Wisla, a Polish town nestled in the mountains on the border with the Czech Republic and known for its ski slopes and Protestant heritage, is once again hosting the European Leadership Forum conference.

From 16 to 21 May, a total of 876 participants from 45 countries will spend a week reflecting on the state of Europe, the state of the church, and the common mission of evangelical Christian leaders who work in all areas of society.

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Dozens of speakers

Colin Smith, a pastor in London and Chicago and currently president of the entity Open The Bible, will lead the biblical presentations, focusing on New Testament texts that address how to serve the church.

Psychiatrist Pablo Martínez Vila (Spain), lawyer David McIlroy (UK), biblical counsellor Hellen Thorne-Alleson (UK) and communicator John Dickson (Australia) will address current issues from a Christian perspective.

Dozens of other speakers will lead afternoon seminars on specialised topics, ranging from the rise of AI to trends among Generation Alpha, and from navigating leadership transitions in the church to the mental health crisis.

Sharing resources and knowledge

ELF 2026 will feature more than 30 simultaneous specialised programme streams, called 'networks', aimed at specialists in fields as diverse as art, theology, evangelism, youth, science and politics.

Journalists from Evangelical Focus will be present with an information stand and will be sharing their experience as part of the Media Communicators network.

Every year, the gathering serves as a platform for informal meetings and project presentations, seeking collaboration between partners from different geographical contexts.

'A greenhouse of spiritual growth' in Europe

Asked about expectations for the 2026 edition, the president of FOCL (Forum of Christian Leaders), Greg Pritchard, told Evangelical Focus that they are “praying for the Lord to do what he did in the New Testament, for God to use believers to turn the world upside down. Please pray for us”.

The Forum is “a bridge between local leaders and God’s global resources”, he explains. ELF “is a greenhouse of spiritual growth where people are nourished and grow to maturity”, a “funnel through which resources flow out to the entire body of evangelical believers”.

“The biggest mistake people make about the Forum is thinking that it is only a week-long conference. In reality, the Forum is the tip of an iceberg; 90 per cent of the Forum’s work actually happens throughout the year in local contexts”.

One-to-one mentoring, dozens of volunteers

This week alone, more than a hundred evangelical leaders will hold one-to-one mentoring sessions with other participants.

A total of 114 volunteers and organising staff from five different countries are working on this year’s 2026 edition.

As a collaborative and missional movement for Europe, the European Leadership Forum began almost 25 years ago. Since then, several countries and regions have replicated the model with a similar vision at a more local level.