Celebrating Pastors
October is Pastor Appreciation Month
“And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” -Jeremiah 3:15
October is pastor appreciation month. It’s an opportunity to acknowledge and give thanks for the pastors in our lives who encourage us to love, believe, and live by the Word of God.
Langham believes every church deserves a well-trained pastor. That’s why, in places where 80% lack formal biblical training, we equip them to faithfully preach God’s Word. These pastors lead people to the gospel in rural villages across Kenya, in store-front churches in Colombia, and in the heart of sensitive regions we can’t mention.
In honor of pastor appreciation month, meet some of the pastors and congregation members your generosity impacts with Langham.
- “He teaches us how to study the way of God”
Pastor Emmanuel Ahlijah sums up Bible teaching in his native Ghana: “There’s a lot of bad preaching, and those preachers have a good following.” That’s why after going through Langham’s pastor training seminars, he is now among the local leaders training others with Langham. He says, “Our vision is to see people become more like Jesus, impact their society and spur ripples of transformation wherever they go.” Benedicta is one of many church members at Community Bible Church, where pastor Emmanuel teaches. She says, “The preaching here teaches us how to study the way of God and how to apply it in daily life.”
- “Like a battery in my heart”
When Pastor Slavko received training from Langham, it transformed his church. He describes the change, “The Word of God is alive and it’s changing lives.” Mirjana (pictured) is one of those lives. Growing up amidst multiple wars and an oppressive communist regime, she battled years of depression. Today, she describes the teaching from her Langham-trained pastor, “It is like someone put a battery in my heart.”
- “When I came to this church, I started to believe”
Pastor Bo in Cambodia was so impacted by Langham’s training that he got more involved to help train other pastors in Cambodia. He says, “When I see people change, I am happy. Especially me, I am the first change, when I look into God’s Word.” A pastor trained to teach God’s Word can impact hundreds of believers to understand and apply the gospel. Pastor Bo has helped congregation members like Chhean*—a former Buddhist—to understand and find peace in God’s Word. Speaking through her Khmer translator, Chhean told us that as a Buddhist, “We would ask for help from Buddha, and no help came. They told us to depend on ourselves, and they feel that God cannot help. When I came to [this] church, I started to believe. God replied to my prayer and God helped me have hope.”
*Names have been changed to protect those in sensitive regions.
- “He disciples us through the Word of God”
Eliseo was like 80% of the pastors in Colombia—struggling to understand how to study and apply God’s Word to the daily realities his people face. But all that has changed thanks to your support which has made training from Langham possible. He says, “Now, I am studying the Word of God as it really is. Langham has allowed me to see God’s profound truths that I never saw before.” His teaching impacts congregation members like Carol, who says Eliseo’s growth as a pastor has led to her growth as a follower of Christ: “He disciples us (through) the Word of God that he gives to us through the preaching. I go willing to listen for what God has for me that day, and I am able to share it with my community. I teach my children the Word, I share it with my husband, and in the neighborhood.”
Click here to see how Langham trains pastors and lay leaders around the world.
Click here to make a gift that trains and resources pastors to faithfully preach God’s Word.
