GOD’S HEART FOR Report on the State of the Evangelical Churches in Romania 2001

OC International and Misiunea Mondială Unită Copyright © 2001 OC International and Misiunea Mondială Unită

All rights to this report belong to OC International and Misiunea Mondială Unită. Reproduction in part or in whole of the text or illustrations in this report is possible only with written permission of the respective organizations.

OC INTERNATIONAL C.P. 57-93 , Romania Telephone/Fax: (01) 323.77.10 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.oci.ro

MISIUNEA MONDIALĂ UNITĂ Str. Iuliu Maniu, Nr. 12 Cluj-Napoca, Romania Telephone/Fax: (064) 19.82.29 E-mail: [email protected] CREDITS

A project of this magnitude could not be realized without the help of many organizations and individuals. We would like to thank the following:

The Romania Evangelical Alliance who first saw the need for this project and invited OC International to Romania.

Misiunea Mondială Unită our partners in this work who collected all the data and have provided good advice along the way. Without you this work may have never been done.

The Evangelical Denominations in Romania: The Baptist Union of Romania, The Union of Pentecostal Churches in Romania, The Brethren Churches of Romania, The Romanian Evangelical Church, and other independent churches who trusted us and gave us permission to gather data from their churches.

Dorin Dobrincu who contributed the article “A Short History of the Evangelism of Romania”.

Russell Mitchell who oversaw the management and analysis of the church data, wrote several chapters of this report and edited the publication.

Donna Downes and Stan Downes who wrote several chapters of this report.

Ion Achim who proofread the manuscript and made many valuable suggestions.

Alina Maior who entered all the data into the computer and assisted in innumerable ways.

Daniel Munteanu who designed the cover.

And most of all to God, to Him be the glory forever! GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA

CONTENTS

1 WHAT IS GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA? An introduction to this report

6 WE HAVE COME THIS FAR BY GRACE How the Church in Romania has grown until the present

18 SURVEYING THE LAND The state of the evangelical churches in each of Romania’s

30 DOES YOUR HEART BEAT FOR ROMANIA? Seven challenges before Romania’s evangelical churches

38 PLANTING RELEVANT CHURCHES IN A NEW SOCIAL CONTEXT The affect of the modern social context on church planting

48 NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT Twelve steps toward fulfilling the Great Commission in Romania

Appendix 1.Tables

Appendix 2.Research forms

Appendix 3.Spiritual resources for church planting

Appendix 4.Organizations involved in church planting in Romania hat is God’s heart for Introduction to this report WRomania? When the Lord looks at Romania what does he see? What does he feel? What is the longing of his heart? What is Scripture gives us many vivid examples of God’s heart. God loves the whole world (John 3:16)! He does not delight in the death of the wicked but rather God’s that they turn from their wickedness and live (Ezekiel 18:23,32). In writing to Timothy, Paul emphasized the need to pray heart for for all men because “This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4). Romania? Explaining the seemingly long delay of the Lord’s coming, Peter refers to God’s heart for the lost. “He [the Lord] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). God has a passionate desire that all might be saved.

Perhaps the most vivid image of God’s heart in the Old Testament is found in the book of Jonah. Why didn’t Jonah want to go to Nineveh? Because he knew God’s heart! He knew God was “a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2). The last thing this patriot-prophet wanted was for God to relent and spare Nineveh – Israel’s archenemy! Yet God’s heart for this wicked, pagan city shines through. God says to Jonah, “‘Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left...Should I not be concerned about that great city’” (Jonah 4:11)?

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 1 We must also understand another aspect of the Great Commission. Is the Great Commission fulfilled when everyone in our village or town has turned to the Lord? Is it fulfilled when everyone in our or region has heard the Gospel? Is the Great Commission fulfilled For God so when those in our ethnic loved the group or our nation have had the opportunity to hear the world that Gospel? Is not the Great Commission to make he gave... disciples of all nations, all peoples? To fulfill the Great Commission, people from all ethnic groups, all nations, all walks of life need to hear the God has incredible love for Our Mission: The good news and have the rebellious, wicked people who opportunity to become faithful don’t even acknowledge him. Great Commission disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught that his heavenly Father is “kind to the ungrateful The salvation of the lost is so The New Testament teaches and selfish” (Luke 6:35). He much on God’s heart that he calls that the local church is God’s makes the sun rise on the evil and every Christian to join the harvest chosen means of making on the good and sends rain on the force (Matthew 9:38). Are you a disciples who will in turn just and on the unjust (Matthew Christian? You are called to reproduce, making other 5:45). God has the heart of a hasten the coming of the Lord disciples (2 Timothy 2:2). To shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep Jesus Christ by completing the fulfill the Great Commission, in the fold and goes to search for task of world evangelism a disciple-making center – the one lost sheep. He is the (Matthew 24:14; 2 Peter 3:12). commonly known as a local father of the prodigal who yearns church – must be accessible to for his son to return – and The Great Commission explicitly each man, woman and child welcomes him back with open defines Jesus’ purpose for the within a geographical area. arms and great rejoicing! Church until he returns: to make disciples of all nations (Matthew The goal of fulfilling the Isn’t God’s heart for the lost 28:19-20). Just sending out Great Commission in amazing? missionaries does not fulfill the Romania means that there Great Commission. It is not should be a witnessing If God wants all people to come fulfilled even when people fellowship of believers within to repentance, shouldn’t this be respond positively to the Gospel reach of every person so that our desire as well? What would and are baptized. The Great everyone will be able to hear happen if all the Christians in a Commission is not fulfilled when the Gospel and become country, region, city, village or people are taught all that Jesus faithful disciples of Jesus even a neighborhood were fully commanded. No! The Great Christ. Ideally, every village convinced that God wants Commission is fulfilled when and every neighborhood of everyone there to know him and disciples are taught to obey every city should have a group to see Christians living like Jesus everything that Jesus of believers who regularly in their midst? Would there not commanded. Making disciples meet to fulfill the three-fold be a great harvest of souls for who obey all that Jesus purpose of the church: God’s kingdom? commanded is the heart of the worship, equipping and Great Commission. multiplication.

2 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA If the local church is God’s evangelical Christians in research project to answer this chosen means of making Romania that in all of the nations very question. disciples, then church planting of Eastern combined. is the best method for Surely God has blessed the fulfilling the Great preaching of the Gospel in The history and Commission. Romania! purpose of this Is this an impossible mission? However, there remains much to research project Certainly it is large task – do. Over 22 million people in beyond our ability to fulfill in Romania do not attend The need for this type of research our own strength. But the evangelical churches. Only 2% became clear in the middle of the love of God compels us to of the population attends 1990s at the Global Consultation reach the lost (2 Cor. 5:14). life-giving churches. Seven on World Evangelism II held in And Jesus’ authority and million people live in more than Seoul, South Korea. Delegates promise that he will be with 10,000 villages that do not have a from the Romanian Evangelical us until the end of the age is single evangelical church. Alliance heard three reports about the surety of our success. Romania’s cities have very few Romania. Although they did not churches in comparison with their agree with these reports, they Jesus promised that when his populations. God’s will that themselves were not sure of the people fulfill the Great “none should perish but that all exact situation. After this Commission, then the end will should reach repentance” (2 Peter congress, the Romanian come (Matthew 24:14). Then 3:9) motivates us to see that each Evangelical Alliance invited OC the kingdom of this world will person in Romania has an International – since this mission become the kingdom of our opportunity to become a faithful had experience with similar Lord and of his Christ and we disciple of Jesus Christ. works in other countries – to will reign with him forever begin a national research project and ever (Revelation 11:15). Building on the growth of the last to determine the state of the decade, we believe that evangelical churches in Romania. Let us hasten the coming of Romania’s evangelical Christians this day (2 Peter 3:12)! are now positioned to make In 1997 several from significant progress toward Misiunea Mondialã Unitã (United fulfilling the Great Commission. World Mission) attended a How far have we saturation church planting conference in Switzerland come toward Just how many sponsored by DAWN Europe. fulfilling the Great churches are needed These men had already begun a Commission in to fulfill the Great saturation church planting movement in Romania, but at this Romania? Commission? conference they realized that for a saturation church planting The evangelical churches in If the goal is to have a witnessing movement to succeed they Romania have made fellowship of believers within needed accurate information remarkable progress toward reach of every person so that about the state of the Church. fulfilling Jesus’ commission everyone will be able to hear the Afterward Misiunea Mondialã since the fall of Gospel and become faithful Unitã and OC International in 1989. Today there are at disciples of Jesus Christ, just how established a partnership to least 5,000 evangelical many churches are needed to conduct this research. In the churches and 500,000 reach this goal? How many summer of 1998, the process of believers – more than ever churches are needed to fulfill the gathering data began. before! In comparison with Great Commission in Romania? other nations in Europe, The research was limited to those Romania has the third largest In 1998 Misiunea Mondialã Unitã denominations that are included number of evangelical and OC International began a in the Romanian Evangelical Christians. There are more Alliance and to those independent

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 3 churches that have similar churches begun in 1999 and 2000 WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO doctrinal positions. In doing so for the Brethren and Pentecostal FULFILL THE GREAT we certainly passed over some denominations. We received COMMISSION IN evangelical Christians and partial information about Baptist ROMANIA? congregations from other churches started in 1999-2000. confessions, most notably the Other reliable sources of We will address this question Lord’s Army movement within information indicate that there are from three perspectives: the Orthodox Church, and approximately 130 Baptist evangelical believers in the churches (primarily in the First, we will examine the Reformed, Lutheran and Seventh of Arad, Bihor, status of evangelical Day Adventist churches. We Caraº-Severin, Cluj, and Christianity in Romania. We know that there are true believers Timiº), 100-200 independent will take a by in these denominations, but it was churches, and at least 10 province tour of Romania, not possible to include them in Pentecostal churches that are not examining both the Harvest this particular study. Together, yet included in our data base. It Force and the Harvest Field. we all have a part to play in would be unrealistic to claim that The Harvest Force refers to fulfilling the Great Commission. we have information about every the Church or to “God’s We hope this report will motivate evangelical church in Romania. people.” We will examine the all true believers in Romania to However, the information state of the church in each work toward this end. contained in this report represents province, how it is growing 95% of the evangelical churches and its potential to fulfill the This report features data collected in Romania and is sufficiently Great Commission. The from the Baptist, Pentecostal and accurate to better understand the Harvest Field refers to those Brethren denominations as well condition of the church in who are not yet obedient as from the Romanian Romania and cast vision for disciples of Christ. We will Evangelical Church and several planting new, life-giving see how many locations are independent evangelical churches. without evangelical churches churches. At the time of and how many additional publication of this report, our The scope of this churches are needed to give database contained information every man, woman and child on 4,880 evangelical churches in report in Romania an opportunity to Romania. We have attempted to hear the Gospel and become include only churches that have This report will address two faithful disciples of Jesus received authorization from their primary questions: Christ. denomination. We have not included preaching points or HOW HAS THE CHURCH Second, we will look at the mission stations. For every GROWN IN ROMANIA? Great Commission from a church, we requested information social perspective. We want about its exact location, the year It is an incontestable fact that the to see what bridges and it was started, the number of evangelical churches in Romania barriers to discipling the members and adherents, the have grown significantly since nation exist in modern regular attendance at the Sunday 1989. The first chapter will Romanian culture. worship service, and the name of examine how the church in its pastor. Copies of the research Romania has grown. We will Third, we will look at the forms are found in Appendix 2. briefly look at how evangelical strategic perspective. Taking We have cross-referenced this churches started in Romania a realistic view of the data with demographic roughly 100 years ago and how situation, we will suggest information from the National they passed through various strategic steps that evangelical Statistics Commission. periods of severe trial. We will churches can take to fulfill the especially focus on how the Great Commission in The majority of our data was church has developed since the Romania. gathered in 1998-99. However, fall of Communism in 1989. in preparing this report we We have placed additional updated our database to include information related to these

4 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA subjects in the Appendices. planting can contact OC better understand what must For example tables in International or Misiunea happen in Romania to fulfill the Appendix 1 contain Mondialã Unitã to receive the Great Commission. information for every information that best assists this province, county and city in work. This is not a report to sit on a Romania. OC International shelf and gather dust. Use it to has more detailed information It is not our purpose in this cast vision, strategize, intercede about the population and state publication to write an academic for and mobilize others – that of the church in every county, research report. We are Great Romania would be filled with the city and village, especially Commission-driven Christians! knowledge of the glory of the color maps for every county. Rather we envision this report as Lord as the waters cover the sea Anyone involved in church a tool to help Jesus’ followers to (Habakkuk 2:14).

OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN,

Be gracious unto us and bless us. Cause your face to shine upon us that your ways may be known on the earth and your salvation among all peoples. How marvelous are your plans! How wonderful are your works! Renew the passion of our first love; forgive us for our complacency. Send out workers into your harvest fields white unto harvest. Provide for all our needs according to your riches in glory. Grant your servants boldness to speak your word with all confidence. Confirm your message by the power of the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. Grant that we may we be brought into perfect unity so that the world may know that you love them and sent your son Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for their sins. Bless the proclamation of Gospel of the Kingdom that multitudes – from every tribe and tongue and nation and people – will bow before your throne and ascribe to you blessing and honor and glory and power forever and ever! Amen!

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 5 he appearance of TChristianity North of the Danube, in the region now know as Romania, is still We have disputed among historians. Romanian nationalists seized upon the idea that “Romanians were born Christian” or “Romanians come this have been Christians for 2000 years.” This idea, though attractive, is hard to prove as it presumes the existence of far by grace! Christianity long before written record. There exists evidence that Christians – missionaries or simple believers, fugitives from How the Church in Romania persecution – did arrive North of the Danube before and after has grown until the present the Roman withdrawal from present-day Romania at the end of the third century. “I will build This brings us to the type of Christianity practiced in this my church region during the first 15 centuries of the Christian era. and the Christianity was an illicit religion in Roman territories gates of during the first three centuries. Hell will not In the fourth century, following complex overcome circumstances, Christianity became a recognized religion, it.” equal with the pagan religions, and then the single permitted religion. The Roman State symbolized through its leader, the emperor, came to play an extremely important role in Christianity. The long concubinage of the Church with the State had begun. Whole populations, superficially instructed, became “Christian”.

Political as well as religious factors played an important Dorin Dobrincu, historical researcher at the Institutul de Istorie “A.D. Xenopol,” in Iaºi wrote the first role in the “christianization” part of this chapter. He wishes to produce a detailed history of evangelical Christians in Romania and of Romania during the middle seeks sponsorship for this work. If you wish to find out more about this project contact him at this ages. Romania became a address: Str. Ciric, nr. 34, Bl. X3, et. 4, ap. 34, Iaºi, Romania. Email: [email protected] disputed territory with the

6 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA consciousness under the name of century a prince of Greek origin the Protestant Reformation. and Lutheran faith, Iacob Martin Luther in Germany, Heraclid, occupied the throne of Ulrich Zwingly and John Calvin Moldova for a short time. in Switzerland, plus Anabaptists, Although he favored such as Meno Simons and Protestantism, his short reign did Balthzar Hubmayer, shook the not have significant effects. foundations of the medieval order Groups of Calvinistic Romanians of the Roman Catholic Church. existed in in the 17th Through the biblical principles of century. Calvinistic synods in Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Transylvania contributed to the Fide, the way was opened for the translation and publication of reintroduction of a simple, New several religious works in the Testament faith. , for example the Calvinist catechism. The influence of the Reformation was felt in Romania, especially in When Transylvania came under division of Christendom into Transylvania. The German the rule of the Habsburgh Eastern and Western parts, the population in this province was Catholics, the Romanian West based in Rome and the drawn to . Johannes Protestant communities East in Constantinople. Under Honters played an important role. disappeared by absorption into the influence of the Hungarian The Germans had to integrate the Greco-Catholic church or the monarchy, Transylvania was their new faith with the privileged stronger Hungarian Reformed considered Catholic from the medieval system that the communities. By the second half 12th century, although a Hungarian kings established. A of the 18th century the significant part of the significant part of Transylvania’s Anabaptists disappeared from population embraced Eastern population was drawn to the Transylvania. The principle Orthodoxy. and Calvinist part of the Reformation. colonies of Gabriel Bethlen in Moldova (the Southern and Likewise, Unitarianism spread Transylvania, North of Alba Eastern provinces of among the Hungarians. Iulia, were subjected to Romania) came under the persecutions by the state and influence of the Greek The Reformation also influenced religious authorities of the Orthodoxy by the end of the Romanians, though to a lesser Habsburghs. Some were 14th century. The Roman degree. For example Deacon converted by force to Catholic churches used the Coresi printed in the German Catholicism. Others were Latin language and the cities portions of the scriptures in permitted by Catherine II of Western rites while the the Romanian language. These Russia to settle North of the Orthodox Church used the translations used Cyrillic Black Sea. From here they Slavic language and the characters which the Romanians would later play an important role Eastern rites. The people used until the time of A.I. Cuza in the spread of evangelical understood neither language. (mid 19th century). This was a denominations in the 19th Still they considered the great step for spreading the century. complicated rites practiced by message of the Gospel among both churches attractive and Romanians and marked the Perhaps the isolation of salvific. beginning of the use of the Wallachia and Moldova from the Romanian language in the Protestant regions of Central and The influence of the church. Western Europe and the weak Reformation in Romania emphasis placed upon missionary The Reformation influenced activity by Protestantism in its Great changes were felt in the Romanians not only through first three centuries explains the religious configuration of translated religious works, but negligible success of the Europe in the first half of the also through the conversion of Reformation among the some of them to Protestantism. Romanian population. 16th century. Scholastic th disputes entered into public In the second half of the 16

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 7 influenced by the Pentecostal movement in the , started the first Pentecostal Church in Pãuliº near Arad. Independent of the Pentecostals in Western Romania, Pentecostal I know your deeds. communities also appeared in Behold I have put Bucovina (Northeastern Romania). Although the before you an open Pentecostals appeared several door which no one decades after the Baptists and can shut. . . Brethren this movement spread rapidly, especially in the provinces of Banat, Criºana, Transylvania, Bucovina and Northern Moldova. Christianity at the Baptist Church was founded in beginning of the 20th Bucharest. Ioan Branea and Also after World War I, a Constantin Adorian played an reform movement with century important role in establishing this evangelical nuances appeared church. After the war, the inside the Romanian Orthodox Strong evangelical communities Baptists flourished in Basarabia Church. Tudor Popescu, an began to appear in Romania at where strong communities were influential priest from the the end of the 19th and the th started among Romanians, “Stork’s Nest” Church in beginning of the 20 centuries. Russians, Germans and Bucharest, and deacon The Baptists were the first to Bulgarians. Dumitru Cornilescu, translator appear. German Baptists were of the Bible used in Romanian came to Bucharest in the 1850s At the end of the 19th century the evangelical churches today, and 1860s. They had a close Brethren began missionary work promoted this movement. In relationship with J.G. Onken, a in Bucharest. Through the call of the face of strong opposition well-known Baptist missionary E. H. Broadbent, an English they were compelled to leave from Germany. German Baptist missionary, and the work of the Orthodox Church. Those churches were also founded in Francis Berney, a Swiss that followed them were Dobrogea. Romanian Baptist missionary, the first Brethren known under the name of churches began in the zone of church was founded in the capital “The Christians according to under the influence of in 1899. Among the first the Scripture.” Later they German and Hungarian Baptists. Romanian converts were Grigore were forced by the authorities German preachers Anton Novak Constantinescu, Florea Moisescu to unite with the Brethren, and Henrick Meyer played and David Teodorescu. The who were known as “The important roles. Two of their mission of the Brethren extended Christians according to the converts, Mihaly Cornya and into the area of Ploieºti and over Gospel.” After 1989, their Mihaly Toth, became important the Carpathian Mountains where followers took the name of the Hungarian preachers. In 1875 the it spread among the Germans. Romanian Evangelical first baptisms were held by the During the First World War, due Church. Baptists among the Hungarians in to migration caused by military the area of Mare; in 1886 operations, an important Brethren Iosif Trifia, a priest, initiated the first baptisms were recorded missionary center was established another revival movement in among the Romanians in the zone in Iaºi. the Orthodox Church known of Oradea. The number of as the Lord’s Army. Baptists also grew rapidly in the The first Pentecostal communities Beginning in the 1920s this areas of Cluj and Arad. Before appeared immediately after movement reached it zenith in World War I, the first Romanian WWI. In 1922 Gheorghe Bradin, the 1930s. But because it

8 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA started to escape from under write Eugene Ionescu popularized Romania. The Pentecostals were the control of the Orthodox it and gave it respectability. never recognized as a religious hierarchy, measures were taken association. This forced them to to temper the lay people drawn On this basis, evangelical come under the umbrella of the into this movement. The confessions along with other recognized evangelical adherents of the Lord’s Army religious groups were subject to confessions, especially the were subject to persecution in legislative discrimination. After Baptists. Persecutions against the communist era. Patriarchal much insistence, including evangelicals between the two decision Nr. 98, October 24, international protest, the Baptists world wars were recognized by 1949, disbanded the Lord’s and Brethren obtained the status the press. For example the Army. This decision was of religious associations, which newspapers Adevãrul and ratified by the Synod on gave them minimal religious Dimineaþa on November 21, December 12, 1951. Those rights. Still, persecutions were 1931, pointed out the horrible who should have defended the daily occurrences among persecutions against the believers involved in this evangelical Christians in movement became instruments of the communist regime to destroy it.

