Energetic church planting and extensive evangelistic initiatives have meant rapid church growth throughout many parts of the world but this has put pressures on the church, not least in terms of training and resourcing, the Langham Partnership has said.

Langham Partnership said that for this reason it has been focusing on working with a number of other organisations to help equip pastors and lay preachers in these areas.

Tanzania has one of the fastest growing preaching movements with over 300 participants taking part in the new regionalised seminars in February and March.

Significantly, a group of seven pastors travelled from Zambia to take part in the programme.

Writing to Jonathan Lamb, Director of Langham Preaching, recently, the Zambian delegates said: "After being invited to Langham Preaching in Morogoro, we came to realise the importance and need of Bible exposition. Despite the numerical growth of the church, it is evident that the health of the church is below par.

"Facing this challenge, and seeing how beneficial the Langham Preaching seminar was in Morogoro, we hereby request that the same programme be established in Zambia."

They have since reported: "In my district we are having the first preachers' club meeting on March 23 with 36 pastors from different denominations."

Langham Partnership has recently held similar preaching workshops in Albania where 55 delegates gathered together. Plans are underway for a special conference in 2008 led by Chris Wright, International Director of Langham Partnership.

Working in fellowship with national leaders, a new Langham preaching initiative has been launched in Croatia, seeking to serve local pastors and lay preachers in part of the Balkans.

In addition to some 50 Croatian participants, small groups travelled from Serbia and from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Even while the group was in the midst of the training programme, the Sarajevo delegates met to plan their first preachers' club, which they started once they were home.

As the Zambian delegates requested, so Langham explains that it is receiving pleas from many countries to come and establish preaching programmes and pastor's networks.

The Langham partnership concludes: "It is Langham's prayer to be able to respond to these calls at the earliest opportunity."

You can find out more about this ministry at www.langhampartnership.org/lpuki

[Source: Langham Partnership]