Is there a need in Romania? How might you meet that need?
According to a Christian Research Group in Romania, there are 19 cities without any established evangelical witness, as well as approximately 7 million people living in an estimated 10,000 villages who are without any established evangelical witness, youth within and without the church who have little or no leadership to help them grow or to evangelize them. There is a great need for Bible teachers, Christian education workers, youth workers, evangelists and a host of other people to help further equip the people here for God’s service.
The pastor to church ratio in evangelical churches in Romania is 6.67 churches to one pastor! The majority of those who are left in those churches to lead when the pastor is not present have little to no training. One church our team had worked in had associated Jehovah Witnesses as their brothers in the Lord! You can see the damage this lack of good and sound Bible training can do and the false teaching that results!
That is one of the reasons ABWE started the Church Ministry Institute in 2002 in Romania. Through the church ministries institute (CMI) we are able to help train those who are unable (financial and time wise) to be trained in a seminary. The philosophy is that churches need to be healthy in order to reproduce. This is why we are involved in local churches in Romania. The intent is for the Lord to use the gifts and abilities He has given us in order to make an impact in the lives of the present as well as the up and coming leaders so they will be better equipped to serve, lead and to plant other churches. ABWE is in Romania to help strengthen local churches through a variety of ministries in order for them to be able to plant other churches.