With the formation of “” in the aftermath of WWI, Romanians found themselves in the situation where they needed to live with fellow citizens who had diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds. Although the state called itself democratic, political, national and religious exclusivism flourished in the period between the World Wars. Although the Constitution of 1923 promoted freedom of conscience, there existed several articles that actually restricted it. The Orthodox Church and the Greco- Catholic Church were established as “Romanian Churches,” the Orthodox Church raised to the level of “dominant.” These two constitutional articles played an important role, through their literal interpretation, in the discriminatory treatment of the other denominations. Additionally, the slogan of the extreme right, “to be Romanian is to be Orthodox,” The data for the above graphs is taken from Atlasul Religiilor by Dr. appeared in the 1930s. This Constantin Cuciuc, Bucharest: Editura Gnossis, 1997. slogan became famous as play

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 9 evangelical minorities that Remembering the unimaginable imprisoned many times in brought to mind the Dark Ages. persecutions of the inter-war the 1950s and also period and the years of World experienced the atrocious These persecutions climaxed War II explains the existence of conditions of the during the military dictatorship of what could be called the “martyr Danube-Black Sea Canal in Marshel . Law culture” among Romanian the 1970s. 927 published in the Monitorul evangelicals. Oficial, nr. 305, December 30, In the communist period 1942, abolished all religious there were numerous cases associations (considered “sects”) Christianity after the of churches being in the country. Their property, Second World War demolished or closed under funds and archives became various pretexts. For possessions of the state. After World War II, the example, many churches in Churches were closed. Some evangelical confessions entered Bucovina (Northeastern were transformed into into a period of reorganization. Romania) were closed under dormitories, stores or even The Baptists, Brethren and the accusation of helping the stables. Any gathering of Pentecostals obtained legal status anti-communists or because evangelical believers was as religious denominations. Still, believers did not want to forbidden. The enforcement of problems did not bypass the register in the collectives. these laws was entrusted to the evangelical churches during the local administrative authorities, 40 years of the communist regime Printing of religious especially the mayors and that systematically attacked literature was not permitted, constables in rural areas, or the religion, especially Christianity. so many believers risked police in the cities. The Many evangelical believers smuggling Bibles, books and Orthodox priests had an experienced the Romanian gulag. tracts. Some were important role in the Here are only a few examples, condemned for this. “destruction” – a term that though many could be given. appears in official documents – of Richard Wurmbrand, a Lutheran Evangelicals reacted evangelical communities. pastor from Bucharest, converted differently to these violations from Judaism, was imprisoned 14 of their liberty and faith. Because evangelical Christians years. His wife, Sabina, also Most kept to themselves, but refused to renounce their faith, experienced communist prisons. there were a few resounding many were tried and condemned Simion Cure, a Baptist pastor, actions of protest. In the to severe punishments by military was imprisoned many years for 1970s the persecutions of the courts. Some were sent to battle his open opposition to the State’s communist state were openly fronts in discipline units; others interference in church matters. denounced. Baptist Pastor were imprisoned, many dying in Constantin Caraman, a Iosif Þon led this initiative. jail. Official documents attest Pentecostal preacher, was Among the better known that one means of repression was internment in concentration camps. Numerous examples could be cited but we can only generalize here because of limited space. According to some sources there even existed a plan to deport evangelical believers from Transnistra (the territory beyond the Nistru River, taken by Romania from Russia and ruled between the years 1941-1944), as happened to a part of the Jews and Gypsies.

10 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA ones who joined him were practice their faith, the pressures campaigns and infractions upon Pavel Nicolescu, Radu to conform to the secular ideals religious liberty in the areas of Dumitrescu, and Aurelian of the communist State were education and civil administration Popescu (Baptist), Constantin strong. Many Christians felt through the denial or slow Caraman (Pentecostal), and forced to keep their faith secret approval of building permits for Silviu Cioatã (Brethren). rather than risk persecution of new churches. Occasionally their families. Certainly, evangelical Christians were A protest movement of evangelism and church planting maltreated, as for example in the evangelical Christians was were discouraged and severely village of Ruginoasa in March started in the fall of 1977 and restricted. Many Christians 1997. The Orthodox Church also in May of 1978 was named wondered if the evangelical manifested its long held desire to Comitetul Român de Apãre a church in Romania could survive be recognized as the “national Libertãþii Religioase ºi de such persecution and restriction. church” of Romania. This Conºtiinþã (The Romanian official recognition would Committee for the Defense of But survive it did! Praise God! infringe the religious liberty of Religious and Conscientious other denominations. Liberty). At this time the After the bloody fall of the denunciation of the anti- Communist regime in December Having a predominantly rural Christian character and human 1989, evangelicals faced a new mentality, Romanian society is rights abuses of the communist beginning. There was great characterized by a reduced civic regime in Ceauºescu’s receptiveness to the Gospel. sense that upholds many aspects Romania probably reached its Spurning the atheistic ideology of incompatible with a democratic highest level. the past, the Romanian people society, including religious turned out in mass to learn about intolerance. These historical and Romanian evangelicals had spiritual matters. After decades social realities, briefly presented the support of several foreign of restrictions they were able to here, must certainly be taken into evangelicals. For example, open new churches, schools and consideration both when John Funderburk Jr., a Baptist, charitable foundations. Freedom analyzing the situation of the appointed by Ronald Reagan to travel resulted in direct contact evangelical churches and when as the U.S. ambassador to with evangelical churches from making future plans. Romania at the beginning of all over the world. the 1980s, openly supported Romania’s evangelicals. But The Romanian Evangelical Growth of the as a sign of protest against Alliance was founded by the Church in the 1990s human rights violations and Baptist, Brethren and Pentecostal lack of support from the denominations, a part of the What has happened in Romania Department of State, he Lord’s Army movement and a in the first decade of freedom resigned his post. group of Lutherans from after the fall of communist Bucharest, to work more oppression? effectively in the areas of Christianity in the evangelism and the defense of When the results from the first post-communist era religious liberty. post-communist nationwide census were revealed in 1992, Under four decades of The decade of the 1990s was evangelical Christians rejoiced to communism, God’s people marked with tensions with the see that 380,086 people counted suffered persecution, Orthodox Church. Some tensions themselves as members of imprisonment and sometimes were due to different perspectives evangelical churches. Over the even death. Churches were about evangelism or proselytism. next eight years, that number demolished. Property was Due the Orthodox Church’s increased to approximately confiscated; new constructions desire to maintain a religious 440,000. were forbidden. Although monopoly over the Romanian evangelical Christians were people, the decade following the We can approximate the number constitutionally allowed the fall of Communism saw of people who were born again freedom to meet and to numerous negative press and became involved in the life

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 11 After the fall of communism in 1989, dozens of Christian groups rushed into Romania to help strengthen the church. Today, well over 200 Christian parachurch organizations exist in Romania to assist evangelical efforts in evangelism, church planting, leadership training and discipleship, literature production, and ministries that help disadvantaged children.

Dozens of Bible institutes and Christian training programs are preparing present and future leaders for the church in Romania. In the last of the Church in the 1990s. The conservative estimate of this decade tens of thousands of Romanian census conducted movement’s size is 125,000 Romanians have been January 7, 1992, registered adherents. Thus, we can equipped for ministry. 380,086 Baptists, Pentecostals conservatively say that there are Hundreds of new churches and Brethren. By the year 2000 over 500,000 evangelical have been built, and hundreds there are approximately 440,000 Christians in Romania, the third of mission points around the members and adherents in these largest number of evangelical country are on their way to denominations, including those Christians in all of Europe after becoming organized churches. who participate in independent and Germany! evangelical churches. This Since 1990, over 2 million represents a growth of about The number of evangelical people have been exposed to 60,000 people. However, we can churches has grown tremendously the good news of the Gospel reasonably assume that in the last during the 1990s. At the fall of through 7,800 presentations of eight years even more than communism, 66 cities in the “Jesus Film." Radio 60,000 people were added to the Romania did not have evangelical Vocea Evangelia broadcasts church. For example, we know churches; today there are only throughout Romania from six that some Christians have left the eleven. Fifty-five more cities locations. Trans World Radio country and that others have died. have evangelical churches! In produces Christian In order to cover these losses it is 1989, there were evangelical programming heard more likely that at least 100,000 churches in 1,886 villages. throughout the country. A people were added to the Today the evangelical churches rapidly growing number of evangelical churches in the past exist in 3,023 villages – a 60% Christian films and videos are nine years. increase! In 1989, over 8.5 being produced for the million people did not have Romanian audience. When we talk about the number access to an evangelical church; of evangelical Christians in today this number is under 7 Romanians are also taking the Romania we must also take into million. In 1989, there were message of the Gospel around consideration the Lord’s Army between 1,800 and 2,400 the world as God is stirring movement within the Romanian evangelical churches in Romania; increasing numbers of Orthodox Church. The Lord’s today there are at least 5,000. Christians toward Army is a member of the cross-cultural missions. Romanian Evangelical Alliance This means that in the last ten and considers itself an years approximately five new All over Romania the gospel evangelical movement within the churches have opened each is bearing fruit and is growing Orthodox Church. A week! (Col. 1:6). Let’s look at the

12 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA GROWTH OF THE NUMBER OF CHURCHES In our database at OC International, we have the founding year for 4,242 churches. Based on this information these graphs show the number of churches planted by year. Observe the apparent explosion of church starts in 1990. It is important to know that some of these churches existed during the Communist era and received their legal authorization in 1990-1991. In other words, they existed before 1990 and were legally registered in 1990-91. However, we can see that in every year, beginning with 1990, more churches were started each year than in the years under communism. The data shows a decline in the number of church starts after 1994, but the rate of church planting again began to climb in 1999-2000. In 1999 the Average Annual Growth Rate (AAGR) was 4.57%. This is encouraging! Here are some average growth rates for various periods:

• The Decadal Growth Rate (DGR) for 1990-1999 is at least 80%. • We estimate that at the beginning of the 1990s there were at most 2,400 evangelical churches in comparison to 4,489 churches in 1999. AAGR for the decade is 6.05%. • The DGR for 1991-2000 is 60%. This represents an AAGR of 4.81%. • The AAGR for 1991-1995 is 5.71%. • The AAGR for 1996-2000 is 3.88%. • The AAGR for 1999 was 4.57%.

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 13 eight historic provinces of churches, of which the started in and 64 in Romania to see how Christ is Pentecostals started 129. Alba. Since 1995, Bistriþa building his church. (Detailed Likewise, the number of Nãsãud and Braºov have information regarding Romania’s Pentecostals in Timiº has continued to have above eight historical provinces is found increased over 5,000 persons average church planting rates. in Table 1 in Appendix 1.) since 1992, from 19,042 to approximately 24,300 today. At least 77 new churches were stated in Caraº-Severin since 1989. Maramureº

Criºana Maramureº is the only province in Romania where Criºana has the highest the rate of church planting is percentage of evangelical greater for the period Christians in Romania with over In the entire province of Oltenia 1996-2000 in comparison with 6.5% of the population attending the number of churches has 1991-1995. After 1995, 41 evangelical churches. Since grown 260% since 1989, from 73 new churches were started in 1989, 329 churches have been to 263 churches. This is the Maramureº and 22 in Satu started in this province (83 in highest growth rate in the Mare. Since 1989, 131 new Arad, 103 in Sãlaj and 143 in country. The number of churches were started in this Bihor). After 1995, 59 new evangelical Christians has more province, a 142% increase. churches were started in both than doubled since January 1992, Bihor and Sãlaj, the largest growing by 7,430 persons (from number of new churches per 5,272 to 12,702). The Brethren county during this period. In and Baptists have experienced 1996-2000 the Pentecostals good growth. However, the started 40 new churches in Bihor Pentecostals have done – the most in comparison with the exceptionally well, planting more Spectacular things are other counties – and 34 in Sãlaj. than half of the new churches. happening in Muntenia! The Also in this period, the Baptists Beginning with 24 churches in number of churches has started most of their new 1989, today they have at least 101 increased dramatically in churches per county in Sãlaj (24) churches, a growth of 320%. Cãlãraºi (500%), Brãila and in Bihor (17). There are also Since 1995, all counties in this (400%), Bucharest (255%) significant increases in the province have continued to and Ialomiþa (225%) counties. number of people attending experience above average church In Cãlãraºi the number of Pentecostal churches in Arad planting growth rates. Christians has grown from (from 18,501 to 20,890) and Sãlaj 307% since January 1992 (from 5,464 to 8,240) since the (378 to 1,539). Brãila has the 1992 census. highest rate of church planting in all the country for the Transylvania period after 1995, the Average Annual Growth Rate being In Transylvania 526 new 11.84%; but the Baptists have Banat churches were started since 1989, started churches at a rate of the most of any province. over 20% per year! The city The condition of the evangelical Likewise, Transylvania has the of Bucharest has seen the churches is also very good in the most churches (1,255) and the number of churches grow Banat province. Here 5% of the most evangelical Christians (over from 18 to 64 (255%), and the population is evangelical. After 100,000). The rates of church number of people attending 1989, the largest number of new planting in Bistriþa Nãsãud, evangelical churches in churches of any county in Braºov, Mureº and counties Bucharest has increase nearly Romania were started in Timiº have been over 100% since 1989. 40%. In Prahova 61 churches county – at least 160 new Over 100 new churches were have been started and the

14 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 15 CHURCH SIZE ACCORDING TO DENOMINATION AND LOCATION The average size of an evangelical church in Romania depends on its location and whether it was started before or after 1989. Churches in municipal areas are two to three times larger than city churches. Village churches are about half the size of city churches. Churches started after 1989 are not as large as those started prior. The number in parentheses for the Pentecostal denomination refers to the number of members. The other number includes members and adherents. DENOMINATIONBAPTISTBRETHRENPENTECOSTAL AVERAGE SIZE Average size of churches started 81111169 (103)123 before 1990 Average size of municipal churches 340301586 (358)425 started before 1990 Average size of city churches started 10799213 (129)148 before1990 Average size of churches in villages 4568121 (72)82 started before 1990 Average size of churches started 254571 (43)54 after 1989 Average size of municipal churches 67106222 (134)150 started after 1989 Average size of city churches started 2639106 (68)65 after 1989 Average size of village churches 172551 (30)39 started after 1989

16 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA number of members has churches and people. Suceava is increased 45% since 1991 third in the number of church OUR FATHER IN (from 8,754 to 12,691, an starts in all the country, with 107. HEAVEN, increase of nearly 4,000 In Botoºani, 77 new churches Praised be your name for the people). In Dâmboviþa, 71 were started. Since 1995, the won ders you have wrought. churches have been started largest number of Brethren You have en larged your since 1989 and the rate of churches per county have been King dom, O Lord, church planting for 1996-2000 started in Botoºani and Bacãu You have gained glory for is greater than 1991-1995. (15 and 12 churches respective). your self! has the highest church In all at least 442 new churches Not to us but to your name be planting rate for the have been started in Moldova the glory. Pentecostal denomination since 1989 (a 139% increase)! All that we have ac com plished since 1995, an incredible 27% you have done for us. per year! Ilfov and Buzãu lllllllllllllllllllll You have es tab lished peace also have better than average for us. church planting rates since In all of Romania the number of Other lords be sides you have 1995. Since 1989, 387 new churches has grown from ruled over us, but your name churches were started in 1,800-2,400 churches in 1989 to alone do we honor. Muntenia. at least 5,000 today. This They are now dead, they live represents a growth rate of no more. You pun ished them between 108% and 177%! and brought them to naught. We thank you for those who Indeed, God has been doing a first brought the gos pel to this Dobrogea wonderful work in Romania. The land. nation ranks third in all of Europe We thank you that the gates of Dobrogea has the second in the number of evangelical Hell did not over come your highest rate of growth in the Christians, behind England and church as she passed through country, that is 185%. Fifty Germany. fi ery tri als. new churches have been We thank you for the open started. Both Baptists and Christ has been faithful to his door that you placed be fore your faith ful ser vants. Pentecostals have grown at a word: “I will build my church They planted and wa tered, but significant rate. More and the gates of Hell will not you have caused the growth. churches were started in overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). You have en larged the har vest Dobrogea after 1996 than The gates of Hell did not of our righ teous ness. 1991-95 (24 compared to 19). overcome it during the dark years We praise you that you have Dobrogea has the highest of communism. Christ has pro vided seed for the sower average church-planting rate caused his church to grow and bread for food. in all of Romania since 1995 remarkably in Romania during We praise you that the Gos pel with an Average Annual the 1990s. is bear ing fruit in all of Growth Rate of 8.76% per Ro ma nia and is grow ing. year. Let us thank God for the mercies We praise you that – in your he has shown to Romania and for great mercy – you have given the great work he has done in this new birth to tens of thou sands nation! of souls in the last de cade. We praise you that your grace Moldova is over flow ing our bor ders, reach ing more and more In Moldova 32% more people peo ple. are involved in Evangelical For all these bless ings we churches in comparison to the praise your glo ri ous grace, January 1992 Census (from which you have freely given us 63,685 to 84,339). Every through Je sus Christ our Lord, county has shown good both now and for ever more. growth in the numbers of Amen!

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 17 to fight in the army. This enabled the Israelites to know the strength of their forces and organize themselves for battle. Likewise church planting Surveying research gathers information about the Harvest Force so that the church can better organize itself for the task of the land making disciples. • Also in the Book of The state of the evangelical Numbers, God commanded Moses to send twelve men to churches in each of explore the promised land (13:1). Moses instructed these Romania’s provinces twelve spies to bring back information about the land, the people who lived there and the condition of their cities. Likewise, good church planting research will identify what groups of people live in the target area, where they live and what obstacles need to be overcome to make disciples among those peoples.

• Twice Joshua sent men into the Promised Land to survey the land (Joshua 2:1; 18:3-19:48). As a result of these reconnaissance missions Joshua received detailed information about the cities, villages and the people’s perception of God. For the church planter this same information is crucial. requently people ask me what when God called people to new FI do in Romania. When I ministries, he directed them to • Nehemiah found out the respond that I am a missionary gather information and evaluate condition of Jerusalem before involved in research, I get their resources. Today we call he ever proposed the task of questioning looks that ask, “What that research. In each of the rebuilding the walls of the city does research have to do with the following cases, we will see how (1:2,3; 2:11-16). He wisely church?” Fortunately I can research serves an important evaluated the morale of the answer that question. purpose in God’s plan. people who would do the work as well as the condition • In the Book of Numbers, God of the wall. With this Research in the Bible commanded Moses to take a information, he successfully census of the whole Israelite motivated the people for the You will not find the word community (Numbers 1:1-46). extensive work of rebuilding research in the Bible, but research The purpose of this census was to the walls of Jerusalem. has biblical precedent. Often count all the men who were able Likewise, we can better

18 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA motivate people to start new one objective toward that goal, is language do they speak? What churches if we know their not optional. Research helps us ethnic and social group do they morale and the size of the task make the best use of the belong to? Where do they live? before them. resources we have to accomplish Do they have a witnessing the task of fulfilling the Great fellowship of believers in their • Jesus ministered throughout Commission. locality? How many cities and all of Judea’s cities and villages have evangelical villages (Matthew 9:35-10:1). churches? How many do not Matthew tells us that, “When Important Terms have an evangelical church? he saw the crowds he had compassion for them, because But before we can survey the they were harassed, and land in Romania, we must define helpless, like sheep without a six terms. Every discipline uses shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36). special terms to communicate Jesus’ “barefoot research” important ideas. The work of filled him with compassion; surveying the land with saturation this motivated Jesus to call his church planting in view also uses disciples to prayer and a number of special terms. ministry. First-hand research Clarifying the meaning of these also generates compassion and terms will help us better mobilizes people for prayer understand the task before us. and ministry. The Harvest Force • The early church kept track of the numerical growth as the The Harvest Force refers to Churches with Church Planting Lord added to their number people in the church who are Potential (Acts 2:41,47; 4:4; 6:7; 9:31). God’s work force for gathering in For church planting this kind the harvest (Matthew 9:38). The Churches that have good of information helps us know Harvest Force includes the potential to start other churches where and how God is number of local, life-giving are an important part of the working; it helps us see which churches, Christian workers, Harvest Force. Misiunea methods work best. parachurch organizations and Mondială Unită has discovered believers in a zone. We call these that a church in Romania with 50 These examples show us that resources the Harvest Force. In members can generally send out there is good, biblical examining the Harvest Force we at least one church planting team. precedent for research. want to answer the question: They have also observed that Information is a powerful tool How adequate is the Harvest churches started after 1989 can that motivates and helps the Force to accomplish God’s often send out a church planting church to fulfill its task of purpose in the Harvest Field? team if they have just 30 making disciples of all members. Larger churches, of nations. The Harvest Field course, have greater potential and can send out multiple teams of Researchers “survey the land” The Harvest Field refers to church planters. Using these so that God’s people can make people in the world who have not standards we can estimate the more and more disciples who yet become faithful followers of number of churches that can be glorify God. We do not Jesus Christ. In this report this involved in starting new gather information to decide will be the number of people who churches. whether or not to start new do not regularly attend churches. Just as God evangelical churches although we The Average Annual Growth commanded Joshua to possess recognize that there are true Rate the Promised Land (Joshua believers in other confessions. 1:1-11), Jesus commands us to When we examine the Harvest The Average Annual Growth make disciples of all nations! Field we want to know: Who Rate (abbreviated AAGR) also Therefore church planting, as needs to hear the Gospel? What tells us something important

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 19 and to see the life transforming power of Jesus at work in the lives of their neighbors. The message of the Gospel is more “believable” when it is confirmed by transformed lives. Also, when a region is saturated with churches the local church is present as a disciple-making center to help new believers become faithful disciples of Jesus Christ – who will reproduce, making still more disciples. Thus, “saturation” in itself is not the final goal, but a method to fulfill our mission of making disciples. Just as evangelism population of a zone by the about the Harvest Force, namely, is necessary for planting a how fast the church is growing. number of evangelical churches. church, church planting is For example, Dobrogea has a The AAGR is expressed as a necessary to make disciples. percentage (%). To determine population of 1,008,733 people and 77 evangelical churches. how long it would take for the Once the objective of number of churches to double, This produces a ratio of 13,100 saturation is reached, local people for every church. For divide 72 by the AAGR. An churches will still have a great AAGR of 7.2% means that the comparison, the average PCR for deal of work to do to all of Romania is 4,500 people number of churches will double evangelize and make faithful in 10 years; but AAGR of 3% for every evangelical church. disciples of Jesus Christ. It is means that it would take the 24 possible for a county to be years to double in number. With Saturation “saturated” with churches, but an AAGR of 12% the number of yet only 10-20% of the churches would double in 6 When we speak of saturation we population is born again. A years. Likewise the percentage want to project how many village of 1,000 people is of growth for a ten-year period is churches are needed so that every technically saturated when it called the Decade Growth Rate man, woman and child in has one church – although (DGR). Romania will be within the there may be only 30 people sphere of influence of an who are born again. After the The Population to Church Ratio evangelical church. Then each objective of “saturation” is person in Romania will have the achieved, there still remains One statistic that we use to opportunity to hear the Gospel much to do to make disciples determine the saturation of a zone and become a disciple of Jesus who will obey all that Jesus with churches is the population to Christ through the incarnational commanded. church ratio (abbreviated PCR). witness of a local church. This figure shows us how many Missiologists call this objective When we start to plan to people each church has to reach “saturation church planting” or “saturate” a zone with with the Gospel. A ratio of 1,055 simply “saturation.” churches, we need to answer people for every evangelical two questions: church – as in Sălaj – is very The objective of a Saturation good. A ratio of 31,394 people Church Planting Movement is to ü Where are new churches for every evangelical church – as establish a church within reach of needed? it is in Bucharest – is quite poor. every person in a geographical This Population to Church Ratio region to give them the ü How many churches are is calculated by dividing the opportunity to hear the Gospel needed?

