During the weekend of December 5-8, more than one hundred representatives from thirty different European congregations were welcomed by the church in Budapest, Hungary, for a time of sharing, discussion and worship. The unity conference, organized by European evangelists Thierry Fender (Geneva), Christian Herbst (Berlin), Mirko Russo (Berlin) and Peti Szabad (Budapest), came as the result of patient, determined efforts and appeals to maintain and strengthen the precious relationship bonds between churches after a year of many sweeping changes.

The birth of thirty European congregations through the efforts of the Boston church in the past seventeen years has been nothing short of miraculous. From the material and technological centers of Western Europe to the countries that once made up the former Communist bloc, Europe's diversity is reflected in the amazing congregations of disciples that have formed in these countries.

Thierry, Peti, Mirko and Christian

Whether in Paris, France, or Prague, Czech Republic; Bucharest, Romania or Cologne, Germany; Sofia, Bulgaria, or Lisbon, Portugal - churches have been planted and begun to flourish by the power of God in every imaginable culture and tongue. It has been impressive to see young nationals from many of these countries be trained for ministry roles in their churches. And not least of all, the lives of students, single adults, married couples and whole families have been forever changed by the transforming message of Jesus Christ.

However, it has clearly been a tumultuous year. Reports from each congregation bore witness to a period characterized by difficult trials, painful self-examination, devastating losses of church members and leaders alike - a veritable crucible of purification for the relationship we have by grace with our God. While the kingdom of God is unshakable (Hebrews 12:27-28), it has become obvious that we had allowed various ungodly emphases to continue unchecked, unchallenged and unchanged. With so much that "shook loose," it seems fair to say that not everything touted as distinctive teachings and practices in our movement belonged, in the end, to God's kingdom. 2003 has been a year of God's discipline, a year of purging and purifying, a year that few disciples in Europe would ever have asked for or imagined.

After overreacting, under-reacting or responding maturely to these challenges, the European churches today stand chastened but hopeful. Much repairing and rebuilding needs to be done. Many tests lie ahead for all of the churches, some of whom do not have great numbers of mature disciples, and all of whom feel inadequate in one way or another for this daunting task. Yet a spirit of determination and faith was evident on the part of the battle-tested brothers and sisterswho met in Budapest last weekend.
When Paul faced the task of rebuilding a divided, struggling church in Corinth, he expressed the same attitude: “Such confidence
as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:4-5).

You would be proud of your brothers and sisters in Europe. Without many of the resources that we enjoy in a large congregation with mature elders and leaders, they are tackling thorny issues and challenges with a sincere longing to see God glorified in their midst. As easy as it would be to forget about the rest of the world and simply focus on the issues in their own congregations, the attendance at this conference bore witness to their desire to keep and deepen their relationships as sister congregations. The Budapest unity meeting was a time of deep fellowship and tears, honest sharing and edifying preaching. There were heartfelt gestures of appreciation for Randy and Kay McKean and Gordon and Theresa Ferguson, who will all be moving on to new fields, for their invaluable work on the European continent. There was a sober realization that from the disciples now in Europe, God desires to forge a bright future for the people in this part of the world. Pray for these courageous brothers and sisters as they set about building churches that will raise a unified voice in praise of our great God and Savior.

Kelly Petre