Building Gospel Partnerships In Europe
An update from Ed O'Mara, SGC Area Leader for Europe...
The steady decline of Christian witness, liberalization and ongoing extinction of gospel-preaching local churches, and fragmentation amongst once vibrant denominations have made for a dark spiritual climate in Europe. Pastors often feel alone in their call. Interdependency plays a vital role in nourishing healthy churches and supporting pastors. We need one another, and when we say this we mean that our conviction is not simply “association” but “partnership.” We believe in being bound together in shared values and vision to press forward our commission, jointly defend biblical doctrines we hold dear, and encourage one another in our walk as pastors.
In Europe, we are beginning the exciting steps of establishing this sort of meaningful partnership as part of the Sovereign Grace Churches family. For this reason, from 12-15 March, 14 men from various European nations gathered near Milan for our second annual SGC European Pastors Retreat. The retreat was divided into two portions in which the first half of the retreat focused on building strong SGC partnership structures. We began by fostering our relationships and caring for one another. We then moved to charting a path forward for future development. We do not take for granted that we have inherited robust partnership structures from our SGC family. Yet we also know we have a responsibility to apply these to our European context. As such, we talked through what a European BCO might look like, and how we would proceed with church planting evaluations, ordinations, and adjudications in ways that take ownership for a maturing SGC-Europe.
During the second half of the retreat we welcomed a larger group of pastors who are interested in either joining or planting with SGC. Our primary focus was on building relationships and introducing these men to the shape of SGC partnership. We also took time to press into specific shared values, namely our pneumatology, and then we worked through the procedural steps for joining SGC.
You may be thinking that all of this was very procedural, but I can assure you that we spent a lot of time learning about one another, encouraging each other, and laughing together. Perhaps the sweetest moment for me was near the end of the retreat when it struck me that the environment that the Lord is building already feels like our broader SGC family! This is a grace that cannot be underestimated. Yes, loneliness and darkness exist across the evangelical landscape of Europe. Yes, the procedural and structural elements of partnership are important to how we build. But how we care for and love one another is also vital; our relationships matter! How exciting it is to recognize that God is at work, even in our small beginnings, both in the practical and relational elements of SGC-Europe!
As we look forward to our year ahead, we will continue to focus on building together in relational ways. We plan to gather the European pastors and their wives for connection and care. We also plan to host our 3rd European Pastors Retreat in 2025.
Meantime, we will be working together toward a draft European BCO (to be ready for the day the Lord enables us to formally exist as such!). Personally, I will have the privilege of being in regular contact both with those who are already committed to our family and those who are growing in their interest in SGC in Europe. Above all, we will be seeking to bring encouragement to one another as we work hard for the fame of Jesus in our local settings.
None of this could be possible without our broader SGC family! Thank you to all of you who are praying for us. We deeply appreciate your partnership. Please continue to pray that we would be both structurally and relationally connected so that our partnership might aid gospel proclamation and the bright light of Jesus might shine anew across Europe!