20 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA In answering these questions a geographical approach. In • In Romania’s cities we some emphasize geography, Romania we believe that the envision one church for every claiming a church within practical implications of 1,500 people. normal travel distance of saturation church planting require every person would be a good that: • In Romania’s larger cities, goal. Ideally, every village because the population is so and every neighborhood of • Every village should have a dense, we project that one church every city should have a group church where believers regularly for every 5,000 people will be of believers who regularly meet to fulfill the three-fold initially sufficient. The larger meet to fulfill the three-fold purpose of the church: worship, city churches could use a cell purpose of the church: equipping and multiplication. church structure to saturate every worship, equipping and neighborhood with an evangelical multiplication. Every village • Larger villages should have at witness. and neighborhood of every least a church for every city needs a group of 1,000-1,500 people. Thus a With this background, we will Christians who act as salt and village with 4,000 people would survey the land in Romania, light (Matthew 5:13-16). need at least three churches. province by province. We will look at the population’s ethnic Others set goals of one church and religious structure. We will for every 1,000 inhabitants. look at the condition of the This is based on the theory evangelical churches. We will that an average size church examine how deeply the Gospel can impact 1,000 people. has penetrated each province. Believing that saturation church Another point of view takes planting is the most efficient cultural and ethnic realities method of fulfilling the Great into consideration, proposing Commission, we will project how that churches must be many churches are needed to give established for every ethnic every man, woman and child the group in every region. We opportunity to participate in a must keep in mind that gathering of believers where the different ethnic and social Gospel is proclaimed and faithful groups may need churches disciples are made. We will also that worship in their mother project how quickly the church tongue and reflect their could reach this objective based cultural sensitivities. For on the number of churches that example, Christians in have good potential for church Western Europe see a need to After the planting and the recent growth start churches oriented to objective of rate. younger people. Or, in a village of 800 people it is “saturation” is Jesus commands us to make possible that two churches disciples of all nations! would be needed if there were achieved, there Therefore, church planting, as two distinctly different ethnic still remains one objective toward that goal, is or language groups in the not optional. Our purpose in village, such as Gypsies and much to do to presenting this information is to Hungarians. make disciples help us grasp the most realistic and responsible manner to fulfill To estimate how many who will obey all the mission of the Church, the witnessing churches are Great Commission, and thus needed in Romania to give that Jesus glorify God. every person the opportunity commanded. to become a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, we have taken

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 21 Surveying the land in Romania

Criºana “Lift up your eyes, Saturation is in sight! and look on the fields, that they are Criºana consists of three counties, white for harvest.” Bihor, Sãlaj, and Arad. In 2000 it’s population was 1,353,096. The majority of people live in rural areas (51.2%). Major cities AAGR, it would take 14 years are Oradea (population in 2000, The Harvest Field to achieve saturation! 220,626), Arad (182,846) and Zalãu (77,015). According to the Crişana has the best population to Although saturation is near, 1992 Census, Criºana’s ethnic evangelical church ratio in all of the evangelical churches must composition is 72.5% Romanian, Romania, that is 1,297 people for be mobilized to achieve this 22% Hungarian, 3.1% Gypsy, every evangelical church. goal. 1.1% Slovak and 0.8% German. Already 644 locations are Also according to the Census “saturated”! Only six townships 66.2% of the people consider out of 208 do not have themselves Orthodox; 13.9% evangelical churches. However, Reformed; 9.4% Roman 1,264,675 people in this zone do Maramureş Catholic; 3.5% Pentecostal; 3.2% not attend evangelical churches! Baptist; 2.1% Greek Catholic, And there could be as many as By faith the work can be and 1.7% have other religious 356 villages that do not have a done! affiliations. single evangelical church. Nearly 150,000 people in rural areas do Maramureş consists of two The Harvest Force not have access to an evangelical counties, and church. Maramureş. The population According to our research, of this province in 2000 was Criºana has the highest What needs to be done to 921,076, with 50.5% living in percentage of evangelical achieve the objective of urban areas. The major cities Christians in Romania (at least saturation in Crişana? are Mare (149,780), Satu 6.5% or 88,421 people). There Mare (129,153), Sighetu are 1,043 churches in Criºana, The cities need 59 additional Marmeţiei (44,238) and mostly Baptist (517) and churches. In the cities of Oradea, (25,046). The 1992 Census Pentecostal (508). Since 1989 Arad and Zalău alone, 37 reports the ethnic structure as: 329 churches have been started in additional churches are needed. 71.5% Romanian; 20.7% this province (growth 46.1%). We calculate that at most 487 Hungarian; 4% Ukrainian; Yet the AAGR for 1996-2000 is new churches are needed for 1.8% German; and 1.7% just 2.83%, next to the lowest in saturation. Taking into account Gypsy. The religious all the country. According to the that there are 450 churches with affiliations is this region are: information in our database, there good potential, it is feasible that 65.7% Orthodox; 11.2% are over 450 churches with the evangelical Christians in Roman Catholic; 10.8% potential to start new churches. Crişana could achieve the Reformed; 7% Greek (Research Note: other sources objective of saturation in just a Catholic; 2% Pentecostal and indicate that there are additional few years. Yet at the current 3.3% other. Baptist churches in this province).

22 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA The Harvest Force objective of saturation could take churches. The Pentecostals in 10 to 22 years. Timiş have done a phenomenal There are 223 evangelical job of starting new churches (129 churches in this area, the The evangelical churches in since 1989). Likewise, the majority being Pentecostal Maramureº have had greater number of Pentecostals in Timiş (148) and Baptist (64). The works in the second half of the has increased more than 5,000 Brethren have nine churches 1990s than the first part; still a persons since 1992, from 19,042 and there are two independent greater work of faith will be to approximately 24,300 today. churches. Since 1989, 131 needed to achieve the objective of However, the AAGR for the churches were started in this saturation. entire province since 1995 is only province (142% growth). 2.29%, the poorest of any Maramureş is the only province. (Research Note: other province in Romania where sources of information suggest the rate of church planting is we may lack a number of Baptist greater for the period Banat Churches in this province). 1996-2000 in comparison with 1991-1995. The AAGR is The goal is within reach! The Harvest Field 6.96%. There are 121 churches with good potential Over a million people live in the The Population to Church Ratio for church planting. Banat province. It consists of is 2,000 people for every church, two counties: Timiş and second best in all the country. The Harvest Field Caraş-Severin, 60.1% of the There are 273 villages already people living in urban settings. “saturated.” Only seven out of Over 900,000 people do not Timoşoara (329,554) and Reşiţa the 144 townships do not have a attend evangelical churches. (92,776) are the largest cities. church. At most, 282 villages are Thirty of the 118 townships According the 1992 Census, this without churches. However, let do not have evangelical province has a diverse ethnic us not loose sight of the facts that churches (25%); 311 villages structure: 82.3% are Romanian; nearly a million people in these do not have an evangelical 6.6% are Hungarians; 3.6% are two counties do not attend church; 92 villages having Germans; 2.3% are Serbs; 2.1% evangelical churches and that over 1,000 inhabitants do not are Gypsies; 1% are Ukrainian. over 100,000 people in the Banat have a single evangelical This region also displays province may not have an church. Over 260,000 people religious diversity. The Orthodox evangelical church in their in rural areas do not have an number 80%. Roman Catholics village. evangelical church in their are 11.6%. Pentecostals number village. The population to 2.4%. Baptists are 2%. The What needs to be done to church ratio is 4,130:1. Reformed represent 1.7%. Greek achieve saturation? Catholics are 0.95%. Others What needs to be done to comprise 2.3%. For saturation we calculate that a achieve saturation? total of 917 churches are needed The Harvest Force or at least 433 new churches. To saturate this province with The city of Timişoara will need evangelical churches, a total Evangelical churches are strong 36 more churches to have one of 772 churches are needed, or in this area with 5% of the church for every 5,000 at least 549 new churches. population (or 52,255 people) inhabitants. Reşiţa needs ten. The cities of Satu Mare and involved in 521 churches (264 The other cities will need 43 new both need over 20 Pentecostal, 227 Baptist, 21 churches to achieve the objective churches to achieve a PCR Brethren and nine independent of saturation. Having 285 less than 5,000:1. In the other churches). At least 237 churches churches with good potential for cities, 59 new churches are were started here since 1989 church planting, it would be needed to achieve saturation. (83.5% growth). The most new possible to achieve the objective Having 121 churches with churches of any county in of saturation in a few years. good potential for church Romania were started in Timiş However, continuing at the planting, achieving the County – at least 160 new average growth rate since 1995,

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 23 achieving this objective would Roman Catholic, 34% Reformed Catholic. These counties also take 27 years. The evangelical and 22% Orthodox. have two cities that do not churches must be mobilized to have evangelical churches: “possess the land.” The Harvest Force Băile Tuşnad in Harghita and Întorsura Buzăului in Transylvania has the most . In rural areas, 248 evangelical churches of any of 610 townships do not have province, 1,255, of which 637 are evangelical churches (40.6%) Transylvania Pentecostal, 418 are Baptist, 137 and 2,276 villages do not have are Brethren, and 53 are evangelical churches. Lots of potential. Lots to do! independent. Transylvania also Therefore, 23% of has the most evangelical Transylvania’s population – Transylvania is found in the Christians (101,071) of any nearly a million people – do heart of Romania. It consists of province. In Transylvania 526 not have an evangelical nine counties: Alba, Bistriţa new churches were started since church in their village. Nasăud, Braşov, Cluj, Covasna, 1989 – the most of any province Harghita, Hunedoara, Mureş and (72.2% growth). The AAGR What needs to be done to Sibiu. Its population since 1995 is 3.17%. However, achieve saturation? (4,211,457) makes it the third the church planting rates in largest province, with 61.9% of Bistriţa Nasăud, Braşov, Mureş Transylvania needs a total of the population living in urban and Sibiu are all over 100% since 4,200 churches for saturation areas. Some of the more 1989. Over 100 new churches or 2,945 new churches! important cities are: were started in Hunedoara and 64 Transylvania’s cities need 253 Cluj-Napoca (329,310); Braşov in Alba. Hunedoara (7.85% new churches to have 5,000 (309,671); Sibiu (167,737); AAGR), Bistriţa Nasăud (6.03% people for every evangelical Târgu Mureş (163,184); Bistriţa AAGR) and Braşov 4.76% church. The most churches (86,556); Hunedoara (78,435); (AAGR) have continued to have are needed in the cities of Deva 75,515); above average church planting Braşov (47), Cluj Napoca (71,638) and Miercur-Ciuc rates since 1995. There are 533 (42), Sibiu (25) and Târgu (46,021). Seven of 10 people churches with good potential to Mureş (24). Another 282 new are ethnically Romanian start new churches – the most of churches will be needed in (73.4%). Two in 10 are any province! (Research Note: cities to achieve the objective Hungarian (22.6%). However, other reliable sources indicate of saturation. Nearly 2,400 two counties, Harghita and there may be 20 additional new churches will be needed Covasna, have Hungarian Baptist churches in .) in villages. Achieving this majorities (85% and 75% objective is not an impossible respectively). The Gypsies are The Harvest Field task taking into account that also a significant minority 533 churches have good church (2.7%) as are those of Germanic The Population Church Ratio for planting potential – the most descent (0.9%). According to the entire province is 3,356:1. In of any province in Romania. the 1992 Census the religious three counties the PCR is better: However, at the current AAGR affiliations in Transylvania are: Bistriţa Nasăud (PCR 1,886:1), (3.17%), reaching saturation Orthodox (68.6%); Roman Alba (2,250:1) and Hundeoara would take 39 years! The Catholic (11.3%); Reformed (2,135:1). Already, 19 townships minorities in Transylvania (11.2%); Greek Catholic (2.4%); are saturated. Even though will need special missionary Unitarian (1.7%); and evangelical churches are strong in activity, especially in Harghita Pentecostal (1.5%). Others this region, over 4,100,000 and Covasna counties that represent 3.3%. However the people do not attend evangelical have Hungarian majorities. religious affiliations are quite churches! Evangelical churches different in Harghita, which is are weakest in these two counties: The evangelical churches in 66% Roman Catholic, 13% Harghita (PCR 11,778:1) and Transylvania have a lot of Reformed and 13% Orthodox, Covasna (PCR 8,867:1). Both of potential. And lots to do! and Covasna, which is 37% these counties have Hungarian majorities and are largely Roman

24 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA THE CHURCH PLANTER’S HALL OF FAME Oltenia These denominations in the corresponding counties had both an above average number of churches started and a church planting rate above the Growing well, but still a national average in the period 1996-2000 . long way to go! Come help! COUNTY DENOMINATIONNEW CHURCHES AAGR* Oltentia’s five counties, ArgeºPentecostal 7 7.14% Mehedinţi, Gorj, Vâlcea, BacãuBrethren 12 10.29% and Dolj, have a population of BacãuPentecostal 8 5.92% 2,399,831. It is the most rural province in Romania as nearly BihorPentecostal 40 4.10% 55% of the people live in Bistriþa-NãsãudPentecostal 35 6.36% villages. This area is nearly BotoºaniBrethren 15 8.96% all ethnically Romanian (98.3%) with a Gypsy BotoºaniPentecostal 24 5.58% minority (1.5%); 99% of the BraºovBrethren 8 6.67% people consider themselves BrãilaBaptist 11 20.79% Orthodox. The largest cities are (312,358), BucureºtiBaptist 7 12.20% Râmicu Vâlcea (119,249), Caraº-SeverinPentecostal 14 3.98% Drobeta Turnu Severin CãlãraºiPentecostal 9 12.70% (115,979), Târgu (97,359) ConstanþaBaptist 7 7.96% and Slatina (86,351). ConstanþaPentecostal 10 10.20% The Harvest Force DâmboviþaPentecostal 22 9.78% DoljPentecostal 10 6.96% The number of evangelical Christians has more than GalaþiPentecostal 8 8.92% doubled since the January GiurgiuPentecostal 7 27.23% 1992 Census, growing by GorjBaptist 7 7.53% 7,430 persons from 5,272 to GorjPentecostal 11 13.05% 12,702. In the entire province of Oltenia, the number of IaºiBrethren 7 4.28% churches has grown 260% IaºiPentecostal 15 12.89% since 1989, from 73 to 263 MaramureºBaptist 9 5.73% churches. This is the highest growth rate in the country. MaramureºPentecostal 30 7.68% Today there are 101 NeamþPentecostal 10 7.21% Pentecostal churches, 85 OltBaptist 6 10.76% Baptist churches, 58 Brethren churches, 11 Romanian Satu MarePentecostal 16 8.02% Evangelical churches and at SalãjBaptist 25 5.47% least 8 independent churches. SalãjPentecostal 34 6.43% The Brethren and Baptists VasluiPentecostal 11 12.30% have done well. However, the Pentecostals have done VranceaBrethren 9 13.70% exceptionally well, planting more than half of the new *Average Annual Growth Rate churches. Beginning with 24 churches in 1989, today they have at least 101 churches, a

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 25 growth of 320%. Since 1995 the To fulfill the Great Commission Church has 195. The AAGR is 6.5%. As the majority in Oltenia, Christians from Pentecostals have 212. There (190) of the 263 evangelical outside of this province will need are 36 independent churches. churches in this province are new to come and help. The majority of the churches churches started in the last from the Romanian decade, only 85 churches have Evangelical Church good potential for church denomination are found in this planting. region. The AAGR since 1995 is 5%, although some The Harvest Field Muntenia counties have had better growth rates: Brăila – 11.84% Only one-half of one percent of The greatest need for new the best growth rate in the the population are evangelical churches entire country for this period; Christians. Thus, 2,887,129 Călăraşi 10.93%; Bucharest people do not attend evangelical Muntenia is the largest province 9.30%; Ialomiţa 6.49%; churches. This province has six in Romania with a population in Buzău 5.87%; Dâmboviţa cities that do not have a single 2000 of 6,640,439 people. This 5.22%. There are 387 evangelical church: Vânju Mare province is made up of eleven churches with good potential (6,986), Novaci (6,446), Băile counties: Argeş, Dâmboviţa, for church planting. (See the Govora (4,830), Ocne Mari Prahova, Buzău, Brăila, Ialomiţa, previous chapter for more (3,572), Dragneşti Olt (13,083) Călăraşi, Ilfov, Bucharest, about the growth of the church and Piatra Olt (6,640). Likewise Giurgiu, and Teleorman. This in this zone.) 1,225,676 people in 1,968 region is heavily urbanized villages do not have access to an (59.2%). Almost a third of the The Harvest Field evangelical church. Thus, over population lives in Romania’s half of the population of Oltenia capital, Bucharest (2,009,200). Nearly 6.6 million people in (52.8%) does not have access to Other major cities are: Ploieşti this region do not attend an evangelical church! The PCR (249,054); Piteşti (186,163); evangelical churches! Only for the entire province is 9,125:1. Brăila (230,962); Buzău 0.76% of the people are However, three counties have (145,610); Târgovişte (98,028); considered evangelical better Population to Church Călăraşi (76,636); Giurgiu Christians. The city of Ratios: Gorj (6,074:1), Mehedinţi (71,893); Alexandria 57,377) and in does not (6,568:1) and Dolj (8,362:1). (55,308). The people have an evangelical church. Two counties, Olt and Vâlcea, are predominantly Romanian The large cities of this area are have very poor Population to (97.7%) with a Gypsy minority among the neediest in all the Church Ratios, 14,520:1 and (1.7%). According to the Census, country; 42% of the 17,229:1 respectively. most people consider themselves townships do not have a single Orthodox (97.8%). evangelical church; 2,338 What needs to be done to villages do not have a single achieve saturation? The Harvest Force church. Thus, over 2,000,000 people in rural areas do not We project that this province There are over 50,000 evangelical have an evangelical church in needs a total of 2,649 churches. Christians (0.76%) and 739 their village. This is more This means that at least 2,386 evangelical churches in this than the population of new churches are needed. The province, more than doubling Bucharest, or 30% of the cities need 287 new churches to since 1989 (109% growth). entire population of the achieve saturation. Craiova alone Likewise, this region has seen a province. The PCR for the needs 54 churches! Villages are good growth in the number of province is 9,000:1, although in need of 2,100 new churches. believers since the 1992 Census. this ranges from 3,803:1 for Having 85 churches with good The evangelical denominations Dâmboviţa to over 31,000:1 church planting potential, the best are fairly evenly represented in for Bucharest. Three other projection for achieving this zone. The Baptists have 134 counties have Population to saturation is 30 years. churches. The Brethren have Church Ratios over the mean: 162. The Romanian Evangelical Buzău (15,767:1), Ialomiţa

26 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA (11,705:1) and Brăila Romanians 98.4%. The Gypsies (11,021:1). are a small minority (0.8%). According to the 1992 Census, What needs to be done to Moldova 92% of the people consider achieve saturation? themselves Orthodox; 5.2% are Saturation from North to South Roman Catholic, primarily in Muntenia needs the most new Bacău and Neamţ Counties, and churches of any province in The province of Moldova is made 1% are Pentecostal, primarily in Romania, over 4,000! We up of eight counties: Suceava, , which has over estimate that a total of 4,760 Botoşani, Neamţ, Iaşi Bacău, 30,000 Pentecostals. churches are needed to , Vrancea and Galaţi. This saturate this province. Over province is second most populous The Harvest Force 600 new churches are needed in Romania (4,858,789) and is in the cities, Bucharest the only one that has increased in In Moldova nearly 85,000 needing the most. Brăila, population since 1992 (increasing evangelical Christians (or 1.74% Ploiesţi, Pitesti and Buzău by 72,587 persons). The majority of the population) are involved in also need many new churches. of people live in rural areas 759 evangelical churches. This Even with 387 churches with (54.8%). Major metropolitan represents 32% more people in good church planting potential centers are Iaşi (345,795), Galaţi comparison with the January and a good growth rate, (326,956), Băcau (207,573), 1992 Census (from 63,685 to reaching the objective of Suceava (117,615), Piatra Neamţ 84,339). The majority of the saturation could take several (124,189), Botoşani (126,621), churches are Pentecostal (409), decades. Resources must be Focşani (96,930), Roman followed by the Brethren (233), mobilized from within this (81,013), Vaslui (77,900) and the Baptists (103) and others province and from outside in Bârlad (77,805). Moldova has (14). In total 442 new churches order to more quickly reach the highest percentage of ethnic have been started in Moldova the objective of saturation. since 1989 (139%). The AAGR

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 27 since 1995 is 5.45%. With the exception of Suceava, all of the counties have had very good annual growth rates since 1995. The Average Annual Growth Rates for these counties are: Suceava - 2.51%, Botoşani - 6.03%, Vaslui - 6.34%, Neamţ - 6.5%, Galaţi - 6.96%, Iaşi - 7.41%, Bacău - 7.92% and Vrancea - 9.16%. There are 424 churches with good potential for church planting.

