Christians Taught to Find Spiritual Balance in Secular World

By Ethan Cole, Christian Post Reporter Friday, October 20, 2006

WARSAW, Poland – Evangelical leaders in Europe were encouraged to find spiritual balance in an ever-secularizing world this week during a 5-day gathering in Poland’s capital city.

“We need to beware [of] turning good things into idols and living like secular materialists, or, on the other hand, withdrawing from large areas of life because we think that will help us to stay ‘spiritual,’” said Gordon Showell-Rogers, the general secretary of the European Evangelical Alliance (EEA), according to an EEA report. “Staying out of business or politics does not make us holy; our sin is in our hearts, which go with us whether we stay out or not!”

Showell-Rogers, who has served as the EEA general secretary for eight years, delivered the keynote address on the second day of the EEA and EEMA (European Evangelical Missionary Alliance) General Assemblies in Warsaw that concludes Saturday.

Some 150 leaders listened as Showell-Rogers urged attendees to remain faithful despite challenges in the advancement of their ministries.

“Take courage here and now; let the Lord lift that burden,” said the evangelical head. “Because of the resurrection, everything has already changed; even if it is not yet obvious, cosmic change is on the way.”

Showell-Rogers told the evangelical leaders that they should fearlessly live out God’s Kingdom vision both for the present world and the world to come.

On Thursday evening, the conference was led by the EEA Youth Forum and was to focus on youth with dialogue about current events in Russia. The EEA and EEMA Assemblies and EEA Youth Forum run from Oct. 17 to Oct. 21.

Christian Post Correspondent Pauline J. Chang in Warsaw contributed to this report.