15 April 2026 | Varna, Bulgaria [Roberto Iannò, Karen Holford with tedNEWS]
From March 27 to April 4, 2026, the Family Ministries Leadership Training (FMLT) brought together more than 50 attendees from across Europe. They met in Varna, Bulgaria, to spend more than 5 days enhancing their knowledge and skills for supporting and enriching family relationships. This collaborative initiative, jointly organised by the Trans-European Division (TED) and the Inter-European Division (EUD) Family Ministries departments, was led by Karen Holford (TED) and Pastor Roberto Iannò (EUD).
Participants attended seminars and workshops on topics including family ethics, Christian parenting and human sexuality. Presentations were delivered by Holford, Gábor Mihalec, Iannò and Maijo Roth. Alongside the presentations, the training included practical activities, group discussions and honest engagement with difficult questions affecting family life today.
On Friday evening, attendees were welcomed by Pastor Yaroslav Yankov, North Field President and official representative of the Bulgarian Union of Churches. He greeted the group and presented each participant with a small gift.
Sabbath was devoted entirely to an immersive experience of intergenerational worship training, led by Holford. The day culminated in small groups designing their own intergenerational worship experiences inspired by the parables of Jesus.
FMLT is a three-year course that meets for five to six days each year. Because the topics rotate, participants can begin in any year of the cycle. For some of those attending in Varna, this was their final year of training, while for others it marked the beginning of their journey.
Vilma Metodieva, from North Macedonia, described the 2026 training as a deeply personal and spiritual experience. “For me, this year’s FMLT was a profound experience of God’s love towards all people, especially towards me,” she said. “It also painted the true picture of marriage and sexuality that God wants us to have and enjoy, the picture through which He wants to demonstrate His love towards human beings.”
Metodieva said the experience had a significant impact on her, which she felt was guided by the Holy Spirit and had given her a clearer understanding of divine love.
“Now I want that experience to stay with me and inspire how I treat my spouse and my children,” she said. “I am even more dedicated to the service of the families inside our church, and also outside of it, so that many families can experience the greatest joy of knowing Jesus. I want them to live an abundant life here and now, especially in their family relationships.”
Cristina Bastos, from Portugal, also reflected positively on the training, highlighting both the group learning and the practical relevance of the topics. “I deeply appreciated this learning opportunity for the good insights collected from the group work as well as from the very important and helpful topics,” she said. “Personally, I enjoyed the concept of the positive impact of wonder and the importance of slowing down and tasting the daily experiences of life, one step at a time.”
Bastos added that she valued the different approaches to the subject of sexuality, including teaching, ethics and morality, as well as the many aspects of parenting and character development that can support families in meaningful ways.
The next Family Ministries Leadership Training session will take place in Budapest, Hungary, from 26 February to 4 March 2027. Union and Field leaders who would like more information about the three-year programme may contact Karen Holford or Pastor Roberto Iannò. A course description is also available on the TED Family Ministries webpage.
[Photos: Roberto Iannò]