(Research Note: We lack information for about 20 Baptist churches in Suceava County that There are over 50,000 Muslims in Dobrogea. were started after 1992. This would improve the AAGR for new churches. One-third of third of the population living Suceava). these new city churches are in the city of Constanţa needed in four cities: Galaţi (337,216) this is the most The Harvest Field (59); Iaşi (53); Băcau (35); and urbanized region in Romania Botoşani (21). Saturation could (66.4%). The city of , The condition of the Harvest be realistically achieved in a population 94,706, is the Field varies greatly in Moldova. short period of time in the next largest city in this zone. The Population to Church Ratio northern counties of Suceava This province is ethnically is good in Botoşani (2,845:1) and and Botoşani, which have 255 and religiously diverse: Suceava (3,260:1), but is poor in churches with good church 92.8% Romanian; 2.7% the other counties: Galaţi planting potential. But reaching Turks; 2.5% Russian- (18,402:1), Iaşi (10,459:1) Băcau the objective of saturation in the Lippoven and 2.3% Tatar. (10,037:1), Neamţ (8,750:1) six other counties, having only The population of Dobrogea Vrancea (7,671:1) and Vaslui 169 churches with good church is 5% Moslem; 91.1% (6,884:1). The city Târgu planting potential, could take consider themselves Frumos in Iaşi County does not several decades. Still these Orthodox; 1.9% adhere to have an evangelical church. Half churches with potential, by the Old Rite Orthodox faith. of the townships do not have targeting larger population areas, Other religious confessions even one evangelical church (290 can make significant progress number 2%. of 578); 1,900,000 people living toward achieving the objective in rural areas do not have an of saturation in the next five The Harvest Force evangelical church in their years. village; 2,487 villages are The evangelical churches in without evangelical churches. Dobrogea have experienced the second highest rate of What needs to be done to growth in the country, that is achieve saturation? Dobrogea 185%. Fifty new churches have been started since 1989 Saturation for this zone requires giving a total of 77 at least 4,423 churches. Thus Romania’s Mission Field evangelical churches. 3,664 new churches are needed; Thirty-two churches are 3,020 new village churches are The province of Dobrogea Pentecostal; 31 are Baptist; needed to give Moldova’s large consists of two counties six are Brethren, five are rural population opportunity to Constanţa and Tulcea. The Romanian Evangelical attend an evangelical church. population in 2000 was churches, and three are Moldova’s cities also need 449 1,008,733 inhabitants. With a independent churches. Both

28 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA Baptists and Pentecostals are 575 additional churches are land” is not just information, but growing at a significant rate. needed to reach saturation, 408 in inspiration – that can release the More churches were started in villages and 167 in cities. The hidden potential of the church. Dobrogea after 1996 than city of Constanţa needs 59 new As a spark lights a great fire, so 1991-95 (19 compared to 24). churches and 16 are needed in information can inspire great Dobrogea has the highest city of Tulcea. Since only 32 church planting movements. average church-planting rate churches have good potential for in all of Romania since 1995 starting new churches, help from Do not keep this information to (8.76% AAGR). In Tulcea outside is needed. yourself. Use it to cast vision, the AAGR is 8.08% while in strategize, intercede for and Constanţa it is 9.58%. On the Dobrogea, with its diverse ethnic inspire others – that Romania other hand Dobrogea has the and religious milieu and three would be filled with the smallest percentage of Unreached People Groups, knowledge of the glory of the evangelical Christians of any presents Romania with its very Lord as the waters cover the sea province in Romania (0.42% own mission field. (Habakkuk 2:14). or 4,256 people), the fewest churches (77) and thus the fewest number of churches Not just The right with good potential to start information, new churches (32). information, but inspiration! in the right hands, The Harvest Field This, to the best of our at the right time Over 99.5% of the population knowledge, is the state of the has a powerful – over one million people – evangelical churches in each of does not attend an evangelical Romania’s provinces. This effect. church. The city of in “survey of the land” (Joshua Tulcea does not have a 18:4) is also a conservative church. Over two-thirds of estimation of what is needed to the townships do not have a give every man, woman and child single evangelical church (67 the opportunity to hear the of 95); 290 villages do not Gospel through the witness of a have evangelical churches. In life-giving, local church. all 271,386 people in rural areas do not have an It is an incontestable fact that in evangelical church in their the 1990’s God did a marvelous village – an astounding 81% work in Romania. But why of the rural population! The should that stop? Building on the Population to Church Ratio is growth of the last decade, 12,645:1 in Constanţa and Romania’s evangelical Christians 14,594:1 in Tulcea. have the potential to make even greater strides toward fulfilling What needs to be done to the Great Commission. But, this achieve saturation? potential awaits release.

There is much work to do to Romania’s evangelical churches fulfill the Great Commission have been compared to a sleeping in Dobrogea. Cross-cultural giant. Well then, let’s awaken missionaries are needed to the giant! reach the diverse ethnic population of Dobrogea, We believe that the right especially the 52,000 Muslims information, in the right hands, at and the 25,000 the right time has a powerful Russian-Lippoven. At least effect. So this “survey of the

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 29 od’s heart beats for GRomania. Does yours?

Does your heart cry out to God for your fellow Does your countrymen that they may be saved (Romans 11:1)?

Do you beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out heart beat for workers into his harvest field (Matthew 9:38)?

Do you cry out to God, “Give Romania? me Romania or I die,” as John Knox did for Scotland?

Does your heart beat for the millions in Romania who travel the broad way that leads Seven great challenges to destruction? Does your heart beat for before Romania’s Romania? If not, why not? evangelical churches Once Jesus went about all the cities and villages in Judea teaching and preaching. Matthew tells us that, “When he saw the crowds he had compassion for them, because they were harassed, and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

Do you see the connection between vision and compassion? Jesus, the Son of God, saw people through God’s eyes; he saw their deepest needs. Thus, his heart was moved with compassion for the multitudes that were harassed and helpless.

Could it be that we don’t have compassion for those around us because we do not see their deepest needs? Could it be we don’t see their needs because we don’t have clear vision?

How is your vision?

30 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA My vision is poor. Without Challenge #1: represent 2% of Romania’s my glasses I can’t see a thing. population. This means that 22 But with the right glasses, I 22 million people million people do not attend an can see perfectly. In a similar have yet to become evangelical church! The way our vision of the world is percentage of evangelical poor and we need corrective disciples of Jesus Christians ranges from highs of glasses – theological glasses – Christ 6.5% in Crişana and 5% in the that will help us see people Banat to lows of 0.76% in the way Jesus sees them. According to our research, the Muntenia, 0.53% in Oltenia, and Baptists, Pentecostals, Brethren 0.42% in Dobrogea. Thus 22 Looking at people through and the Romanian Evangelical million people have yet to God’s eyes moves us to Church, together with some respond positively to the Gospel compassion; seeing the world independent churches, have and become faithful followers of through God’s eyes causes our approximately 440,000 members Jesus Christ. heart to beat like God’s heart. and adherents. Since Romania’s population in 2000 was Each year in Romania 280,000 Let me suggest three truths 22,435,205, these believers only people die, that is 767 per day, 31 that can help correct our per hour, one ever two minutes. vision of the world:

1. God loves the whole world and sent his son, Jesus Christ, to be the atoning sacrifice for the sins of every man, woman and child (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2; 4:9,10).

2. God does not want anyone to perish, but for everyone to come to repentance and the full knowledge of the truth (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4).

3. God has entrusted to the local church the responsibility to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:19,20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8; Romans 1:5; 10:14-17; 16:26; 2 Corinthians 5:18).

From this perspective we can begin to see the world through God’s eyes.

Let’s try to look through God’s eyes at seven great challenges before Romania’s evangelical churches.

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 31 How many will enter into eternal life? How many “will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power” (2 Thes. 1:9)? “‘Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?’ declares the Sovereign Lord. ‘Rather am I not pleased when they turn and live’” (Ezekiel 18:22,23)? Does your heart beat for these people?

Challenge #2: 7 million people in 10,000 villages have no evangelical church LOCALITIES WITHOUT EVANGELICAL CHURCHES At most 10,308 villages do not Type and size of locationNumberPopulation have evangelical churches. Cities1175,279 Nearly seven million people live in these villages. Thus, two-thirds Villages with over 2,500 inhabitants3471,297,348 of Romania’s rural population do not have opportunity to attend an Villages with 1,000-2,500 inhabitants1,7082,538,923 evangelical church. One million Villages with 500-999 inhabitants2,4541,735,166 people – one seventh of those who without an evangelical Villages with 250-499 inhabitants2,460900,389 church in their village – live in Villages with 1-249 inhabitants3,338420,993 just 240 of Romania’s largest villages! TOTAL10,3186,968,098

Does your heart beat for these seven million people in Romania Currently that is 12,244,598 Do you remember why Jesus who do not have an evangelical people. By impacting the 263 wept over the city of church in their village? Does your cities we can efficiently disciple Jerusalem? “As Jesus heart beat for the multitudes in over one-half of Romania’s approached Jerusalem and Romania’s church-less villages population. saw the city, he wept over it who are harassed and helpless like saying, ‘If you, even you, had sheep without a shepherd? Who is How does God see the people in known on this day what would going to take the good news of Romania’s cities? What does he bring you peace – but now it Jesus’ atoning sacrifice to them? feel for them? Do you remember is hidden from your eyes.... God’s words to Jonah? You did not recognize the “‘Nineveh has more than a time of God’s coming to you Challenge #3: hundred and twenty thousand (Luke 19:41,42,44).’” “‘How Romania’s cities people who cannot tell their right often I have longed to gather hand from their left.... Should I your children together, as a Saturation of Romania’s cities not be concerned about that great hen gathers her chicks under will require at least 2,500 new city (Jonah 4:11)?’” Are you her wings, but you were not churches. Let’s remember that concerned about the great cities willing’” (Matthew 23:37). the majority of Romania’s of Romania? Does your heart population (54.6%) lives in cities. beat for these multitudes?

32 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA THE 20 CITIES WITH THE GREATEST NEED

POPULATION NR. OF PERCENTAGE OF NR. OF CITY COUNTY PCR* **10,000:1 IN 2000 EVANGELICALS EVANGELICALS CHURCHES Bacãu Bacãu 202,573 1,000 0.48% 7 29,653 14 Brãila Brãila 230,962 718 0.31% 6 38,494 18 Braºov Braºov 308,671 3,000 0.,94% 15 20,645 16 Bucharest Bucharest 2,009,200 14,000 0.70%64 31,394 137 Buzãu Buzãu 145,610 320 0.21%65 24,268 9 Caracal Olt 38,7211320.34%219,3162 Constanþa Constanþa 337,216 1,500 0.44% 9 37,468 25 Covasna Covasna66,3411200.18% 2 33,1715 Craiova Dolj 312,358 1,837 0.59% 9 34,706 23 Focºani Vrancea 96,930 525 0.54% 519,3865 Galaþi Galaþi 326,956 1,900 0.58% 7 46,708 26 Harghita 46,021 14 0.03% 1 46,201 4 Piatra Neamþ Neamþ 120,189 1,057 0.85% 6 20,698 7 Piteºti Argeº 186,163 625 0.34% 7 26,595 12 Harghita38,9391100.28%219,4702 Olteniþa Cãlãraºi 30,833 28 0.09% 1 30,833 3 Râmnicu Sãrat Buzãu 41,348 10 0.02% 1 41,348 4 Râmnicu Vâlcea Vâlcea 119,244 220 0.18% 3 39,750 9 Roman Neamþ 81,013 400 0.49% 4 20,253 5 Tulcea Tulcea 94,706 211 0.22% 3 31,569 7 Turnu Mãgurele Teleorman 36,085 35 0.10% 1 36,085 3 *Population to Church Ratio **10,000:1 represents the number of churches which need to be started so that at most the population to church ratio in the respective city is 10,000:1.

Do you weep for the Christians in comparison to 1,830 multitudes in Romania’s cities churches and 151,575 evangelical that are blinded by the god of Christians in the Southeast. So this age from seeing the light there are almost twice as many of the gospel of the glory of churches and evangelical Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4)? Christians in the Northwest in Do you weep for those who comparison to the Southeast! are not willing to turn from their sin and be saved? However, consider that there are 7,531,624 inhabitants in the Northwest of Romania and Challenge #4: 14,907,792 in the Southeast. The Southeastern This means that in the To saturate Northwestern provinces there are Provinces 2,478 people for every Romania’s cities evangelical church, whereas in with evangelical Romania’s evangelical Oltenia, Dobrogea, Muntenia and churches, 2,500 churches are not spread evenly Moldova there is only one church throughout the country. In the for every 8,146 people! There new churches are provinces of Crişana, Banat, are over three times more needed. Maramureş and Transylvania evangelical churches per capita in there are over 3,000 churches the Northwestern provinces than and 260,000 evangelical

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 33 in the more populous Southeastern provinces. In fact, in the province of Crişana, one is over 15 times more likely to meet an evangelical Christian on the street than in Dobrogea!

We see again that the number of townships without evangelical churches is much greater in Southeastern Romania. At most, only 27% of the townships in the Northwest do not have a single evangelical church (291 localities out of 1,080); in the Southeastern part, however, 53% are without churches (844 of 1,806).

There is a similar trend with the Does your heart long to see God Let’s see how deeply the number of villages. In the glorified and that his name be Gospel has penetrated these Northwest 3,225 villages do not exalted in this country? Does people groups. If we look at have evangelical churches. In the your heart beat for the Romanian the number of people who, at Southeast 7,083 villages do not people? the time of the Census, said have a single evangelical church. they belong to an evangelical So there are 2-1/3 times more denomination we see that the church-less villages in the Challenge #6: percentage varies from 0% to Southeast than in the Northwest. Romania’s Hidden 8.3%. From the Census Thus, it is clear that the information we clearly see Southeastern provinces have a Peoples that there is not a viable much greater need for new evangelical movement among churches than the Northwestern Romania has many minorities. the Russian-Lippoven people, provinces. They too need discipled! the Turks and Tatars. These Examining the ethnic structure of three minorities are Romania on the basis of the Unreached or Hidden Peoples Challenge #5: January 1992 Census, we observe meaning that there is not a that 11% of the population 15,000 New belongs to other ethnic groups. Churches! This means that one in ten people 1 in 10 people in in Romania is not ethnically Romania is not We calculate that a total of Romanian! However this statistic 19,939 churches – planted in the is not true for all the country. In Romanian! right places – are needed to give Crişana, Maramureş, and every man woman and child an Transylvania, three out of 10 viable evangelical church opportunity to be in the sphere of people are not Romaniann; in within the ethnic group that influence of a life-giving church Banat, two out of 10 are not can disciple its own people. where faithful disciples of Jesus Romanian; but in Moldova and The Turks and Tatars are Christ are made. Let’s round this Muntenia only one in 50 is not Muslims. The up to 20,000 churches in total. Romanian. The Census also Russian-Lippoven people With 5,000 current churches, this indicates that there are nine adhere to the Old Rite means that 15,000 more churches minorities with over 10,000 Orthodox Church (62%), the need to be planted in the right people. The other ethnic groups Romanian Orthodox Church places to fill Romania with the that have under 10,000 people (32%) and the Old Style knowledge of the glory of the total 48,185 people. Orthodox Church (5%). So, Lord. these ethnic groups require a

34 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA THE LARGEST LOCALITIES IN ROMANIA Challenge #7: WITHOUT AN EVANGELICAL CHURCH Mobilization of the LOCALITYCOUNTYPOPULATION Harvest Force Popeºti Ilfov14,421 Thousands of churches and tens Târgu Frumos Iaºi13,875 of thousands of workers must be Lieºti Galaþi10,998 mobilized for the Harvest Force. This is the most critical need Galaþi10,930 before us. de Sus Prahova10,903 Galaþi10,880 We consider that a church has good potential to start other Sãbãoani Neamþ9,879 churches if it has at least 50 Drãgãneºti Olt Olt9,551 members or, if it was started after 1989, 30 members. For the Tomeºti Iaºi8,886 churches in our database we Teleorman8,430 found that 2,250 have good potential for church planting. Galaþi8,156 The Baptists have 476 churches Mihail Kogãlniceanu Constanþa7,808 with potential. The Brethren have 286. The Pentecostals have Constanþa7,354 1,461, and independent churches Sângeorgiu de Mureº Mureº7,120 have at least 27 churches with good potential. It is very likely Ilfov6,951 that the actual number of Dancu Iaºi6,903 churches with potential is higher, Sândominic Harghita6,676 around 2,500. These churches with potential must be mobilized Brãneºti Ilfov6,652 in order to fulfill the Great Întorsura Buzãului Covasna6,513 Commission.

Remetea Harghita6,498 The objective of saturation will Azuga Prahova6,487 not be reached automatically in any province. Achieving this Bacãu6,461 goal will require the “work of Dragalina Cãlãraºi6,317 faith, and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in the Lord Tufeºti Brãila6,176 Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians Ditrãu Harghita6,078 1:4). Reaching the goal of saturation depends on whether cross-cultural missionary Romania’s minorities is an the evangelical Christians will effort. Also, the evangelical important aspect of fulfilling the mobilize themselves to use the movements among the other Great Commission. resources that God has placed at ethnic groups, the Gypsies, their disposal to fulfill the Great Hungarians, Serbs, Germans, Does your heart beat for that one Commission. Slovaks, etc., also need person out of ten who is not strengthening. Romanian? Does your heart beat If the evangelical churches with for the Turks, the Tatars, the potential are mobilized, Does not the Great Hungarians, and the saturation could be realistically Commission direct us to make Russian-Lippoven people – that reached in a few years in the disciples of all nations? So they may come to a full provinces of Crişana (Bihor, the task of evangelizing and knowledge of the truth and be Sălaj, Arad) and Banat (Timiş, making disciples of saved? Caraş-Severin) and in the

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 35 THE PERCENTAGE OF EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS IN THE LARGEST ETHNIC MINORITIES IN ROMANIA Number of Percentage of Ethnic GroupPopulation Counties that have large population centers Evangelicals Evangelicals Maramureº (36,685 people or 6.8%), Tulcea UKRAINIANS65,7645,4478.3% (3,847), Suceava (9,549), Caraº-Severin (4,118) and Timiº (6,468) Arad (6,760), Bihor (7,793), Timiº (2,229), Sãlaj SLOVAKS48,1857553.9% (1,608) and Caraº-Severin (555).

GERMANS 3,161 2.6% Timiº 3,8%, Sibiu 3,8%, Satu-Mare 3,6%, 119,462 (All Protestants) (36,475) (30%) Caraº-Severin 3,2%, Arad 2% and Braºov 1,6%. Gypsies represent at least 1% of the population in 33 GYPSIES401,0879,7712.4% counties. Harghita 85%, Covasna 75%, Mureº 41%, Satu-Mare 35%, Bihor 28%, Sãlaj 24%, Cluj 19%, HUNGARIANS 19,557 1.2% 1,624,959 Arad 13%, Braºov 10%, Marmureº 10%, Timiº 9%, (All Protestants) (813,250) (50%) Bistriþa-Nãsãud 6,5%, Hunedoara 6%, Alba 6%, Sibiu 4% and Caraº-Severin 2%. Timiº (17,144), Caraº-Severin (7,885), Arad SERBS29,4083141.0% (1,732) and Mehedinþi (1,379) RUSSIAN- Tulcea (20,434), Constanþa (5,720), Brãila (2,359), 38,6061000.26% LIPPOVEN Iaºi (2,688), Suceava (2,614) and Bucharest (1,209) TATARS24,59410Constanþa (24,011) Constanþa (24,295), Tulcea (3,390) and Bucharest TURKS29,83250 (910) counties of Suceava, Botoşani, Commission if they mobilize The greatest need of the hour Sibiu, Hunedoara, Maramureş, themselves for this work. is for men whom God can use Cluj and Braşov. On the other to mobilize the entire Body of hand in Oltenia, Dobrogea, Who, then, will mobilize the Christ to disciple the whole Muntenia, most of Moldova and Body of Christ in Romania for nation. parts of Transylvania, where the this great and extensive work? church is weaker, reaching this We need men like Joshua and goal could take much longer, Who will call God’s people to Caleb, men who are strong even decades. Workers from prayer, that the Lord of the and courageous, who follow outside these provinces can come harvest would send out workers the Lord wholeheartedly, who and hasten the fulfillment of the into his harvest field (Matthew believe “‘the Lord is with us’” Great Commission in these 9:38)? and in faith say, “‘We should provinces. take possession of the land for Who will equip God’s people for we can certainly do it’” Having over 500,000 members the work of ministry so that the (Number 14:9; 13:30) . and adherents and 5,000 churches body of Christ may be built up – 2,500 of which have good (Ephesians 4:12)? We need men like Jabez, who potential for church planting – was more honorable than his Romania’s evangelical Christians Who will count the cost to see brothers, who cried out to the are now positioned to make that every man, woman and child Lord, “‘Oh that you would significant progress toward the in Romania has the opportunity bless me indeed and enlarge objective of saturation church to hear the Gospel and become a my territory, that Your hand planting and fulfilling the Great faithful follower of Jesus Christ? would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil

36 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA that I may not cause pain.’ So God granted him what he requested” (1 Chronicles 4:9,10).

We need men like those of Issachar - 200 chiefs and all their relatives under their command - who understand the times and know what God’s people should do (1 Chronicles 12:32).

We need men like Nehemiah, who mourn and fast and cry out to God, confessing the sin of the people and seeking God’s favor, who successfully motivate God’s people to a task so great, that it can succeed only if God is involved in it; who persevere in the face of difficulties and bring their work to a good completion.

Are you one of these? Romania needs you now!

Does your heart beat for Romania?

Perhaps God is calling you to be one of those leaders who will mobilize the Body of Christ to disciple the whole nation. The greatest need of the hour is for men whom God can use to mobilize the entire Body of Christ to disciple the whole nation.

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 37 little over 10 years ago, Athe world stood in awe as the former and Eastern Europe’s communist Planting regimes began to topple one by one. Within a three-year period (1989-1991), border barriers between nations were torn down, the infamous relevant Berlin Wall disappeared, statues of Marx and Lenin tumbled, and for the first time in decades millions of people churches in stepped out from behind the Iron Curtain into a new world of complex changes and choices. In Romania, as in other formerly communist a new social nations, expectations were high. Excitement about the new era of freedom and democracy filled the context newspapers and magazines. People enthusiastically embraced their new freedoms, anticipating a new prosperity. The evangelical churches praised God for their new-found liberty to worship openly, to evangelize and to plant new churches.

Now, after 11 years of political, economic, social and religious freedom, a myriad of government “reforms,” and a dizzying succession of changes in political leadership, it seems fitting to briefly evaluate the “new social context” in which the evangelical churches must work today. That social context greatly impacts the Church and its methods of presenting the Gospel, of attracting and discipling new believers, and of incorporating those people into the life of the church.

