ELF Conference: Meaning of secularism differs strongly per country
The ELF conference in Wisla, Poland. Photo CNE
Christian Life
How can you stand as a Christian in a secular environment? To find answers to this and other questions, about 850 Christian leaders from all over Europe gathered in the Polish city of Wisla. A personal impression.
How can you stand as a Christian in a secular environment? To find answers to this and other questions, about 850 Christian leaders from all over Europe gathered in the Polish city of Wisla from Saturday, May 17 to Thursday, May 22, 2025. Business developer Albert-Jan Regterschot was present on behalf of CNE.news. A personal impression.
Unique. That is how the European Leadership Forum (ELF) can safely be called. Every year, Protestant leaders who want to be faithful to the Bible travel from all over Europe to this conference. It takes place in one of the largest hotels in Poland, located in the only city in the country where Protestant Christians make up the majority of the population: Wisla.
During one of the plenary meetings, the heart of ELF is summarised. Based on Hebrews 13:7 and 8, pastors ought to propagate the Word of God in such a way that their lives and faith are followed. That Jesus Christ may receive all the glory, because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
God’s glory
The programme at the congress focuses on standing as a Christian in a secular society. From the principles of ELF, presented at the beginning of each plenary session, it is crucial to be firmly anchored in the Bible and to be equipped from there.
Every day starts with a plenary Bible study. By then, the participants have already had an abundant breakfast because, in addition to the soul, the body is not forgotten. This year’s Bible studies are provided by Peter Williams of Tyndale House in Cambridge and are about people from the time of Judges: two women, Achsah and Deborah, and two men, Gideon and Micah.
Williams shows how the Bible does justice regarding the differences between men and women, but that there is one overarching interest: God’s glory. And that is why Achsah and Deborah take a step forward at certain times, to the shame of the men. Williams argues that the Bible shows that while humans have a responsibility, God takes the lead. “Deborah believed in God’s Word, and she acted on it. That is the basis. And so she is a type of Christ. He obeyed His Father, He was braver than anyone else, He gave His life for the salvation of sinners.”
Mountain hike
In the second half of the morning, there are separate programmes for the 27 network groups that ELF has. There are groups for church planters, scientists, artists and many others. In the afternoon, there are workshops where everyone can participate.
And if it all gets too much, you can relax. For example, by going to the large swimming pool at the hotel, or by taking a mountain hike in the picturesque surroundings. In the evening, there are plenary theme meetings with a different topic each time: church history, dogmatics, practical Christianity or Christian ethics. There is also room for prayer in each case.
The audience at ELF is diverse, with many different nationalities represented. An Albanian participant who works for a Christian radio station says that secularisation in many Balkan countries looks very different from that in Western Europe. “Everyone has a sense of God. Even if people rarely see the inside of the church. Militant atheism in Albania is a thing of the past. Bible-believing Christians, however, are by far a minority. They work in a fragmented way, and it is difficult to bind them together. For me, that is one of the advantages of ELF, meeting other Christians who desire to share their beliefs.”
In Western European countries, however, most of the population no longer has the faintest idea of what is actually in the Bible, according to a Swedish visitor. “The most basic biblical concepts, such as sin and grace, are unknown. And it is not self-evident that people are open to having these concepts explained. The core of being a Christian in Western countries is, therefore, first of all, building bridges and coming into contact with secular fellow human beings. Only then can there be room to share something of your faith”.
Although ELF occurs annually in the third week of May, a lot happens in the rest of the year. There are online network meetings; participants can sign up for courses or a mentoring program. In the latter, they receive one-on-one guidance from a Christian leader with a lot of experience, including from some high-profile names. All this happens in the background, in silence, so the desire of Hebrews 13 becomes visible.
What is ELF?
European Leadership Forum (ELF) is the largest European conference for Christian leaders and has existed for over twenty years. ELF is part of the much larger Forum of Christian Leaders (FOCL) from the United States. Both are affiliated with the Lausanne movement, which was started by Billy Graham and John Stott.
ELF attracts about 850 participants. Not only pastors but also Christians who play a leading role in society.
The target group is Evangelical Christians, in the breadth that exists in the English-speaking world. The basis is the faithfulness to the Bible and the Solas of the Reformation. This width is visible in the bookshop, among other things. The collected works of John Owen are there next to books by John Piper. The works of Dwight L. Moody and John Calvin lie brotherly next to each other.
ELF depends on an American agency organisation and volunteers, also mainly from the United States. And not to forget: donors. These are desperately needed because the costs for ELF can easily amount to around 2 million euros. Moreover, many attendees cannot bear participation costs, so their participation fees are sponsored.
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