By Ramunė Jasiulytė

For a few consecutive years, Lithuania's politicians, youth, and entrepreneurs have been organizing meetings aimed at establishing Christian values in various fields of state life. So far such events as Ethics of Christ in Our Country, Principles of Christ in State's Life, State Development: Business & Ethics, and State Development: Community have been held seeking to promote and implement civic society principles based on the teaching of Christ and to encourage a wider and more constructive dialog. These aspirations were transformed into goals of the conference State Development: Challenges to Christians organized on 11-13 October in a former monastery building in Troskunai. About 50 Christian politicians, entrepreneurs, students, and clergy, including high public figures from the USA, Germany, Finland, Norway, and the Faroe Islands, attended the conference. It also attracted believers from Vilnius Word of Faith Church, the majority of whom are actively involved in the operations of a recently founded Lithuanian Center of Christian Civic Activity.

Vytautas Umbrasas, advisor to the National Defense Minister and the main organized of the conference, offered a welcome speech. He pointed out that the event was aimed not just at naming challenges encountered by Christians in the modern public life or at promoting the Christian mentality in the state development processes but also at providing an opportunity to know each other better, enjoy a good fellowship and strengthen the bonds of sincere friendship. The organizer called upon the conference participants to benefit from the fact that the conference attracted believers from different denominations – Pentecostals, Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, Word of Faith community, etc. – and to break the barriers by reaching out for mutual understanding. The same principle should be applied on the national level. To illustrate his words Mr. Umbrasas quoted Jesus, who said: “if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Mt 18: 19-20). The speaker noted that nowadays many Christian politicians succumb to the temptation to moralize others forgetting to make a fair assessment of their own attitudes and values.

In the evening, a presentation was delivered by Charles Parker Wright, US Congress advisor and theology doctor. The speaker described a simple three-point strategy for the state development: trust in God, be friends with Jesus, stay with Jesus all the time. Mr. Wright highlighted the importance of desire to be friends with Jesus and indicated that the success of fellowship was grounded in prayers for people with whom we communicate.

Though the evening session ended late, not all conference participants went to rest – the youth broke down denominational barriers and joined in a heartfelt fellowship lasting till the midnight.

The program of the second day was very intensive offering as many as six presentations. The speakers included Franciscan monk Arunas Peskaitis, Tilo Steinbrinck, German director of the North-East European region of the Europartners, an association of Christian entrepreneurs and other professionals representing 28 European countries, Andrius Navickas, representative of the Justice Ministry of Lithuania, Christian Jensen, law professor and coordinator of prayer breakfasts in Maryland (USA), Antero Laukkannen, assistant to a Finish MP, and Lars Rise, Norwegian MP.

The experience of hearing prominent politicians proclaiming the Gospel filled hearts of the listeners with joy. All the speakers agreed that the Gospel was a compass showing the path in the creation of a democratic state. It was highlighted that Christians should take an active part in the education of a civic society and endeavor to remain flexible by following the Spirit of Christ. Another important challenge is to avoid becoming marginal by cloistering up in Christian organizations but, instead, seek to remain open-hearted, forgiving and compassionate even to those whom we consider to be wrong. Each participant was encouraged to apply maximally abilities and talents given by God and to sort out priorities by putting God in the first place and aiming to be the light and salt of the world.

The presentations were followed by an interactive part, during which the audience split up into small groups to discuss and share views on what had been said.

Although the program's official part ended late in the evening nobody hurried to call it a day. By that time most of the conference participants had made new friends and took the opportunity to talk to them. Before long, amicable chatter turned into folk songs and dances. Everybody was blessed by the heart-warming fellowship in Christ.

On Sunday morning, the conference participants set out for Vilnius to participate in the Prayer Breakfast at the President's Office. There they joined with well-known politicians, culture, arts and religious figures, as well as entrepreneurs and students. Such prayer breakfasts are organized in over 100 countries throughout the world. Among European countries maintaining this tradition are Great Britain, Germany, and Norway. Prayer breakfasts originated in the United States during the Second World War but in Lithuania they are still a novelty promoted for a second year by President Valdas Adamkus, who invites to his Office people cherishing universal human and Christian values.

Catholic priest Julius Sasnauskas opened the meeting by a prayer while the closing prayer was conducted by Evangelical Reformer priest Tomas Šernas. President Adamkus pointed out that such meetings were an excellent opportunity to start a dialog. Foreign guests Charles Parker Wright, Tilo Steinbrinck, and Lars Rise stressed the power inherent in faith in God and prayer and also rejoiced that people who love and proclaim the word of God gather together for a prayer, which is so important for the promotion of democracy in Lithuania.

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