38 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA It is a society homosexual rights, liberty to have the same, our methods of abortions on demand, and the communication, evangelization, greatly influenced influx of “pornography” under church planting, leadership by external forces the guise of “freedom of the training and discipleship must be press”). Often the foreign appropriate for the changing and new values pressure to change laws is society around us. Today’s through: extremely helpful in attaining generation is exposed to many guarantees for religious freedom more ideas and choices than were THE MEDIA: Today, and protection of minorities, but ever possible for the generation Romania boasts dozens of the laws also bring guarantees of raised under communism. Some television channels, radio freedom for groups that threaten of these influences are good; stations and “internet cafes.” the stability of families who wish some are not so good. But the Slick new magazines are to live according to Christian church cannot remain in the appearing on the newsstands, biblical values. culture of the past, assuming that targeting a younger, upwardly its people are not or should not be mobile generation that desires FOREIGN PRESENCE: One affected by these outside a lifestyle free from the chains cannot take a stroll in Bucharest, influences. Neither can it rail of Romanian tradition. For Cluj or Timiºoara today without against these influences better or for worse, the media hearing dozens of languages on presuming that all change is constantly exposes people to the street as people pass by. The wrong. In the church, music and new values, ideas and presence of foreigners in worship styles, modes of dress, expectations. For example, business, Non-Governmental leadership practices, sermon advertisements for certain Organizations and Christian brands of alcohol promise a offices influences the way multitude of friends, freedom, decisions are made, the way excitement and illicit sexual business is done, and the way encounters. Publicity for one people are managed. It brand of cigarettes shows a influences our ideas of what is sophisticated, stylish man right and wrong, proper and asking, “Do you expect a man improper. The business practices like me to come home early of McDonalds, Microsoft, from work?” or a Renault or Citibank set new provocatively-dressed woman standards for management and asking, “And you expect a change the expectations of a new woman like me to sew and generation of employees. topics, and even church seating cook?” or “And you expect a arrangements and architectural woman like me to be thankful Foreign presence has also styles are all inevitably affected for just a little?” The brought with it new options for by exposure to international pervasiveness of mass media religious faith. A variety of influences. For example, an throughout Romania non-Christian religions like authoritative leadership style that guarantees that both rural and Islam, Hare Krishna, Baha’i, the was acceptable in communist urban zones will be sucked Unification Church, the times may not be acceptable into the lure of these Mormons, and the Jehovah’s today inside or outside the messages. Witnesses now exist in church. Also, worship styles are Romania.1 While the presence changing and new songs are POLITICAL PRESSURES: and increasing activity of these being written as Christians are exposed to both foreign church To conform with requirements religions add to the confusion of influences as well as to the for Romania’s entry into choices available to people, practices of other denominations international organizations of without such choices, there would that Romanians now have the nations (e.g., NATO or the not exist true religious freedom. freedom to explore. Sermon EU), laws have been or will topics, too, must change, as be changed that affect How do these pressures directly church members come face to society’s moral choices (e.g., impact the church? While the message of the Gospel remains face with the reality of increasing

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 39 exposure to homosexuality, 17% and 40% of the GNP pornography, promiscuity and 43% of Romanians (depending on which study gambling. Sermons need to live at or under the one reads),4 that 43% of the cover issues that people are population lives below the facing in their day-to-day lives. poverty level and poverty line,5 and that many many must keep two people must work at two or Outside the church, Christian more jobs to be able to evangelistic messages must or three jobs just to survive. Because of these compete with messages from a survive economic pressures, church growing variety of non-Christian leaders struggle to find lay religions and spiritist or occultist people who can devote time to movements about which many service in the church or who church members remain ignorant. about $80 (a 39.8% increase over can regularly attend Bible In a conversation with this 1999), but the rate of inflation studies and discipleship researcher, one “mature” was 45.7% in the same time groups. It is difficult for Christian remarked recently that period meaning that people had a church members to dream she was thinking about exploring net loss in their buying power.2 about church planting and the benefits of transcendental A recent article in Romania expansion when they are meditation and yoga to help her Libera (one of Romania’s leading worried about purchasing relax and “discover her inner daily newspapers), quoted Adrian shoes for their children or self.” Another asked about the Nastase, Romania’s Prime finding a precious few difference between Jehovah’s Minister, who noted that, minutes of time to spend with Witnesses and evangelicals, according to European statistics, their families. In addition, observing that he couldn’t see “At this moment, the standard of churches often loose some of much of a problem with the life of Romanians is half in their most talented youth and literature this group produced and comparison to the poorest families to other countries that the articles seemed extremely citizens in the European offer greater possibilities for relevant. Still another wondered Community in terms of their work, higher salaries and a if it is harmful to explore one’s buying power.”3 Out of their brighter future. Official horoscope. Christians need to be meager salaries many are barely statistics say that almost instructed about the competing able to pay their utilities and 115,000 Romanians emigrated marketplace of religions and maintenance bills let alone to buy between 1994 and 1999, the cults, how to recognize and hold food and have some disposable great majority of them under to the truth, and how to present income for clothing, transport and 40 years of age and with the Gospel in a clear and relevant entertainment. It is no wonder university and/or professional manner. Christians must be that a thriving underground training.6 Some social analysts instructed to discern good from economy accounts for between estimate that the number is evil and right from wrong as they much higher and that are confronted with new ethical Romania is rapidly loosing its decisions on a daily basis best-educated young adults (Hebrews 5:14). who will contribute to the economy, creativity and glory of nations other than It is a society facing Romania.7 extreme economic Obviously, churches are going pressures. to suffer when their people are suffering, for such is the Eleven years after the fall of character of the Body of Communism, Romania is still Christ. When one member is struggling with an “economy in hurting, all hurt with him (1 transition.” The average net Cor. 12:26). When young monthly salary per capita in the families leave the country in year 2000 was 2,173,478 lei or search of “a better life,” the

40 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA church loses the potential of disburse special offerings for the have a demographic disaster!”9 their spiritual leadership and needy is a good, short-term The most recent statistics for the financial involvement as solution. A long-term solution year 2000 continue to show this longtime members. When might be to help create jobs for tendency, reporting that while the people suffer financially, they those in need by participating in number of young people aged also often suffer mentally and or creating a network of 0-14 declined by 102,000, the emotionally from their anxiety organizations who can help number of people over 60 over their decreasing ability to connect people with the increased by 46,300!10 The birth pay their debts and to provide appropriate job openings. rate also continued to drop for their families. These Another solution would be to alarmingly in both rural and economic and emotional provide job training or retraining. urban areas.11 This demographic pressures can lead to marital We must ask ourselves what we change is important for churches discord and desperate, as a church are doing to to consider as they plan programs unbalanced behavior. Such encourage and to be relevant to for evangelism and church problems can affect the those in economic turmoil. planting for they must ask spiritual health of the church themselves: “Do we have in two key ways: 1) if people relevant programs and ministry cannot receive help, comfort Demographically, it is opportunities for older people and and prayer for their needs a rapidly aging pensioners? Do we consider through the church, they will pensioners an active recruiting look elsewhere for answers, society. ground for service in the church? and the church will be marginalized from the day-to-day reality of people’s lives; and 2) desperate people sometimes feel forced to take desperate measures that compromise their integrity and the integrity of the church.

Churches are not without biblical guidance in these matters. While the Bible cautions us that the poor will always be with us (Matt. 26:11) and that we are to be anxious about nothing, but to trust only in God (Phil. 4:6-7), By 2025, sociologists estimate What can we do to help the it also teaches us to help that Romania will be “a country growing number of pensioners in others and to give generously. of pensioners.” Figures from the our churches who must survive 8 The Bible says that we are to National Bureau of Statistics on a fixed income far below the do good to all men, especially show that the low birthrate in actual cost of living?” to those who are of the Romania together with the household of faith (Gal. 6:10), currently low number of youth On the other hand, churches must and we are to share liberally between the ages of 6 and 20 will also develop programs that will with those in need (2 Cor. 9 result in Romania having 50% of encourage young couples to have and James 2:14-17). In its population over 45 years of children. For example, what kind difficult economic times, the age in 2025 and 23% over the age of ministries and practical help do church needs to find ways to of 60! According to Romania we provide to young mothers and offer support both physically Libera (Dec. 1997), “If the fathers as they seek to raise and emotionally to its government does not take some children in this modern social suffering members. Forming steps to change this situation and context? Do we have childcare special committees for helping to encourage its citizens to have programs to enable young the needy and to solicit and more children, by 2025, we will couples to attend church

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 41 activities? What does the church but impatiently waits to make its having one abortion each year. provide to help parents be more mark on the future. Only Vietnam ranks higher.16 effective in their roles of raising One recent article explored the the future generation of reasons for this high rate of believers? Would it be possible Romanian society abortion. “‘Large numbers of to sponsor low-cost daycare faces difficult moral women across Central and programs or a kindergarten to Eastern Europe still rely on provide quality childcare for challenges. abortion as the “mainstay” working families? Could there be form of birth control,’” says an interest among pensioners in In a recent inter-confessional Dr. Iqbal Shah, a scientist for the church to be “adopted” by prayer conference sponsored by the World Health young families who could benefit World Vision in Romania, a long Organization in Geneva. The from their help and counsel and list of social problems that plague article also points to the deep who in return provide a place of Romanian society and the church cultural differences between service and ministry for these were identified. Participants Eastern and Western Europe aging saints? from evangelical, Orthodox, regarding this subject. “In the Catholic and other confessions West, most women who resort Romania’s largest listed immorality, poor parenting, to abortion are unmarried and corrupt leaders and politicians, find themselves in a one-time population band greed, family violence and dilemma, sometimes caused consists of young pornography as challenges which by contraceptive failure. In need much prayer and effort to the East many of the women adults aged 20-29. resolve. But two particularly devastating social problems were 13 Romania’s demographic statistics emphasized: also reveal another interesting fact. Currently, Romania’s 1. CHILD ABANDONMENT largest population band (or AND ABORTION. 10-year age span) consists of There are 100,000 children living 12 young adults aged 20-29 (17%). in institutions in Romania today ? The majority of these are (the same number as after the educated, technologically Revolution in 1989)! The competent, they are conversant in majority (about 70%) of these at least two languages, and they children are not orphans; they know very little of the hardships have living parents who their parents suffered under abandoned them!14 Furthermore, Communism. They are an approximately 5.5 million extremely cosmopolitan group abortions have been performed in that is likely to be more aware of the last 10 years according to traditions and lifestyles in official records from the America and Western Europe Government Bureau of Statistics than they are of their own (1999).15 Many believe the national heritage and traditions. number is much higher because Unfortunately, this age group also private clinics and self-induced Practically makes up the majority of those abortions are not reported. leaving the country to work and Practically speaking, Romanians speaking, in the live in other nations. What can have killed 25% of their own last decade, the church do to encourage these potential population in the last young people to stay in Romania decade! According to abortion Romanians have and to contribute to the future of statistics gathered internationally, killed 25% of their their nation? The youth programs Romania ranks not only the of the 80s and 90s will not be highest in Europe but among the potential relevant to this new generation highest in the world with nearly population! that refuses to look backwards, 80 women out of every 1000

42 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA are married and use abortion (church attendance and country; only a small fraction of as standard birth control."17 involvement, etc.), Europe in Russians are now consciously As one woman recently told general has the largest percentage Orthodox.’”22 this researcher, “We feel we of “nominal Christians” of all the have no choice in the matter. other regions in the world.19 The Czech Republic, according to We cannot afford imported Romania and other recent research, is the most contraceptives, but worse yet, post-Communist countries appear secularized post-Communist we cannot afford to have more to be no exception. For example, country in Europe, with 80% of children. Children are a Romanian sociologist, Daniel its citizens clearly stating that burden, rather than a blessing!” Barbu, estimates that only 10% of they are atheists or agnostics.23 the nearly 90% of Romanians Poland, which has always been The mass amount of innocent who claim to be Orthodox viewed as a strongly Catholic blood shed in this nation must actually practice their faith, and nation, also faces an alarming certainly be of concern to the that the percentage could be far number of people who are evangelical church. Yet do less. He also mentions that the deserting its churches to honor we address the issue from the obvious secularization of other “gods” like consumerism, pulpit? Do we offer help and Romanian society is tied to the capitalism and education. The counseling to young couples or to women facing unplanned pregnancies? Does the evangelical church have a prophetic role to play in addressing one of Romania’s greatest shames?

2. SECULARIZATION OF SOCIETY. Priests, pastors and other participants at the Conference of Christian Churches (June 2000) frequently emphasized that the cause of many of Romania’s problems today is “a lack of active faith in fact that Orthodoxy is more of a God.”18 They referred to this national social identity than a 20 problem in many ways: “lack living faith. He writes, of faith in practice,” “no fear “Romanian Orthodoxy is much of God,” “loss of the sense of more a tradition without faith 21 sin,” “secularization of than it is a tradition of faith.” society,” “loss of true faith,” “departure from God and from Russia, the historic stronghold of Christian values,” and “the Orthodoxy, is struggling as well promotion of atheism.” with the phenomenon of Whatever phrases were used, secularization. One poll recently the problem they were taken about church attendance in describing was clear: Romania Russia (including Orthodox and is not a Christian nation, but a other faiths) showed practicing secular one – where the Christians to comprise only 1 to majority of people make some 1.5% of the population. Fr. claim to faith, but they do not Mikhail Makeyev, a Russian live according to that faith. Orthodox priest, is quoted as According to recent global saying, “‘Russia has gone statistics gathered about through an irreversible process. Christian practice in Europe It’s no longer an Orthodox

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 43 needs are met, rather than as a bastion of traditions and beliefs alienated from modern economic, political and social realities.

We Christians need to be ready to address questions of relevance when we defend our faith with non-believers. And, even more important, we need to ask ourselves how we can become more relevant to the troubled society around us. What can we do to show people that the love and forgiveness of Christ will church, according to one Polish and not in true belief. For meet their deepest needs? journalist, is becoming example, Sergiu Grossu, an How can we practically show increasingly irrelevant to people’s evangelical Orthodox writer, the relevance of our faith in daily lives. He observes, “In the made these observations: “Today Christ to the troubled society great black hole after we live in a social context that is in which we live? Communism... the Catholic almost completely non-Christian, hierarchy sees the secular state as infected with every kind of vice, Sociologist Daniel Barbu the new Public Enemy Number and threatened daily by the forces challenges the church to One. In this view... the of darkness.”25 Grossu further retake its role in impacting aggressive atheism of communist states, “We [in the Orthodox society, for if the church does society is being replaced by the church] must recognize that not take such a responsibility, practical atheism of a consumer because of our sins, the influence from where will such morality society.” The church, he said, no of the church over the majority of arise? He writes: longer speaks the same language the population is very weak and as its people; it does not address in most cases non-existent, and “The whole world agrees that their modern needs.24 this fact is true among the same the transformation of population that in the recent Romanian society can only The growing secularization of national census declared itself to take place when there exists a society and marginalization of the be primarily ‘Orthodox.’”26 common ethical and moral church affect evangelism and Orthodox and evangelicals alike base. Such an ethical and church planting in two key ways: are concerned about the moral base is missing in the 1) in our attitudes toward secularization of Romanian discussions that take place evangelism; and 2) in our search society; both acknowledge the among the political, for relevance. need for people who are truly intellectual, civil and changed by spiritual rebirth. journalistic leaders in society. First, evangelicals can be assured Respecting political promises, that when they evangelize, they Second, evangelical Christians keeping one’s integrity of are not “stealing sheep” from the must find ways to show people character, eliminating Orthodox churches; rather, these that their faith is indeed relevant corruption and injustice, and “sheep” have long been lost in and practical to modern life – that dealing honestly with one the wilderness of secularism, Christ’s death, resurrection and another should be the first materialism and skepticism. offer of salvation are just as priorities of a healthy society. While often evangelicals are important in today’s materialistic The only social institution that accused of proselytism in an and egocentric world as they have can help police the moral already Christian society, even been in the last two millennia. restructuring of society and address ethical issues is, the Orthodox admit that this Modern society needs to see the 27 society is Christian in name only Church as a place where real indeed, the church.”

44 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA The largest many to be near the bottom rung of society in terms of intellectual WHAT ORTHODOX barriers to and spiritual strength. How are LEADERS SAY accepting the evangelicals viewed today when ABOUT THE they use this term to describe CONDITION OF Gospel are often themselves? Another confusion ROMANIA more social than revolves around the term “neoprotestant” which is applied “If this society lacks the they are religious. liberally in Romania to refer to Word and Spirit of Christ, all non-Orthodox, non-Catholic it can become a jungle, However much we in the faiths. where laws, no matter how evangelical church would like severe, would do nothing to ignore the problems of the This researcher encountered a but fill our prisons.” social, economic and political similar situation when chatting context in which we live, we with neighbors about our family’s P.F. Teocitist, Partiarch of cannot. For to do so would be habit of going to church each the Romanian Orthodox to risk becoming more and Sunday with Bibles in hand. Church, Easter 2001 more unattractive, Trying to be relevant, I unwelcoming and irrelevant to mentioned that our Baptist church “When from the Nistru to the society we wish to reach. encourages Bible reading as a the Tisa Rivers, all Experts in church planting say way of learning about God and Romanians renounce sin, that the largest barriers to his relationship with man. when from Maramureş to accepting the Gospel are often Waxing eloquent for a few the Danube and the Black more social than religious. In minutes about the subject, I Sea, all Romanians desire many cases the barriers are noticed that I had lost the to live according to the put there by churches and attention of my listener. Finally, Gospel of Christ, when this Christians rather than by the when she found a pause in the nation is filled with legions unsaved. How is this conversation, she asked, “What of soldiers who will fight possible, and what are some on earth is a Baptist? I’ve never against sin, when for a of these barriers? heard that word before.” While second time we will take the question seemed to me to be this nation for the Gospel WE ERECT totally irrelevant to our of Christ, then, and only LANGUAGE BARRIERS discussion, it was obviously then, will we have In our churches and outside of troubling my neighbor who, guaranteed the future of them, we evangelicals unfortunately, paid little attention this nation and of this recognize one another by the to my explanation about the people. Oh, how the language we use. We greet importance of the Bible in our condition of our nation one another with “Peace,” we lives while she pondered about a would change, as a miracle, address each other as “Sister” word totally unfamiliar to her. if its people would decide or “Brother,” we often speak for Jesus Christ. When of being “saved,” “purchased WE ERECT SUBTLE politicians and servants, by the blood of the Lamb,” CULTURAL BARRIERS farmers and scholars, the “justified,” “repentant,” etc. While the presence of poor and the rich, the Before the Revolution, non-Christians in our churches learned and ignorant, evangelical Christians in should cause us to rejoice over would all decide to live and Romania were known by the the opportunity to present the work as the Gospel says, term “repenters,” a term that Gospel and to be hospitable to the then immediately our was used to make fun of stranger, often joy and hospitality country would become a evangelicals who somehow are far from our minds. For new Canaan, sweet and were so bad that they were example, one Russian pastor pleasant.” always needing to repent of recently lamented the intrusion of sin and turn from their newcomers into his church Priest Iosif Trifia, Founder wickedness. Evangelical saying, “Outsiders come to our of The Lord’s Army Christians were considered by churches from secular society.

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 45 These people do not always have avoid seeing non-Christians as While it is simple to spot the spiritual understanding. They enemies and all secular Orthodox cathedral on every need to have the legacy of Baptist institutions as inherently evil.” 29 corner, one must search very tradition transported to new Furthermore, believers still find it hard and long to find where an generations. They do not even hard to imagine Christian evangelical church might be know the [traditions] of the involvement in a variety of located. While keeping our church.”28 To this pastor, professions they consider secular identity subdued may have visitors were a threat, not a or profane: e.g, “journalist,” been a necessity during blessing. To him the church “athlete,” “politician,” “artist,” or communist times, it is hard to might be viewed as a fortress to “actor.” Actively engaging in imagine why such secrecy is protect the “saints” from the political discussion or in secular necessary today. intrusion of the world. For the cultural events is still considered average Romanian unbeliever, suspect by many believers, and I remember the time I was entering an evangelical church many pastors still caution their invited to a large evangelical and staying for an hour would flocks about the dangers of being church in Bucharest. After require a great act of bravery. influenced by friendship with the getting off the bus, I walked For he or she neither knows nor unsaved. Many Christians throughout the neighborhood appreciates the “sacred” segregate their lives into secular for half an hour, but was traditions of our seating and religious components, unable to find the church on arrangements, the acceptable keeping their religious life quiet any of the streets that had comportment and dress of the and hidden in the workplace, but been described to me. I brothers and sisters in the church, active in the church environment. returned home discouraged. or the participatory nature of our Most of their close friends are The next day, I told a friend prayers and worship music. If the believers, and they spend little if about my experience, and she visitor sits down in an any time in meaningful said, “Dearest, the way you “unacceptable” place, all eyes are interaction with the people find an evangelical church in riveted on him or her and people outside their church circles, Bucharest is to follow all the already seated may actually get actually shunning close old ladies with their up and move rather than extend a friendships with unbelievers. babushkas! You certainly hand in greeting. And God Although church leaders often cannot expect the church to forbid if a woman should enter challenge their flocks to be more put up signs!” I couldn’t help wearing a short skirt and jewelry, active in personal evangelism, the smiling at the thought of some or a young man should enter with church expects so much unbeliever trying to “decipher bleached hair and a ponytail! involvement of their people in the secret code of the Evangelical Christians expect weekly meetings that the average babushka” in order to locate non-believers to conform to believer has little time for and enter the neighborhood evangelical cultural norms that building relationships with evangelical church. are behaviors we have learned unbelievers. As a result, our Something as simple as over generations. Our subtle churches become fortresses for posting a recognizable and rejection of those who do not the saved, rather than lights for attractive sign would go a conform is a clear message that the lost. long way to making the they are not welcome in our evangelical church more midst until they learn our At the same time, most visible to the people around it. traditions. evangelical churches are so hidden from public view and WE ERECT PHYSICAL knowledge that we communicate The challenges for AND PHILOSOPHICAL secrecy rather than openness. church planting in BARRIERS Few of our churches have signs One evangelical writer recently indicating who we are, few a new social context noted that even with the downfall advertise meeting schedules to If we wish to reach people for of communism and the new the public around us, and few go Christ, to plant new churches freedom evangelicals have to out of our way to invite neighbors and to disciple this nation, express their faith, it is still to the church. Neither does our then we must think about and difficult for evangelicals “to architecture define us as a church.

