Church-Centered Leadership Training: A Croatian Model

By Larry Haag

ABWE's Vision Statement for Central and Eastern Europe includes the phrase,

"To facilitate a church planting movement."

How to do that seems a legitimate question. What would be a good strategy for accomplishing such a worthy task? There are a few hurdles to get over if this noble and biblical goal is to be met. The primary hurdle is not where to start new churches; hundreds of cities, towns, and villages in each country of Central & Eastern Europe do not have gospel-preaching churches. The number one problem is: who will lead the new churches as they are planted? The correct answer to this question lies in national leaders, adequately trained in their own country. Men and women can be trained in their local churches to fill present leadership vacancies, and leadership positions that will be created by planting new churches.

Pastor Nenad Kovacovec pastors the leading Baptist church in Croatia. When we met and I explained about church-centered leadership training, Pastor Nenad responded, "We need this program in our church for the evangelism of our country." My wife, Sharon, and I went to Mackovec in November 1996. Pastor Nenad, several leaders in the church and I talked and prayed for many hours. Our shared burden was to see the cause of Christ advanced in Croatia.

We began the church-centered leadership training program in 1996. What are results?

The church has grown spiritually and numerically.
One new church was started in a city founded in 1263 AD. This is the first permanent gospel ministry in this city's history.
The new church is being led by one of the students in our program.
Several sites for other new churches have been identified.
Men and women are being prepared for future ministry.

Church-centered leadership training is meeting the present needs in Pastor Nenad's church in Croatia. It also provides the church in Mackovec with a program and format to multiply herself as a leader in ministry preparation.