Called. Trained. Multiplied.
These terms capture the essence and uniqueness of Overseas Council’s world-changing ministry. We target leaders who are called by God to make a difference in the Majority World. Overseas Council is called to provide the culturally relevant and biblically sound training they need to be most effective. The natural result of well-trained leaders armed with God’s Word is the Kingdom multiplied person by person, small group by small group, community by community. Click here to read more.
Called.
Raised in a very religious, Roman Catholic family, Wojtek Szczerba was involved in many religious events since his early childhood. He was an altar boy for many years and even thought about becoming a priest. However, he realized in high school that “my faith was very superficial and my Christianity nominal.” He says God served mostly as an idea organizing his worldview, not as a Savior with whom he had a relationship. He started looking for something that would give meaning to his life. “Fortunately I met a group of Christians who truly lived their faith and whose lives with God were something I wanted to have. They wanted to talk to me about those fundamental issues. I spent several months with them, arguing, questioning and observing. Finally I started to read the Bible with them, and I realized this was the Word of God. This is when I became a Christian.” Wojtek began teaching at the Evangelical School of Theology (EST) in Poland in 1996.
Trained.
Wojtek earned his PhD in 2000 and served as Academic Dean of EST from 2002-2006 prior to serving as Rector. After his PhD, he began working on his habilitation (second doctorate). In 2009, he successfully defended his dissertation and received his habilitation with honors. He was told it was one of the best defenses in recent history for the Philosophy department. “It was an immense accomplishment for Dr. Szczerba and a tremendous honor for EST and for evangelicalism in Poland,” the school says. “Very few evangelical theologians in Poland have their habilitation, and this honor glorifies the Lord and reflects well on Dr. Szczerba, EST and evangelicals in Poland….Dr. Szczerba was a very faithful, hard-working student, diligent with his studies. He has always had a passion to embrace the truth, making sure he understands what he believes and can explain the meaning.”
Multiplied.
In addition to his role as Rector and professor, Dr. Szczerba is a representative of EST throughout Poland to other schools, churches, government officials and conferences. He steered EST through the process of becoming the first accredited evangelical theological school in Poland. The school has become an evangelical education center, gathering many people who serve the Lord through different programs, activities, events and outreaches.
Dr. Szczerba is an authority figure in Christian circles and is invited to teach at different conferences, as well as give lectures in other institutions. He is recognized in churches as a theologian and preacher, and he is a mentor for church leaders in his city, meeting with them to help them grow in their ministry and cooperate with other churches to have a great impact on society.
This is the power of Called. Trained. Multiplied.