46 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA discuss what we in the church 6 “Numãrul emigranþilor.” (Number of 18 Report of the Conference of Christian must do differently to be Immigrants) România în Cifre, ed. 2000. Churches in Romania (published Bucharest: National Comission for proceedings). Bucharest: World Vision, relevant to the social context Statistics. 15-16 June 2000. in which we find ourselves. The message of man’s sin and 7 “Dialog Social: Plecarea tinerilor cu 19 Siewert, John A. and Edna Valdez, God’s grace, forgiveness and studii superioare.” Orient Express eds. 1998-2000 Missions Handbook. Talkshow, Antena 1 TV, emisiunea Monrovia, CA: MARC-World Vision, redemption has not changed; broadcast Saturday, 7 April 2001. 1997, p. 6. it is as culturally relevant Moderator: Stelian Tãnase. today as it was 2,000 years 20 Barbu, Daniel, ed. Firea Românilor ago. However, the methods 8 Statistics reported by , Marin, (The Romanian Mindset). Bucharest: by which we communicate, sociologist and researcher in his Book: Nemira Press, 2000, p. 112. Demografia Vârstei a Treia the media we use, and the (Demographics of the Aged). Bucharest: 21 Ibid., p. 121. people to whom we are Editura Medicalã, 1998. communicating have, indeed, 22 Elliott, Mark “What Percentage of 9 changed. Such changes Camelia Popa. “Alarming Report: if the Russians are Practicing Christians?” birthrate continues to drop, we will be a East-West Church and Ministry Report, should challenge us to ask nation of pensioners.” România Liberã, vol. 5, nr. 3 (Summer 1997): pp. 5-6. ourselves, “How can the December 1998, p. 4. evangelical church impact 23 Barnes, Jim and Laurie. “The Czech society so that the Good News 10 Institutul Naþional de Statisticã ºi Spritual Landscape in the Post- of the Gospel is able to Studii Economice. “Situaþia Demograficã Communist Era.” East-West Church and a României în anul 1999.” (Comunicat Ministry Report, vol. 6, nr. 2, (Spring change the lives of people and de Presã Nr. 24-2000). Bucharest: 1998): pp. 6-8. the life of this nation? What INSSE, 2000. changes must we make in our 24 Michnick, Adam. “Religious Liberty 11 churches to minister more Ibid. for All?” East-West Church and Ministry Report, vol. 3, nr. 3 (Summer effectively to our modern, 12 Statistics taken from Populaþia 1995): p. 7. troubled society, to show the României pe vârste, sexe, medii ºi judeþe love of Christ more (Population of Romania by age, sex 25 Grossu, Sergiu. “Nevoia unei culturi completely and to win environment and county). Bucharest: creºtine” (The Need of a Christian multitudes for His kingdom?” Institutul Naþional de Statisticã ºi Studii Culture). Areopagul Luminii, March Economice, July, 2000. 2001, p. 3.

May God grant us wisdom as 13 Report of the Conference of Christian 26 Sergiu Grossu cited by Scorobete, we seek answers to these Churches in Romania (published Miron in “Îndemnuri: Sã recuperãm questions and then implement proceedings). Bucharest: World Vision, intelectualitatea pentru Isus Hristos” (A 15-16 June 2000. challenge to Christians to awaken and the answers that God reveals use their intellects for Jesus Christ). to us! 14Statistics taken from Strategy for Areopagul Luminii, March 2001, p 7. Reform, 1998-2001. Bucharest: ENDNOTES Departament for the Protection of 27 Barbu, Daniel, ed. Firea Românilor Children (DPC), 1998, p. 1-3. (The Romanian Mindset). Bucharest: Nemira Press, 2000, p. 117. 1 Cuciuc, Constantin. Religii noi în 15 Statistics taken from 1999 Annual România (New Religions in Statistics. Bucharest: National 28 Sannikov, Sergei. “A Call for New Romania). Bucharest: Gnosis, 1996. Commission for Statistics. Strategies and Structures.” East-West Ministry Report, vol. 3, nr. 3 (Summer 16 2 Institutul Naþional de Statisticã ºi “Half of all unplanned pregnancies 1995): p. 1. Studii Economice. Indicatori sociali end in abortion.” Reuters News Service, 29 anuali. Bucharest: INSS: România. 20 January 1999 and Kanata, Robert E. Kusnierik, Juraj and Marsh Moyle. “Cuban rate of abortion appalling.” “Central and Eastern Europe: Trends in 3 “La jumãtate faþã de al celor mai Toronto Star, 16 May 2000 (on-line) Evangelical Churches and in Society.” sãraci cetãþeni ai UE.” România and Perlez, Jane. “Romania’s high East-West Ministry Report, 9, 1 (Winter Liberã, 11 April 2001, p. 1. abortion rate stems from lack of family 2001): p. 8. planning, doctors say.” New York Times 4 “Underground economy is 20% of News Service (on-line), 24 November Romania’s GNP.” România Liberã 1996. English Edition, 3 July 2000, p. 3. 17 Schmid, John. “In the Former East 5 “Rate of poverty may rise to 43% Bloc, Abortion Remains Norm” of thepopulation in 2000.” România International Herald Tribune, 16 Libera, 31 July 2000, p. 1. February 2001 (on-line).

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 47 hat is God saying to us? WIn this report we have documented what God has been doing in Romania. We Now is the have also described in detail the current condition of the church. We have identified the greatest needs that we face and resources that we have to time for the meet those needs. This chapter is a call to action.

Our challenge and call is to Church to act! present the Gospel to every person in Romania in such a way that he or she can understand and accept it. We Twelve steps toward want to gather those who accept Christ into churches so fulfilling the Great that they can be discipled and prepared to minister to others. Commission in Romania Jesus told us to preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). He also told us to make disciples of all peoples (Matt. 28:19). We must do this in Romania and in the whole world as a testimony to all peoples, and then the end will come (Matt. 24:14). Brothers and sisters, we have much to do to prepare for Jesus’ return!

A biblical precedent: repairing the walls of Jerusalem

When Nehemiah presented the results of his investigation of the walls of Jerusalem, they responded enthusiastically, “‘Let us start rebuilding’” (Neh. 2:18)! Obviously the citizens of Jerusalem knew that the walls had been destroyed. Nehemiah did not tell them anything new. They had lived without a wall for decades. They had the resources to build the wall, but they had done nothing.

48 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 2 What kept them First of all, we have all of the Romania! All across our spiritual resources, power and country, churches are holding from repairing the strength that God has promised additional meetings to pray for wall? us in Scripture. God has given us revival and for the healing of the the Bible, the Gospel, his vision nation. Many churches already The people in Jerusalem and his power for reaching the have effective church planting lacked a clear call to action, nations for Christ. He has strategies, have planted dozens of confidence that they could promised to be with us and to churches, and continue to plant succeed and a sense of unity. build his church. Nothing can more. Cooperation between Nehemiah gave them all these, prevail against him or keep him pastors and churches is high, and and they were motivated to from accomplishing his purposes. in several areas pastors meet take action. Our prayer is that He has promised to meet all our regularly to pray and discuss how you will respond as the people needs according to his riches in to reach their parts of the country. of Jerusalem did and be glory (Phil 4: 19)! When we We also have legal freedom to motivated to work together to think negatively and doubt our evangelize and plant churches. complete the task. ability to plant the thousands of Because of the research that has new churches, we are focusing been done, we now have specific too much on our resources and information on where churches A short review forgetting that his resources have are most needed and which no limit. (For a more complete churches should be able to plant Let us review briefly both the list of our spiritual resources, see other churches. This information needs that exist and the Appendix 3.) can be used both to motivate resources that we have. As we Christians to plant more churches have said, the spiritual needs in and to direct our church planting Romania are immense. Our This is a time of efforts. It also helps us pray research shows that evangelical unique opportunity! specifically and powerfully for Christians make up only 2% of needs within the country. the population. 22 million Our potential for evangelism and people have no contact with an church planting is greater now evangelical church. We need than it has ever been before! more churches in almost every Today we have more churches, locality. There are over 10,000 more evangelical Christians, and villages without even one more trained Christian workers evangelical church. The than ever before in history! 7,000,000 people who live in There are hundreds of Christian those villages have very little missions, associations and THE 40/70 WINDOW chance of hearing the Gospel foundations performing all sorts and virtually no chance of of ministries that support the Never before have the conditions seeing how Christians live or work of the church.1 God has for church planting been so act. Almost every village and given us a vast supply of favorable! Let us take advantage city that has an evangelical resources to accomplish his work of this opportunity to do as much church needs more. The need here. We need to effectively use for the Lord as we can! After all, is particularly great in our the resources we have and trust we do not know how much more cities because of the large God for any additional resources time we have to serve him before numbers of people who live we need. he comes again! there. In Bucharest and eleven other cities there is only one Furthermore, this is a time of Based on this awareness of the church for over 30,000 people! unique opportunity. More people need, our resources and our than ever are praying for times, what specifically do we Even though the need is large, Romania, both inside the country need to do? we have the resources to meet and outside. Around the world the need and to greatly expand prayer is being focused on the the impact of the evangelical countries in the newly defined church. “40/70 Window,” which includes

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 49 Twelve steps toward majority of them do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior? fulfilling the Great Commission in The Bible tells us that Jesus had compassion for the people Romania (Matt. 9:36). He suffered and died to make salvation In this section are many suggestions possible for us (1 Peter 3:18). and recommendations concerning Paul anguished over the the work which we must do. All of salvation of the Jews and these recommendations are would have accepted eternity important for the fulfilment of the in hell if that would have Great Commission in Romania. guaranteed their salvation We recognize that there are many (Rom. 9:2-3). That is passion! obstacles and difficult problems How strong is our passion for to overcome. We do not presume will convict them of their need the lost? Do we even bother to have all of the answers, but we for salvation (1 Tim. 2:1-4). to rejoice when a person is know that they can and must be saved (Luke 15:10)? found. We welcome your God has called many people in comments and suggestions, and our churches to pray. These Our pastor in Bucharest we wish to work together to do people consider prayer to be their recently preached a sermon on the Lord’s work in Romania. primary ministry within the Body hell. The subject made of Christ. We need to encourage everyone tense and these people and involve them in uncomfortable. It was a hard First, we need to praying specifically for sermon for the pastor to preach 1 pray. evangelism and church planting. and for us to hear. We need to Other people are gifted in be reminded regularly about spiritual warfare. We also need the eternal destiny of the We are greatly encouraged by the to encourage and involve them in people who do not have Christ. increase of prayer within church planting work. The Bible tells us that they will Romania, but more prayer is be punished with eternal needed. We must confess our destruction and separation failures, our sins and our lack of We must renew from God (2 Thes. 1:8-9) fruit. We need to pray for God’s unless we convince them of wisdom and guidance, for 2 our passion for their need for salvation. boldness and success in our the lost. efforts, and for greater unity and cooperation. We also need to We need to pray that God will raise up many Our research shows that on the more laborers. And we need to average 100 evangelical 3 accept our pray for our pastors, evangelists Christians bring only three people responsibility. and church planters, focusing our to the Lord and incorporate them prayers on church planting efforts into churches in one year. If that so that they can succeed.3 is true, our passion for winning We, the churches and the lost cannot be very great. We evangelical organizations in We are in a spiritual battle for the need to ask ourselves some Romania, must accept the fact souls of the Romanian people. difficult questions: Could it be that evangelizing the people of Many are spiritually blind (2 Cor. that we really do not care that Romania is our responsibility. 4:4) and do not understand that people are going to hell? Do we Christians in other countries they need to be saved. We need consider our comfort and have some measure of to pray for these people to be convenience more important than responsibility for completing saved just as Paul prayed for the the eternal salvation of souls? the Great Commission here, Jews (Rom. 10:1). We need to Does it bother us that 767 people but we have the primary pray for people by name that God die every day and that the responsibility. One day each one of us will all stand before

50 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA God to give an accounting of or practices of another church. This cooperation needs to take the deeds that we have done, Perhaps someone took control of place both on national and local and he will hold us a whole church. These types of levels. responsible (2 Cor. 5:10). He events and lingering suspicions has given us many resources, of the communist era have On the national level, we would and he expects us to use them created divisions between like to propose the establishment to accomplish his purposes evangelicals that continue to hurt of a committee that would (Luke 12:47-48). All of us the work of the church. These oversee the work of evangelism want to be rewarded as good divisions make us weak and give and church planting. The and faithful servants, but too the devil a “foothold.” By purpose of this committee would often we act like the wicked contrast, God calls us to love one be to promote vision for servant and do nothing (Matt. another and has even said that our evangelism and church planting 25:14-30). The eternal fate of love for one another will and to coordinate efforts rather millions of our fellow convince others that we truly than to control them. This group countrymen should be represent God (John 13:34-35). would monitor progress and work sufficient motivation for us in If we do not love one another, with the denominational leaders this work. If it is not, let us people will not recognize us as and Christian organizations to see remember that God will also Christ’s disciples. that good progress is made. This judge us for what we have committee would encourage done or not done! A body is effective when it is cooperation and help settle whole and complete. Individual disputes. Our suggestion is that Earlier we commented on the arms, legs, hands and feet can do this committee include at least multitude of social and moral one representative from each problems in Romania. It is denomination and one each from easy to blame the West or the some of the organizations that are Orthodox Church for these heavily involved in this process. problems, but we must also It is our hope that this committee ask ourselves what we have will be formed either at or done to resolve them and to immediately after the National communicate God’s truth to Conference held May 8-11, 2001. the society around us. We do a reasonable job of warning In Nehemiah chapter 3 we read our own people about the evil about different groups of people and dangers in society, but within Jerusalem who worked on what do we do to warn others? different parts of the city wall. If we do not proclaim God’s Because their efforts were truth about these issues, who coordinated, they succeeded in will? nothing. In a similar way, building the wall in record time. isolated Christians, churches and In a similar way, if each even denominations are less denomination works toward its We need to effective than they could be. God own goals, and if our work is 4 work as the wants us to be a united, powerful, coordinated, we will succeed. effective Body. We must forgive Body of Christ. those who have sinned against us We would also suggest the in the past and be reconciled to establishment of an inter- All of us are aware of them. We need to cooperate denominational committee of situations in which a pastor or rather that compete. We must leaders in each county to oversee a church has acted speak well of other evangelical evangelism and church planting. inappropriately regarding churches rather than criticize The purpose of such a committee another church. Perhaps a them. We must rejoice when would be the same as the national pastor pressured people to they rejoice and mourn when they committee, but its operation leave another church to come mourn. We must learn to share would be limited to the one to his church. Perhaps a resources, information and county. Committees of this sort leader criticized the theology blessings rather than hoard them. already exist in several counties,

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 51 but frequently the committees do AN EXAMPLE not represent all denominations. OF TOWNSHIPS We also need to expand our WITHOUT vision to include a larger CHURCHES geographical area. It is very easy SURROUNDED to get caught up in the needs of our church or our neighborhood WITH or our city and to neglect the TOWNSHIPS needs of people in other areas. FILLED WITH For example, we know of several CHURCHES situations in which one township has many churches but a neighboring township has none. Also, the churches in the more evangelical areas in the Northern and Western parts of the country should be more active in assisting in ministry in the Southern and to give people necessary skills. Kingdom of God. We would Eastern parts. The crying need is This equipping task is difficult like to see evangelism and for the whole church to reach the and time-consuming, but it is the church planting made the top whole country. only way that we as leaders can priorities of every multiply our efforts and denomination, regional effectiveness. Paul knew how association of churches and We must effective this multiplication could local church. Then significant 5 mobilize our be when he wrote Timothy to attention, key people, train reliable men who would in adequate funding and other church members for turn train others (2 Tim. 2:2). resources would be applied to ministry. Another part of the equipping these efforts. We must seek to task is to give people a positive grow by winning people from attitude about the work and build the world rather than by Each member of the Body of their faith. We need to regularly receiving people from other Christ has a role in building up promote the vision of filling churches. the Body (Eph 4: 11-16). Unless Romania with churches and we involve and train more of our remind our people that we can In addition, many of the other members, we will never be able reach that goal with God’s help. activities that are not directly to expand the church to the extent related to evangelism and needed. God never intended our church planting can be pastors and evangelists to do We need to give modified to contribute to everything themselves. We have those efforts. For example, approximately 500,000 people 6 priority to our catechism classes can that we can involve in the evangelism and include instruction on doing ministry! Obviously, many of church planting. personal evangelism, and our those people are already involved young people can be equipped in the work, but just think about and mobilized for evangelism how much more we can do if a Our churches have many good and church planting. Our large number of those people are programs, but most of them are worship can honor the God actively involved in evangelism directed at meeting the needs of who saved us and who loves and church planting! the people who are already in the the whole world. We can church. We need to continue to preach about the needs of the The leaders’ job is to equip the meet those needs, but we also lost and the need for growth. other members of the Body so need to do much more to reach Also, our denominational that they can do the ministry. out to those who are outside of publications can promote One part of the equipping task is our churches and outside of the evangelism and church

52 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA planting by including articles mistake of thinking that our cities more than on evangelism. Since that instruct our people on have enough churches because we had no way of counting the these subjects, testimonies and they have some churches that are evangelical Christians who are reports of successful efforts. large and well known. In fact, we not linked to a church, this result do not have nearly enough may also indicate that we have We also need to consider how churches in the cities given their been ineffective in bringing new to make our churches more large populations. The believers into the life and welcoming to non-Christians. percentage of evangelicals is fellowship of the church. This is A non-Christian who visits actually lower in the urban areas always a challenge, one that one of our churches may find than in the rural areas! We deserves additional attention. it very foreign because he or clearly need a new emphasis on she does not know how to urban church planting. As part of behave. At times they feel that emphasis we need to identify We need to work rejected because they are methods of church multiplication 7 to eliminate different from the others in the that are possible and effective in church. We need to be sure urban settings. Many larger bottlenecks. that new people feel accepted, churches are in the cities, and appreciated and welcomed in those are the churches that have Often when we have talked to our services and that we the greatest potential for planting leaders about the need to plant attempt to contact them later churches. Therefore, we should more churches, two serious to assist them with their be able to significantly increase limitations are mentioned: spiritual needs. the number of churches in our manpower and money. We need cities in a fairly short time if we to take these limitations seriously, Christian organizations also make this a priority. and we need to find ways to need to consider how their develop the leaders and sources programs can contribute to the Another interesting result of our of funds needed for the church task of completing the Great research is that the number of planting effort. It is not our Commission. Evangelistic churches in the country is purpose in this report to present a efforts can be linked to church growing faster than the number of comprehensive analysis of these planting efforts. Discipleship believers in our churches. This is limitations, but we can make a programs can equip Christians partly due to the fact that we have number of observations. for sharing their faith. Letters been planting more rural received by Christian radio churches than urban churches, but MANPOWER: To plant and television ministries can may also indicate that we have churches you need workers and be passed on to local churches been focusing on church planting leaders. Even though we have that will contact the people personally. Social programs can include evangelism in appropriate ways. Not every program will contribute directly to the growth of the church, but many of them can.

As previously stated, we have a great need to establish more churches in our cities. Much church planting in recent years has been done in villages rather than in the cities. Even city churches have focused their attention on planting churches in villages rather than in the cities where they are located. We make the

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 53 half a million people in our evangelism and church planting society. The others are likely churches, relatively few are should be a major priority of the to hear the Gospel from effectively involved in evangelism denominations and several people in their own area. and church planting. We need to Christian organizations. Funding They can also see how the mobilize the lay people in our should be sought primarily in Christians love one another. churches. Developing leaders is Romania. Once our people Once people come to the often the more difficult challenge. understand the needs and the Lord, the church serves as the It is clear that our seminaries and vision for growth, they will appropriate structure for Bible schools are not producing amaze us with their generosity. encouraging, loving and many church planters. Men who As much as possible, the funds training them. It is not devote several years of their lives for these efforts should be guaranteed that planting a to study usually want to use what controlled by the denominations church will result in effective they have learned in an established so that they can apply the funds evangelism and church church. While it is important to to their most strategic and planting, but it is hard to see teach about church planting in important projects. how those functions will be those institutions, we cannot done successfully without expect them to be a major source church planting. Therefore, of leaders for new churches. We need to keep we believe that it is Other programs are needed. 8 our ultimate appropriate to focus on church Organizations like Misiunea planting. We believe that Mondială Unită and the Bible objective in mind. when churches are planted, League have been very successful effective evangelism and in preparing lay people for this We know that God is not willing discipleship will also happen. work. BEE International has that any should perish and that he When we set goals for church provided excellent training for wants everyone to come to planting, we do it with an many people. Campus Crusade repentance (2 Peter 3:9). expectation that we are in has a highly developed training Therefore, we need to accept our effect setting goals for program for its volunteers. We responsibility to do everything evangelism and discipleship. need to utilize and expand these possible help people come to the programs and others. We need a Lord. We also know that God concentrated and coordinated wants us to train those who are effort by the denominations and saved so that they can be the Christian organizations to productive disciples (Matthew develop leaders for the new 28:20). God will not be satisfied churches. until these things are done. As his children, we need to have the MONEY: As with any project same desires and objectives that involving finances, we can do he does. We cannot rest until more if we reduce our costs or these things are completed. We need to set raise additional funds; and we need to work together to do both. While many activities contribute 9 goals. Our costs can be reduced by to evangelization and making greater use of lay discipleship, it is our opinion that The ultimate objective of volunteers and by identifying less church planting is the most helping each person in costly meeting places for new effective and comprehensive Romania to become a faithful churches. We cannot afford to method. Where there is no disciple of Jesus Christ is very plant many churches if each one church, it is unlikely that the helpful because it clarifies needs a pastor, land and a people there will hear the Gospel what we want to do. It is also building. Alternative locations in or see how Christians live and helpful to set goals that tell us which new churches can meet behave. On the other hand, specifically what we want to include homes (house churches), where there is a church, the accomplish during a certain rented facilities, and facilities that Christians are a permanent period of time. Goals are very are used by more than one witnessing community that can effective in establishing our church. Raising funds for have a long-term effect on the direction and increasing our

54 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA focus. When we face decisions about the allocation of our resources and time, our goals help us decide what to do. Having goals in common helps us to cooperate with one another. Goals help us know if we are making as much progress as we planned to make. They encourage us to take corrective action when necessary. Finally, they give us reason to rejoice when we reach them.

