Lukács Vilmos István is a pastor in Romania.
When did you trust Christ?
I was 14 years old when I decided to follow God, but I did not know about grace at that time. I only knew about the law. After two years, I recognised the importance of Jesus's sacrifice. Then, I accepted God's grace.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
I attended a youth group, a Christian high school, and a Christian college. These were great gifts in my life. God used them for growth in my faith. In addition to these activities, daily Bible reading has been crucial to my spiritual development.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
ELF helps me grow spiritually and in wisdom. In my ministry, ELF equips, encourages, and helps me find the way in challenging circumstances. The Forum has been really helpful in my personal and professional development in the past. It is a good opportunity to network with other pastors and youth leaders.
What is your ministry?
I am a lead pastor in a congregation with 29 small groups. The church has many volunteers, which is exceptional in our context. My ministry consists of preaching, teaching, coordinating, counselling, and administration. I am also the youth leader in our church district (44 congregations), and as a team, we try to find the best way to reach the young generation with the Gospel.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
My leadership development began in our youth group in the village where I grew up. After attending this group, I became a leader. I organised camps for the group and meetings with other groups. Then, in high school, I was involved in student leadership. During this time, I worked as a volunteer and leader in youth groups. At my university, I was elected as a spiritual leader for students for a year. I tried to gather as much experience as possible in youth work during college.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
The church has over 2,000 members. Our services are attended by both church members and people from outside. We reach around 1,000 people weekly via online broadcasts.
