Romania is a country which has known incredible blessings in the past. Even during the communist years God’s people experienced significant numerical growth as God moved in revival power in Transylvania.
However, churches in other parts of the country have had an entirely different experience. One such area is the southern county of Dambovita. Before the revolution in 1989, there were no known evangelical believers and even today the church is small and faces many challenges. Yet, it is here that SGA launched a new mission school with the express purpose of equipping workers for the task of mission.
It was with a mixture of excitement and trepidation that the first session began in late January of this year. Pastor Mihai Chidesa and the local mission school director, Catalin Barascu, explained that nothing like this training programme had been attempted before. As a result, they were launching into the unknown, trusting that the Lord would bless their acts of faith.
From the very beginning, it was clear that God was answering the prayers of his people. Throughout the first series of lectures, the room was full of students eager to learn from God’s Word. These men and women had come from different backgrounds, were involved in a wide variety of ministries, and travelled from churches throughout the region. Some had to make a 90-mile round trip to take part in the training programme. SGA is committed to helping with the travelling expenses to remove any barrier that may prevent students from attending.
Certainly, the need for such a programme is great. Evangelicals make up less than 1% of the population of this region. There are very few theologically trained church leaders, and due to work commitments and other financial restraints, only a tiny number can ever hope to attend a full time Bible college programme.
The prayer is that SGA’s Mission School will help meet a great spiritual need. In doing so, we trust God’s Kingdom will advance in this needy part of the country.