It is our strong belief that the goals need to be set by the denominations and local churches themselves. It is vitally important that the denominations own the goals and are committed to reaching them. We suggest that each denomination set its own goals and that those goals be combined to give us a sense of a national goal. Our expectation is that significant progress will be made in this direction at the National Conference in May 2001.

Based on our research and analysis, we would like to propose an intermediate goal for the denominations to consider. This goal is to plant churches strategically so that we have an evangelical church for every 10,000 people in each city and a church for every village with over 1,000 inhabitants. Reaching this goal would require planting 496 churches in our cities and a church in each of 2,057 villages, which has over 1,000 inhabitants, without an evangelical church. We believe that this goal is high enough to challenge us to greater activity and effectiveness but low enough to be reachable. Reaching this

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 55 goal will require starting 2,553 churches, a 51% increase beyond what we have now. That means that each denomination would need to grow by 51% to reach this goal. Since approximately 50% of the churches have good potential for planting churches, all we have to do to reach this intermediate goal is to have each church with potential start one new church.

To better understand the size of the task that is before us, we can compare this goal with the growth that occurred during the decade of the 1990s. In that period approximately 2,600 THE NUMBER OF CHURCHES NEEDED churches were planted. We need TO MEET THE GOAL “1,000 - 10,000” to plant about the same number of churches to reach the above goal. In the 1990s the number of churches doubled. Now we need only a 51% increase in the number of churches to reach the goal. Certainly the evangelical church is stronger now than it was in 1990. Certainly we can plant more churches in the next ten years than we planted in the last ten!

We will rejoice when we reach this goal, but we must not forget that this is an intermediate goal. Even when we have reached this goal we will not have completed planted where they are most have proposed can be met in a the Great Commission in needed. The map on this page year or two in the provinces in Romania. We will still have shows how many churches are the West. If the churches in much to do. (Later we will needed in each province so that the Southeast have to plant all propose a final goal.) there would be a church for every the needed churches in their 10,000 people in the cities and a areas without outside help, we church in each village with over will have to wait many We must 1,000 people. decades for these goals to be 10evangelize and reached on a national level. Most of the new churches need to We can reach our goal more plant churches in the be planted in the Southeastern quickly if churches in the right places. part of the country, but there are Northwest will help plant fewer churches with potential in churches in the Southeast. those areas. As the table on page Reaching the above goal will 57 shows, most of the churches In most areas the bulk of the require planting at most 2,553 with the ability to plant new church planting responsibility new churches and will require, of churches are in the Northwestern falls on the urban churches course, that those churches are part of the country. The goal we because they tend to be much

56 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA larger and have more needs to be an evangelical church We must trust resources than rural churches. for every 5,000 people. Therefore, the urban churches 12God. need to plant churches in both ¥ In rural areas, every village the urban and rural areas. In must have an evangelical church. The journey will not be easy, but the rural areas there are 1,627 it is one we must make. It will churches with good church ¥ In larger villages, there not be completed quickly, but we planting potential, and those should be an evangelical church do not travel alone. God is with churches also need to be active for every 1,000 - 1,500 us. He will never leave us or in planting new churches. inhabitants. forsake us. He wants to see his church expand in Romania even OC International and Misiunea ¥ Every ethnic and social more than we do. He has the Mondialã Unitã have group should have an evangelical resources we will need - information on where churches church, that is appropriate for its especially when ours run out. He are needed. We would be glad language and culture. will build His church. The to give you any information question is whether we will build that would help you to plan Our desire is that everyone has it with him or not. your church planting efforts. the opportunity to hear the Gospel and to become a disciple Now is the time for We must of Christ through the work of the local church. Reaching these the church to act! 11persevere! goals requires approximately 15,000 new churches! It is hard After the twelve spies returned Reaching this goal will be a to imagine that we could ever from their mission in Canaan, the wonderful step in the right plant that many churches, but Israelites concluded that direction, but it is not the last with God all things are possible. step. We would like to see churches planted until the STATISTICS RELATED TO CHURCH PLANTING country is saturated with NR. OF EVANGELICAL CHURCHES them. The expression THAT NEED TO BE “saturation church planting” CURRENTLY WITH CHURCH PLANTED TO REACH refers to the process of IN THE PLANTING PROVINCE THE GOAL “1,000 - planting churches until there PROVINCE POTENTIAL 10,000” are enough churches in the country that every person has Criºana1,04345434 access to an evangelical Banat 521 28523 church. To reach saturation in urban areas there needs to be Transylvania1,225533279 an evangelical church in every Maramureº223121108 neighborhood. Rural areas are “saturated” when there is a Total Northwest3,0121,393444 church for every thousand Moldova759424718 people in every village. Muntenia739316900 More precisely, to reach the Oltenia26385364 goal of saturation in Romania, we need the following: Dobrogea7732127 Total Southeast1,8388572,109 ¥ In the smaller cities, there should be one evangelical Misiunea Mondialã Unitã has observed that in Romania a church has church for every 1,500 people. good potential for starting other churches if it has over 50 members, or, if it was started after 1989, 30 members. Such a church can send out at ¥ In large cities, where the least one church planting team. population is denser, there

GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA 57 possessing the land was 3Both Misiunea Mondialã Unitã and impossible (Numbers 13 and 14). OC International try to keep current They decided that it was too information on various groups that difficult and that they were sure meet for prayer. For updated to fail. They did not believe that information, contact the office of either organization. God would give them the land even though he had promised to do so. As a result, God rejected an entire generation and punished the nation by making them waste 40 years in the wilderness.

We stand at a similar crossroads. We face a major challenge and responsibility. We can commit ourselves and our churches to the completion of the Great Commission in Romania trusting that God will help us, or we can shrink back from the task because it is too difficult. We can make great progress in our generation, or we can leave the work for our children to do. It is our choice.

What will you do?

We believe that now is the time for us to accept the responsibility for completing the Great Commission in Romania, and dedicate ourselves to that task.

Let us begin!

ENDNOTES

1The Directory of Christian Organizations in Romania is prepared each year by OC International and offers information about Romanian and foreign mission organizations working in this country. The current edition lists 228 organizations. To receive a copy contact OC International, C.P. 57-93, Bucharest.

2.The “40/70 Window” refers to the zone between 40 and 70 degrees North latitude stretching from Iceland in the West to Siberia in the East. This zone includes 61 countries, including all those in Europe. The “40/70 Window” has recently been targeted by Christians worldwide for intensive prayer.

58 GOD’S HEART FOR ROMANIA Appendix 1 Tables

Page

TABLE 1:GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE 1 PROVINCES OF ROMANIA

TABLE 2:GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE COUNTIES 2 OF ROMANIA

TABLE 3:THE NUMBER OF EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS 3 PER COUNTY

TABLE 4:THE NUMBER OF EVANGELICAL CHURCHES PER 4 COUNTY

TABLE 5:THE GROWTH OF THE NUMBER OF CHURCHES 5 PER COUNTY

TABLE 6:THE NUMBER OF CHURCHES WITH POTENTIAL 6 FOR CHURCH PLANTING

TABLE 7:THE AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH RATE (AAGR) 7 PER COUNTY

TABLE 8:THE SITUATION OF EVANGELICAL CHURCHES IN 8 ROMANIA’S CITIES

TABLE 9:RELIGIOUS CONFESSION ACCORDING TO THE 13 JANUARY 1992 CENSUS TABLE 1. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROVINCES OF ROMANIA Province Banat Crişana Dobrogea Maramureş Moldova Muntenia Oltenia Transilvania Total Population in 2000 1,041,784 1,353,096 1,008,733 921,076 4,858,789 6,640,439 2,399,831 4,211,457 22,435,205 Percentage of Romanians 82.3% 72.5% 92.8% 71.5% 98.4% 97.7% 98.3% 73.4% 89.5% Percentage of urbanization 60.1% 48.8% 66.4% 50.5% 45.2% 59.2% 45.3% 61.9% 54.6% Nr. of evangelical Christians 52,255 88,421 4,256 20,012 84,335 50,282 12,702 101,071 413,334 Baptists 18,714 34,981 1,436 2,634 5,638 7,282 2,579 22,013 95,277 Brethren 728 861 165 544 17,201 12,058 3,035 9,519 44,111 Pentecostals 31,883 52,334 2,320 16,754 60,494 17,454 6,408 67,334 254,981 Romanian Evang. Church 420 0 270 0 830 11,770 480 1,075 14,845 Independent churches 510 245 65 80 172 1,718 200 1,130 4,120 Percentage of ev. Christians 5.02% 6.53% 0.42% 2.17% 1.74% 0.76% 0.53% 2.40% 1.84% Nr. of churches in 1989 284 714 27 92 317 352 73 729 2,588 Nr. of churches in 2001 521 1,043 77 223 759 739 263 1,255 4,880 Baptist 227 517 31 64 103 134 85 418 1,579 Brethren 21 15 6 9 233 162 58 147 651 Pentecostal 264 508 32 148 409 212 101 637 2,311 Romanian Evang. Church 3 0 5 0 8 195 11 6 228 Independent churches 6 3 3 2 6 36 8 47 111 Population to Church Ratio 2,000 1,297 13,100 4,130 6,402 8,986 9,125 3,356 4,597 Nr. of churches started ‘89-01 237 329 50 131 442 387 190 526 2,292 Percentage growth after ‘89 83.5% 46.1% 185.2% 142.4% 139.4% 109.9% 260.3% 72.2% 88.6% AAGR 1991-2000 4.48% 2.90% 9.53% 6.00% 7.12% 6.02% 8.20% 3.71% 4.81% AAGR 1996-2000 2.29% 2.83% 8.76% 6.96% 5.45% 5.06% 6.50% 3.17% 3.75% Cities without churches 0 0 1 0 1 1 6 2 11 Townships without churches 7 of 144 6 of 208 67 of 95 30 of 118 290 of 578 230 of 546 144 of 273 248 of 610 1,135 of 2,686 Villages without churches 282 356 290 311 2,487 2,338 1,968 2,276 10,308 Rural population w/o churches 103,659 148,777 271,386 263,206 1,911,316 2,013,001 1,225,676 977,773 6,914,794 Total churches for saturation 954 1,530 652 772 4,423 4,760 2,649 4,199 19,939 Nr. of new churches needed 433 487 575 549 3,664 4,021 2,386 2,944 15,059 Nr. new churches needed in 5239103543135981632531,575 cities for a PCR of 5,000:1 Churches with potential 28545432121424316855332,250 Nr. of years to AAGR 7.18% 9 6 31 19 26 27 34 18 21 reach saturation at AAGR 91-2000 14 14 24 22 26 32 30 34 30 the rate of: AAGR 96-2000 27 14 26 19 34 38 37 39 39 TABLE 2. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE COUNTIES OF ROMANIA

County Population Nr. of Percentage of Nr. of PCR1 Locations2 Saturation3 Potential4 2000 evangelical evangelical evang. Christians Christians churches Alba 395,94110,8412.74%1762,25059776673 Arad 476,27234,9557.34%3391,40579433172 Arge[ 671,5146,8011.01%966,99551272819 Bac`u 752,7615,1890.69%7510,03745270638 Bihor 620,51739,1926.32%4611,346145610248 Bistri]a-N`s`ud 326,27819,2795.91%1731,88612635095 Boto[ani 463,80814,7083.17%1632,84521543995 Bra[ov 628,6439,3701.49%1145,51410535742 Br`ila 385,7491,2640.33%3511,0211152476 Bucure[ti 2,009,20013,8060.69%6431,394040746 Buz`u 504,5401,0260.20%3215,7674595908 Cara[-Severin 353,20919,7945.60%2321,522149411125 C`l`ra[i 331,8431,5390.46%427,90112328917 Cluj 719,86421,5252.99%2223,24327858484 Constan]a 746,0413,6890.49%5912,64516542925 Covasna 230,5371,3650.59%268,8671021999 D=mbovi]a 551,4146,9221.26%1453,80327055442 Dolj 744,2434,9180.66%898,36232264136 Gala]i 644,0773,4370.53%3518,40215738522 Giurgiu 294,0001,2270.42%575,1581232847 Gorj 394,8093,7680.95%656,07438350016 Harghita 341,5701,1770.34%2911,7782353675 Hunedoara 523,07320,7113.96%2452,135318619107 Ialomi]a 304,3278860.29%2611,7051192407 Ia[i 836,7518,7461.05%8010,45937163340 Ilfov 275,4821,4210.52%397,064742958 Maramure[ 530,95512,7532.40%1403,79314642980 Mehedin]i 321,8532,1700.67%496,56831941820 Mure[ 601,5587,3561.22%1404,29742065062 Neam] 586,2293,6660.63%678,75031253137 Olt 508,2131,0000.20%3514,5203635526 Prahova 855,53912,6911.48%1386,20035971764 Satu Mare 390,1217,2591.86%834,70016534341 S`laj 256,30714,2745.57%2431,05513233694 Sibiu 443,9939,4472.13%1303,4159730756 Suceava 717,22441,9675.85%2203,260264653160 Teleorman 456,8312,6990.59%657,02818440918 Timi[ 688,57532,4614.71%2892,383133506160 Tulcea 262,6925670.22%1814,5941262237 Vaslui 466,7194,5280.97%686,86440863632 V=lcea 430,7138460.20%2517,2295875387 Vrancea 391,2202,0940.54%517,67130944014 Total 22,35,205413,3341.84%4,8804,59710,31819,7512,250

1 The Population to Church Ratio. 2 The number of locations without evangelical churches. 3 The total number of churches needed to reach the goal of saturation. 4 The number of evangelical churches that have potential to start new churches. TABLE 3. THE NUMBER OF EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS PER COUNTY

County Population Nr. of Percent of Baptist Brethren Pentecostal Romanian Indepen- 2000 evangelical evangelical Evangelical dent Christians Christians Church Churches (estimate) Alba395,94110,8412.7%3,6411,1476,0530 Arad476,27234,9557.3%13,5868621,078205 Arge[671,5146,8011.0%1713531,6174,450210 Bac`u752,7615,1890.7%2421,1663,54122020 Bihor620,51739,1926.3%15,76122023,17140 Bistri]a-N`s`ud326,27819,2795.9%1,84816517,1817510 Boto[ani463,80814,7083.2%9902,57711,1410 Bra[ov628,6439,3701.5%1,0302,1864,5341,000620 Br`ila385,7491,2640.3%565335965020 Bucure[ti2,009,20013,8060.7%3,7251,8475,4451,5001,289 Buz`u504,5401,0260.2%744883697520 Cara[-Severin353,20919,7945.6%11,7684217,58520 C`l`ra[i331,8431,5390.5%1792001,1103020 Cluj719,86421,5253.0%4,85279015,713170 Constan]a746,0413,6890.5%1,2211012,05225065 Covasna230,5371,3650.6%255141,0960 D=mbovi]a551,4146,9221.3%1771,3902,9852,35020 Dolj744,2434,9180.7%6662,0462,01114055 Gala]i644,0773,4370.5%3784312,41614072 Giurgiu294,0001,2270.4%20048122730019 Gorj394,8093,7681.0%5154522,6211800 Harghita341,5701,1770.3%9221541010 Hunedoara523,07320,7114.0%5,62666714,318100 Ialomi]a304,3278860.3%170165909020 Ia[i836,7518,7461.0%7084,9553,0830 Ilfov275,4821,4210.5%3276655845020 Maramure[530,95512,7532.4%1,73138410,61820 Mehedin]i321,8532,1700.7%9392828993020 Mure[601,5587,3561.2%1,1319525,168105 Neam]586,2293,6660.6%6601,1431,84320 Olt508,2131,0000.2%29324431840105 Prahova855,53912,6911.5%8546,0993,6982,00040 Satu Mare390,1217,2591.9%9031606,13660 S`laj256,30714,2745.6%5,6345558,0850 Sibiu443,9939,4472.1%2,7083,4443,170125 Suceava717,22441,9675.9%2,3483,36136,19860 Teleorman456,8312,6990.6%8401,08525947540 Timi[688,57532,4614.7%6,94630724,298420490 Tulcea262,6925670.2%21564268200 Vaslui466,7194,5281.0%1122,6271,3194700 V=lcea430,7138460.2%166115599020 Vrancea391,2202,0940.5%2009419530 Total22,435,205413,3341.8%95,27744,111254,98114,8454,120 TABLE 4. THE NUMBER OF EVANGELICAL CHURCHES PER COUNTY County Population 2000 Nr. of Baptist Brethren Pentecostal REC1 Ind. PCR churches ch. Alba395,94117677257402,250 Arad476,272339176615611,405 Arge[671,51496512294646,995 Bac`u752,76175831323110,037 Bihor620,517461234222321,346 Bistri]a-N`s`ud326,278173327132111,886 Boto[ani463,808163194310102,845 Bra[ov628,6431141829315315,514 Br`ila385,74935181132111,021 Bucure[ti2,009,200641681162331,394 Buz`u504,5403271095115,767 Cara[-Severin353,209232138138011,522 C`l`ra[i331,8434210820317,901 Cluj719,86422265515023,243 Constan]a746,04159224264312,645 Covasna230,537261511008,867 D=mbovi]a551,4141451124595013,803 Dolj744,24389203035228,362 Gala]i644,0773554232118,402 Giurgiu294,00057913102415,158 Gorj394,80965231424406,074 Harghita341,570292234011,778 Hunedoara523,0732451061412052,135 Ialomi]a304,3272671116111,705 Ia[i836,75180103733010,459 Ilfov275,48239134111017,064 Maramure[530,9551403759713,793 Mehedin]i321,8534917623216,568 Mure[601,55814042187734,297 Neam]586,2296714183418,750 Olt508,2133515682414,520 Prahova855,5391381758313026,200 Satu Mare390,121832745114,700 S`laj256,307243107712901,055 Sibiu443,99313041453953,415 Suceava717,224220304514233,260 Teleorman456,83165212381307,028 Timi[688,575289898184352,383 Tulcea262,692189261014,594 Vaslui466,7196843625306,864 V=lcea430,71325102111117,229 Vrancea391,2205113191907,671 Total22,435,2054,8801,5796,512,3112281114,597

1 Romanian Evangelical Church TABLE 5. THE GROWTH OF THE NUMBER OF CHURCHES PER COUNTY

Nr. of evangelical churches Nr. of churches started Percentage of growth Percentage of growth County 1989 31.03.2001 1989-31.03.2001 1990-31.03.2001 1991-2000 Alba1121766457.1%33.6% Arad2563398332.4%34.7% Arge[55964174.6%49.2% Bac`u167559368.8%188.5% Bihor31846114345.0%34.7% Bistri]a-N`s`ud8617387101.2%69.6% Boto[ani861637789.5%68.0% Bra[ov4011474185.0%153.3% Br`ila73528400.0%218.2% Bucure[ti186446255.6%255.6% Buz`u153217113.3%100.0% Cara[-Severin1552327749.7%33.5% C`l`ra[i74235500.0%320.0% Cluj1682225432.1%24.0% Constan]a215938181.0%156.5% Covasna2126523.8%23.8% D=mbovi]a741457196.0%59.3% Dolj278962229.6%97.8% Gala]i123523191.7%105.9% Giurgiu34572367.7%62.9% Gorj226543195.5%124.1% Harghita2429520.8%11.5% Hunedoara14424510170.1%28.9% Ialomi]a82618225.0%225.0% Ia[i348046135.3%122.2% Ilfov22391777.3%56.0% Maramure[5714083145.6%66.7% Mehedin]i134936276.9%109.1% Mure[6914071102.9%58.0% Neam]226745204.6%148.1% Olt63529483.3%169.2% Prahova771386179.2%53.9% Satu Mare358348137.1%105.0% S`laj14024310373.6%46.1% Sibiu6513065100.0%48.3% Suceava11322010794.7%60.6% Teleorman35653085.7%62.5% Timi[129289160124.0%77.3% Tulcea61812200.0%125.0% Vaslui256843172.0%119.4% V=lcea52520400.0%177.8% Vrancea95142466.7%410.0% Total2,5884,8802,29288.6%59.6% TABLE 6. THE NUMBER OF CHURCHES WITH POTENTIAL FOR CHURCH PLANTING1 County Nr. of churches with potential Baptist Brethren Pentecostal Other Alba732112400 Arad172631081 Arge[1913141 Bac`u3829270 Bihor2487521710 Bistri]a-N`s`ud9591850 Boto[ani95919670 Bra[ov42611250 Br`ila61140 Bucure[ti461281016 Buz`u80530 Cara[-Severin125675530 C`l`ra[i1713130 Cluj84164622 Constan]a2562170 Covasna90090 D=mbovi]a42112290 Dolj36514170 Gala]i2212181 Giurgiu71420 Gorj1624100 Harghita53110 Hunedoara107338660 Ialomi]a71060 Ia[i40421150 Ilfov82060 Maramure[80124640 Mehedin]i2063110 Mure[62911420 Neam]3756260 Olt61320 Prahova64432271 Satu Mare4151341 S`laj94323590 Sibiu561516241 Suceava16013241230 Teleorman1841040 Timi[1602321323 Tulcea72050 Vaslui32114170 V=lcea71060 Vrancea141670 Total2.2504762861.46127

1 A church is considered to have potential for starting other churches if it has at least 50 members or, if it was founded after 1989, 30 members. TABLE 7. THE AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH RATE (AAGR) PER COUNTY

