has passed on to me. His name is Tamás Moroz.

There are three areas where I want to put the emphasis during the time Tamás is with me in Luna de Sus.

First, I want to focus on character. Without a holy life, a humble heart, and a meek spirit, Tamás cannot be a pastor or a missionary – neither can I or anyone else! A peaceful spirit and a faithful character is paramount in the life of any Christian, let alone in the lives of church leaders.

Second, a church leader should uphold good relations, both with other leaders of the congregation and with the members of the church, as well as with outsiders. If the relationship between a leader and the congregation deteriorates, then how will the people listen to his sermon and how will they accept his counsels and admonitions? They will close down and turn away from him. Therefore, building up good and healthy relationships with everybody in church is very important.

Third, alongside character and relationships, gifts and abilities are indispensable in the life of a missionary or pastor. For example, if someone is not able to teach, then he cannot be a teacher in the church; if someone is not able to lead, then he cannot be a pastor of the church. Although no-one has all the gifts, we all have some gifts. Therefore, Tamás needs to develop his own gifts further so that he may be able to serve the Lord better wherever that will be. The gospel never changes, but our ability to preach the only true gospel may grow and develop. The Bible is the eternal Word of God, but our knowledge of the message should grow so that we may rightly divide the Word of God.

These three aspects of a leader – his character, his relationships, and his gifts – briefly summarise my focus as Tamás comes alongside me to be mentored and helped in his preparation for the Christian ministry. What a challenge! What a privilege!

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