In our recent call, we were privileged to meet Paul Windsor, Director of Langham Preaching, who joined us live from Auckland, New Zealand. Paul spoke about his family life, his commitment to Biblical teaching, and his role in nurturing preaching movements worldwide.
Growing up in a missionary family in North India, both Paul and his wife Barbie developed a deep-rooted faith, shaped by their upbringing. Paul came to know the Lord not through a singular, dramatic event, but rather by a gradual awakening—a ‘dawning of the day.’ He reminisced about his early years in church and how he felt compelled to commit his life to Christ repeatedly before finding the assurance that marked the true beginning of his journey.
Engagement with Langham Partnership
Paul’s first engagement with Langham Partnership came when he joined the board of Langham New Zealand. Shortly thereafter, an opportunity arose to work with the Jonathan Lamb, the founding director of Langham Preaching. Recognising the alignment between his experience and the mission of Langham, Paul took the brave step to resign from his prior role and embrace the responsibilities of programme director.
Langham’s purpose is simple yet profound: to nurture movements of Biblical preaching around the globe, focusing on grassroots initiatives that truly empower local communities. These movements promote cultural relevance in preaching, aligning with the needs and languages of the communities they serve.
The Impact of Local Movements
One aspect of Langham’s work that stands out is its commitment to local ownership. Paul emphasises the importance of indigenous leadership in these movements. For example, small groups, known as ‘esquilitas’ in Latin America and ‘Ushurika’ in Africa, provide a platform for peers to support each other’s preaching efforts through feedback, prayer, and reading books (often provided and/or published by Langham). With approximately 117 preaching movements in over 100 countries, these grassroots groups are transforming lives through Biblical teaching.
In a recent discussion, Paul highlighted the excitement around how people within these communities are now stepping up to train others. It’s a remarkable shift from external facilitators conducting training to local leaders taking the reins. For example, Paul shared that a group had travelled from Pakistan to Sri Lanka and the Philippines to facilitate training, demonstrating the interconnectedness of these movements.
Vision for Sustainable Growth
As the Langham Preaching programme continues to grow, so does its resolve to foster sustainability within these preaching movements. Paul shared insights about creating local support networks for financial sustainability. By fostering a model that encourages local contributions, Langham aims to establish independent operations that empower communities even further.
A key upcoming focus is a global forum set for June, where leaders will tackle the challenge of ensuring these preaching movements are financially viable. Langham Preaching’s global leadership team is committed to working together in order for every part of the work to progress.
Prayer Requests
But the team faces many challenges, such as burnout and high demands on its volunteers. They ask for prayers for individuals within the Langham community, especially for wisdom in handling multiple commitments.
In closing, we invite you to pray earnestly for Langham Preaching and its incredible work in fostering Biblical preaching around the world. Together, we can impact lives for Christ through the power of His Word.
Paul asks us to use the following points for prayer:
1. Give thanks to God for the hundreds of volunteers worldwide whose commitment to this ministry, beyond their primary vocations, is what keeps it moving forward, by God’s grace.
2. This ministry is led by a Global Leadership Team, convened by Paul Windsor (NZ), together with Ruth Slater (UK) and Maggy Samir (Egypt). After a decade of stability this team is currently undergoing numerous changes. Please pray for wisdom and patience as new people come aboard and as new roles are defined.
3. For many years securing visas for people to cross borders was the persistent challenge in this ministry. Then, for a season, it was a virus—but now it is visas again! Pray that our people will be granted favour by the authorities.
4. Being locally-owned and locally-operated—or, indigenous—is our goal, under God’s good hand. This is expressed in our four Continental Leadership Teams, comprising around 40 people in total, most of whom are (very) part-time. Please pray for Femi Adeleye (Africa), Igor Amestegui (Latin America), Dwi Maria Handayani (Asia & South Pacific)—together with Andy Oatridge (Europe & Caribbean, commencing in June 2025)—as they lead these teams.
5. A lot of energy goes into our annual Global Forum. This is where we bring 30 people from across the world for five days to wrestle with—and progress—an issue of global significance. The next forum is in June this year with its focus on ‘locally-raised support’ as we move towards being sustainable at the level of the local preaching movement. The planning and the praying is well underway—and please do join us in the praying!
Thank you again for your support and please remember to pray for the global Langham family by signing up for our monthly prayer email.