ALL EVANGELICAL DENOMINATIONS BAPTISTS BRETHREN PENTECOSTALS COUNTY Nr. of ch. AAGR Nr. of ch. AAGR Nr. of ch. AAGR Nr. of ch. AAGR Nr. of ch. AAGR Nr. of ch. AAGR Nr. of ch. AAGR Nr. of ch. AAGR started 1991-1995 started 1996-2000 started 1991-1995 started 1996-2000 started 1991-1995 started 1996-2000 started 1991-1995 started 1996-2000 1991-95 1996-00 1991-95 1996-00 1991-95 1996-00 1991-95 1996-00 Alba 30 4.21% 14 1.68% 13 4.00% 4 1.07% 4 4.10% 3 2.59% 13 4.48% 7 2.04% Arad 44 2.99% 18 1.10% 10 1.19% 2 0.23% 5 start 1 3.71% 28 start 15 2.04% Arge[ 17 5.04% 13 3.13% 2 14.87% 1 4.56% 7 27.23% 2 3.71% 7 11.20% 7 7.14% Bac`u 26 14.87% 23 7.60% 3 14.87% 2 5.92% 9 13.70% 12 10.29% 14 19.14% 8 5.92% Bihor 60 3.31% 59 2.80% 18 1.75% 17 1.52% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 42 5.46% 40 4.10% Bistri]a-N`s`ud 27 4.81% 44 6.05% 3 2.29% 4 2.71% 1 8.45% 4 18.47% 23 5.56% 35 6.36% Boto[ani 25 4.69% 41 5.97% 4 5.51% 2 2.25% 6 4.94% 15 8.96% 15 4.43% 24 5.58% Bra[ov 38 13.02% 31 6.55% 6 9.86% 2 2.38% 6 6.96% 8 6.67% 10 10.76% 6 4.40% Br`ila 9 12.70% 15 11.84% 2 6.96% 11 20.79% 0 start 1 start 7 start 2 3.40% Bucure[ti 21 15.44% 23 9.31% 2 5.15% 7 12.20% 4 18.47% 1 2.71% 3 9.86% 3 6.58% Buz`u 8 8.92% 9 6.83% 4 37.97% 2 6.96% 2 8.45% 4 10.76% 2 6.96% 2 5.15% Cara[-Severin 43 4.56% 16 1.45% 7 1.05% 0 0.00% 10 43.10% 1 1.61% 26 10.76% 14 3.98% C`l`ra[i 15 20.11% 17 10.93% 3 31.95% 6 20.11% 5 28.47% 1 2.71% 7 22.42% 9 12.70% Cluj 19 2.04% 24 2.31% 5 1.79% 6 1.96% 1 5.92% 1 4.56% 12 1.89% 16 2.28% Constan]a 15 10.56% 21 9.20% 5 8.45% 7 7.96% 1 14.87% 2 14.87% 8 14.87% 10 10.20% Covasna 5 4.36% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 5 14.87% 0 0.00% D=mbovi]a 23 4.61% 31 4.93% 3 14.87% 5 12.89% 6 6.96% 3 2.71% 14 9.98% 22 9.78% Dolj 25 9.42% 20 5.22% 7 11.20% 3 3.30% 10 10.76% 5 3.71% 8 8.02% 10 6.96% Gala]i 8 8.02% 10 6.96% 2 14.87% 1 4.56% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 6 10.76% 8 8.92% Giurgiu 11 5.62% 11 4.38% 5 17.61% 0 0.00% 4 12.47% 4 7.63% 1 8.45% 7 27.23% Gorj 15 8.70% 21 8.12% 5 7.78% 7 7.53% 7 22.42% 3 4.94% 3 5.39% 11 13.05% Harghita 2 1.49% 1 0.70% 0 0.00% 1 0.93% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 2 14.87% 0 0.00% Hunedoara 32 3.18% 24 2.08% 12 2.62% 7 1.38% 2 4.10% 3 4.94% 15 3.04% 12 2.13% Ialomi]a 11 18.89% 7 6.47% 3 31.95% 3 11.84% 1 start 0 0.00% 7 start 3 6.58% Ia[i 20 9.24% 24 7.39% 2 5.92% 2 4.56% 9 7.39% 7 4.28% 9 14.87% 15 12.89% Ilfov 6 4.40% 8 4.70% 2 5.15% 4 7.63% 1 8.45% 1 5.92% 3 8.45% 2 4.10% Maramure[ 15 3.34% 41 7.18% 0 0.00% 9 5.73% 1 8.45% 2 10.76% 13 4.41% 30 7.68% Mehedin]i 15 10.96% 9 4.45% 5 9.24% 3 3.96% 2 24.57% 3 14.87% 8 12.47% 2 2.13% Mure[ 37 7.34% 15 2.31% 8 5.15% 6 3.13% 9 17.98% 2 2.38% 20 6.72% 4 1.09% Neam] 23 13.12% 17 6.03% 3 7.39% 4 6.96% 5 7.78% 2 2.38% 15 21.67% 10 7.21% Olt 9 11.10% 13 9.73% 2 5.15% 6 10.76% 0 0.00% 4 24.57% 5 28.47% 1 2.71% Prahova 33 6.51% 15 2.35% 5 9.24% 3 3.96% 14 7.14% 9 3.50% 12 11.84% 3 2.06% Satu Mare 20 8.45% 22 6.45% 5 5.29% 5 4.18% 1 8.45% 1 5.92% 13 10.12% 16 8.02% S`laj 17 1.98% 59 5.78% 2 0.50% 25 5.47% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 15 3.58% 34 6.43% Sibiu 32 6.46% 10 1.63% 9 5.55% 3 1.53% 10 5.75% 3 1.42% 10 6.72% 3 1.61% Suceava 57 7.21% 26 2.55% 1 0.73% 2 1.39% 18 12.26% 4 1.88% 38 7.52% 17 2.58% Teleorman 21 8.81% 4 1.28% 9 12.70% 1 0.98% 6 6.96% 2 1.84% 6 47.58% 1 2.71% Timi[ 87 8.93% 39 2.94% 8 2.02% 5 1.16% 5 28.47% 1 2.71% 73 13.85% 31 3.76% Tulcea 5 10.20% 5 6.72% 4 14.87% 1 2.38% 0 0.00% 1 14.87% 1 8.45% 3 14.87% Vaslui 19 10.03% 18 6.34% 0 0.00% 1 5.92% 9 7.39% 6 3.71% 10 28.47% 11 12.30% V=lcea 9 14.87% 7 6.79% 5 21.67% 2 4.56% 2 start 0 0.00% 2 start 4 9.46% Vrancea 23 26.97% 18 9.10% 7 27.23% 3 5.39% 5 14.87% 9 13.70% 11 45.41% 6 7.89% Total 977 5.73% 843 3.88% 201 3.16% 185 2.52% 188 9.44% 131 4.61% 542 7.28% 464 4.62% TABLE 8. THE SITUATION OF EVANGELICAL CHURCHES IN ROMANIA’S CITIES

County City M/O1 Population 2000 Nr. of churches PCR 2 5000:13 Saturation4 AlbaAbrudO6,56016,56014 AlbaAiudM28,60774,08700 AlbaAlba IuliaM71,638125,97033 AlbaBaia de Arie[O4,89931,63301 AlbaBlajM21,33254,26600 =mpeniO8,48342,12102 AlbaCugirO29,81955,964115 AlbaOcna Mure[O15,57881,94703 AlbaSebe[O29,46383,683012 AlbaTeiu[O7,32917,32914 AlbaZlatnaO9,11724,55905 AradAradM182,846276,7721010 AradChi[-Cri[O8,65142,16302 AradCurticiO9,81224,90605 AradIneuO10,06442,51603 AradLipovaO11,48361,91402 AradN`dlacO8,41532,80503 AradP\ncotaO7,45641,86401 AradSebi[O6,800797100 Arge[C=mpulungM42,89058,57844 Arge[Coste[tiO12,05326,02717 Arge[ de Arge[M34,085311,36244 Arge[ (Coliba[i)O36,19349,048421 Arge[Pite[tiM186,163726,5953131 Arge[TopoloveniO10,278110,27826 Bac`uBac`uM207,573729,6533535 Bac`uBuhu[iO21,924121,924414 Bac`uCom`ne[tiO26,33338,778315 Bac`uD`rm`ne[tiO14,36327,18218 Bac`uMoine[tiO25,28338,428314 Bac`uOne[tiM59,921414,98088 Bac`uSl`nic MoldovaO5,39022,69502 Bac`uT\rgu-OcnaO14,08034,69307 BihorAle[dO10,75761,79302 BihorBeiu[O11,75942,94004 BihorDr. Petru Groza O9,10833,03604 ({tei) BihorMarghitaO18,73953,74808 BihorNucet (Bihor)O2,87712,87701 BihorOradeaM220,626239,5922222 BihorSalontaO19,82236,607111 BihorVa[c`uO3,03021,51501 BihorValea lui MihaiO10,64125,32116 Bistri]a-N`s`udBecleanO12,07162,01203 Bistri]a-N`s`udBistri]aM86,556223,93400 Bistri]a-N`s`udN`s`udO11,30252,26003 Bistri]a-N`s`udS\ngeorz B`iO10,67442,66904 Boto[aniBoto[aniM126,621525,3242121 Boto[aniDarabaniO1,202430100

1 “M” stands for “Municipiul” which are large cities; “O” stands for “oraş” which are normal cities. 2 Population to Church Ratio 3 How many new churches need to be started so that the PCR is at most 5,000 people for every evangelical church. 4 How many new churches need to be started in “Municipii” so that the PCR is at most 5,000 people for every evangelical church, and how many new churches need to be started in “oraşe” so that the PCR is at most 1,500 people for every evangelical church. County City M/O1 Population 2000 Nr. of churches PCR 2 5000:13 Saturation4 Boto[aniDorohoiM35,01157,00233 Boto[aniS`veniO8,73942,18502 Br`ila|nsur`]eiO7,50332,50103 Br`ilaBr`ilaM230,962638,4944141 Br`ilaF`ureiO4,57922,29002 Br`ilaIancaO12,903112,90328 Bra[ovBra[ovM309,6711520,6454747 Bra[ovCodleaO24,91873,560010 Bra[ovF`g`ra[M43,938410,98555 Bra[ovPredealO6,54723,27403 Bra[ovR=[novO16,10844,02707 Bra[ovRupeaO6,31751,26300 Bra[ovS`celeO30,20565,034115 Bra[ovVictoriaO10,745110,74527 Bra[ovZ`rne[tiO26,65055,330113 Bucure[tiBucure[tiM2,009,2006431,394338338 Buz`uBuz`uM145,610624,2682424 Buz`uNehoiuO7,70432,56803 Buz`uPogoaneleO12,618112,61828 Buz`uR\mnicu S`ratM41,348141,34888 C`l`ra[iBude[tiO9,71424,85705 C`l`ra[iC`l`ra[iM76,636419,1591212 C`l`ra[iFunduleaO6,26623,13303 C`l`ra[iLehliu Gar`O6,73923,37003 C`l`ra[iOlteni]aM30,833130,83366 Cara[-SeverinAninaO10,49852,10002 Cara[-SeverinB`ile HerculaneO5,98222,99102 Cara[-SeverinBoc[aO18,97353,79508 Cara[-SeverinCaransebe[M30,74956,15022 Cara[-SeverinMoldova Nou`O14,81843,70506 Cara[-SeverinO]elul Ro[uO12,82381,60301 Cara[-SeverinOravi]aO14,85672,12203 Cara[-SeverinRe[i]aM92,776910,3081010 ClujC\mpia TurziiM29,71355,94311 ClujCluj-NapocaM329,3102413,7214242 ClujDejM40,78366,79733 ClujGherlaO23,95937,986213 ClujHuedinO9,92733,30904 ClujTurdaM60,438610,07377 Constan]aBasarabiO11,17433,72505 Constan]aCernavod`O20,330210,165312 Constan]aConstan]aM337,216937,4685959 Constan]aEforieO9,31524,65805 Constan]aH=r[ovaO11,197111,19727 Constan]aMangaliaM44,041314,68066 Constan]aMedgidiaM46,381411,59566 Constan]aN`vodariO35,59448,899420 Constan]aNegru Vod`O5,52631,84201 Constan]aOvidiuO13,58326,79218 Constan]aTechirghiolO7,34117,34114 Covasna|ntorsura Buz`uluiO9,105027 CovasnaBaraoltO10,50225,25116 CovasnaCovasnaO12,301112,30128 CovasnaSf\ntu GheorgheM66,341233,1711212 CovasnaT\rgu SecuiescO21,744121,744414 D=mbovi]aFieniO8,12132,70703 D=mbovi]aG`e[tiO16,32528,16329 D=mbovi]aMoreniO22,705211,353314 County City M/O1 Population 2000 Nr. of churches PCR 2 5000:13 Saturation4 D=mbovi]aPucioasaO16,37753,27506 D=mbovi]aT\rgovi[teM98,028910,8921111 D=mbovi]aTituO10,57725,28916 DoljB`ile[tiO22,08637,362212 DoljCalafatM20,85736,95222 DoljCraiovaM312,358934,7065454 DoljFilia[iO20,26382,53306 DoljSegarceaO8,61018,61015 Gala]iBere[tiO3,87913,87902 Gala]iGala]iM326,956746,7085959 Gala]iT\rgu BujorO8,04218,04215 Gala]iTecuciM46,452315,48477 GiurgiuBolintin ValeO11,46925,73516 GiurgiuGiurgiuM71,893611,98299 GiurgiuMih`ile[tiO7,10817,10814 Gorj}icleniO5,17015,17013 GorjBumbe[ti-JiuO11,89125,94616 GorjMotruO25,36938,456314 GorjNovaciO6,446025 GorjRovinariO13,11426,55717 GorjT\rgu-C`rbune[tiO9,10219,10216 GorjT=rgu-JiuM97,259616,2101414 HarghitaB`ile Tu[nadO1,796012 HarghitaB`lanO8,96224,48104 HarghitaBorsecO3,06821,53401 HarghitaCristuru SecuiescO11,092111,09227 HarghitaGheorgheniO21,156121,156414 HarghitaMiercurea-CiucM46,021146,02199 HarghitaOdorheiu SecuiescM38,939219,47066 HarghitaTopli]aO16,706116,706311 HarghitaVl`hi]aO7,44417,44414 HunedoaraAninoasaO6,11032,03702 HunedoaraBradM17,70928,85522 HunedoaraC`lanO14,41572,05903 HunedoaraDevaM75,515612,5861010 HunedoaraHa]egO12,54952,51004 HunedoaraHunedoaraM78,435126,53644 HunedoaraLupeniO30,80547,701317 HunedoaraOr`[tieM24,30738,10222 HunedoaraPetrilaO28,27774,040012 HunedoaraPetro[aniM50,192510,03866 HunedoaraSimeriaO14,59581,82402 HunedoaraUricaniO11,89333,96405 HunedoaraVulcanO32,60748,152318 Ia[iH\rl`uO12,146112,14628 Ia[iIa[iM345,7951720,3415353 Ia[iPa[caniM45,865315,28877 Ia[iT=rgu FrumosO13,5480310 Ialomi]a}`nd`reiO14,69127,34618 Ialomi]aFete[tiM36,72149,18044 Ialomi]aSloboziaM55,308511,06277 Ialomi]aUrziceniM18,73529,36822 IlfovBufteaO19,40044,85009 Maramure[Baia MareM149,780721,3972323 Maramure[Baia SprieO15,89435,29818 Maramure[Bor[aO27,26755,453114 Maramure[CavnicO5,46422,73202 Maramure[SeiniO9,41833,13904 County City M/O1 Population 2000 Nr. of churches PCR 2 5000:13 Saturation4 Maramure[Sighetu Marma]ieiM44,23876,32022 Maramure[T\rgu L`pu[O14,01881,75202 Maramure[Vi[eu de SusO18,17736,059110 Mehedin]iBaia de Aram`O5,76131,92001 Mehedin]iDrobeta Turnu M115,979619,3301818 Severin Mehedin]iOr[ovaO15,00927,50529 Mehedin]iStrehaiaO12,471112,47128 Mehedin]iV=nju MareO6,986025 Mure[IernutO9,8641098600 Mure[Ludu[O18,55644,63909 Mure[ReghinM38,55675,50811 Mure[Sighi[oaraM36,11257,22233 Mure[SovataO12,23634,07906 Mure[T\rgu Mure[M163,184918,1322424 Mure[T\rn`veniO29,62474,232013 Neam]BicazO8,95732,98603 Neam]Piatra Neam]M124,189620,6981919 Neam]RomanM81,013420,2531313 Neam]T\rgu Neam]O22,369122,369414 OltBal[O22,71337,571213 OltCaracalM38,721219,36166 OltCorabiaO21,571121,571414 OltDr`g`ne[ti OltO13,083039 OltPiatra OltO6,640025 OltScornice[tiO13,67434,55807 OltSlatinaM86,351517,2701313 PrahovaAzugaO5,909024 PrahovaB`icoiO20,01336,671211 PrahovaBolde[ti-Sc`ieniO11,63433,87805 PrahovaBreazaO18,669118,669312 PrahovaBu[teniO11,42833,80905 PrahovaC\mpinaM40,04358,00944 PrahovaComarnicO13,47726,73917 PrahovaMizilO16,98144,24508 PrahovaPloie[tiM249,0541122,6413939 PrahovaPlopeniO10,030110,03026 PrahovaSinaiaO14,33827,16918 PrahovaSl`nicO7,13617,13614 PrahovaUrla]iO11,88525,94316 PrahovaV`lenii de MunteO13,64234,54707 S`laj{imleul SilvanieiO16,90353,38107 S`lajCehu SilvanieiO8,43251,68601 S`lajJibouO12,35771,76502 S`lajZal`uM70,015107,00255 Satu MareCareiM25,04638,34933 Satu MareNegre[ti-Oa[O16,302116,302310 Satu MareSatu MareM129,153621,5262020 Satu MareT`[nadO10,04333,34804 SibiuAgnitaO12,21526,10817 SibiuAvrigO16,91953,38407 SibiuCisn`dieO17,15544,28908 SibiuCop[a Mic`O5,18922,59502 SibiuDumbr`veniO8,75132,91703 SibiuMedia[M61,78696,86544 SibiuOcna SibiuluiO4,24831,41600 SibiuSibiuM167,737918,6372525 SibiuT`lmaciuO9,06119,06116 County City M/O1 Population 2000 Nr. of churches PCR 2 5000:13 Saturation4 SuceavaC=mpulung M21,47637,15922 Moldovenesc SuceavaF`lticeniM33,206311,06944 SuceavaGura HumoruluiO16,76535,58819 SuceavaR`d`u]iM31,84156,36822 SuceavaSiretO10,16942,54203 SuceavaSolcaO4,61622,30802 SuceavaSuceavaM117,615129,8011212 SuceavaVatra DorneiO17,62935,87619 TeleormanAlexandriaM57,377319,12699 TeleormanRo[iori de VedeM36,06249,01644 TeleormanTurnu M`gureleM34,661217,33155 TeleormanVideleO12,36226,18117 TeleormanZimniceaO16,47928,24029 Timi[Buzia[O8,13732,71203 Timi[DetaO7,01823,50903 Timi[F`getO7,5321168500 Timi[JimboliaO10,36033,45304 Timi[LugojM48,62968,10544 Timi[S\nnicolaul MareO10,67433,55805 Timi[Timi[oaraM329,5543010,9853636 TulceaBabadagO10,627110,62727 TulceaIsacceaO5,59222,79602 TulceaM`cinO11,67825,83916 TulceaSulinaO5,057024 TulceaTulceaM94,706331,5691616 V=lceaB`ile GovoraO3,137013 V=lceaB`ile Ol`ne[tiO4,83014,83003 V=lceaBrezoiO7,54623,77304 V=lceaC`lim`ne[tiO8,93018,93015 V=lceaDr`g`[aniM22,374211,18733 V=lceaHorezuO7,35623,67803 V=lceaOcnele M`riO3,572013 V=lceaR\mnicu V\lceaM119,249339,7502121 VasluiB\rladM77,805515,5611111 VasluiHu[iM32,873216,43755 VasluiNegre[tiO10,60833,53605 VasluiVasluiM77,900419,4751212 VranceaAdjudO20,58245,146110 VranceaFoc[aniM96,930519,3861515 VranceaM`r`[e[tiO13,10752,62104 VranceaOdobe[tiO8,19218,19215 VranceaPanciuO9,61224,80605 TABLE 9. RELIGIOUS CONFESSION ACCORDING TO THE JANUARY 1992 CENSUS Religious ConfessionNr. of peoplePercentage The Romanian Orthodox Church19,802,38986.81% The Old Rite Orthodox Church28,1410.12% The Old Style Orthodox Church 32,228 0.14% The Roman Catholic Church1,161,9425.09% The Greco-Catolic Church223,3270.98% The Baptist Church109,4620.48% The Brethren and the Romanian Evangelical Church 49,963 0.22% The Pentecostal Church220,8240.97% The Seventh Day Adventist Church77,5460.34% The Reformed Church802,4543.52% The Unitarian Church 76,708 0.34% The Augustinian Lutheran Church39,1190.17% The Lutheran Church, Presbyterian Synod21,2210.09% Jewish9,6700.04% Moslems 55,928 0.25% Atheists10,3310.05% Without Religion24,3140.11% Undeclared8,1390.04% Other religions 56,329 0.25% Total 22,810,035 Appendix 2 Research forms

Page

RESEARCH FORM FOR URBAN AREAS 1

RESEARCH FORM FOR RURAL AREAS 2 RESEARCH FORM FOR URBAN AREAS

County: ______Information for the city of: ______Page ____

What ethnic groups are in this township (approximate percentage): ______% ______% ______% List of Churches Name of the zone of Name of the churchAuthoriza- Name address and telephone of the Address and telephone of DenominationYear StartedNumber of Number of the city tion? pastor the church participants members YES/NO

The inhabitants’ opinion of evangelical churches: ___ Very Good ___ Good ___ Poor ___ Very Poor

Two frequently mentioned barriers to starting new churches: 1)______2)______Name of researcher: ______Telephone: ______Address ______Date: ______RESEARCH FORM FOR RURAL AREAS

County: ______Information for the township of: ______Page ____

What ethnic groups are in this township (approximate percentage): ______% ______% ______% List of Churches Name of the villageName of the churchAuthoriza- Name address and telephone of the Address and telephone of DenominationYear StartedNumber of Number of tion? pastor the church participants members YES/NO

The inhabitants’ opinion of evangelical churches: ___ Very Good ___ Good ___ Poor ___ Very Poor

Two frequently mentioned barriers to starting new churches: 1)______2)______Name of researcher: ______Telephone: ______Address ______Date: _____