Benjamin Uhrin is the President of the Baptist Union in Slovakia.
When did you trust Christ?
I grew up in a Christian home and began following the Lord at the age of 10 at a youth camp. Although my decision has been challenged many times since then, by the grace of the Lord, I give my life to Him daily to be used for the sake of His Kingdom.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
Another critical time after my baptism in early youth was when I felt the call to the ministry and applied to study theology. Those years at seminary were a blessing to me. Two American missionaries I worked with as a student influenced my life by believing and investing in me; their encouragement, time, mentoring, and prayers were very important. My wife is another blessing and encouragement for my life and ministry. Additionally, my trips to the US were a gift from God. I always met the right people to help me move forward.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
ELF has impacted my life and ministry beyond words: my library, PhD, encouragement, contacts, and friendships. I will be very happy to meet old friends as well as make some new contacts---networking, learning from each other, and encouraging each other. I hope to be inspired and refreshed to continue in my various roles.
What is your ministry?
I lead the Slovak Baptist Union. I am chairman of the Union Board, lead our annual conferences, visit churches, and create strategies and partnerships. I am also responsible for developing a new social care/mission project, Dobrodina, which was started and is owned by our Baptist Union. Additionally, I lead the Slovak Union of Evangelical Churches and am responsible for leading the Department of Evangelical Theology at Matej Bel University, where I also teach.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
Since the spring of 2018, I have served as the President of the Slovak Baptist Union. Before that, I pastored a smaller rural Baptist church in Klenovec (2004-2009) and later the Baptist church of Banska Bystrica (2009-2018).
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
Several years ago, I went through a period where I heard about leadership from every side. I was afraid to listen to all of it, thinking that I would not be able to take up the leadership call, but I knew deep down that God wanted me to be a leader. Since then, I have gained some knowledge and insights into leadership, but I know I must learn more to fulfil that to which God has called me. Attending the Forum has helped me fulfil this call because of the people, training, and available resources to learn from and use. Through these things, with hard work and perseverance, I believe I can achieve what I am called to do.
