LifeWay-Roma partnership impacts ministry in Romania
Children swarm, looking up with adoring eyes, hugging me around the waist and saying, “I love you,” over and over again. They pull me along toward the shack—a partially-built house made of wooden slats and clay—the future site of a place to worship. As Nicoletta tattoos her name on my hand with a gel pen and Adi counts my freckles, they begin to sing songs about Jesus. These kids are from the village of Bertesti, Romania, home of “Pastor John” and his small congregation of faithful Romany believers.
John has been preaching the Gospel for many years, even suffering persecution under the communist regime for evangelizing against the law. The greatest joy in his life has been seeing his whole family begin to follow Christ’s teachings. He leads a congregation in the home of his friend, Marin. On Sunday mornings, 10-15 people meet in the one-room house to worship and learn together, using the bed as a church pew.
“We want more people to come worship with us, but there is no room,” John said. “The desire of my heart is for God’s name to be glorified in this village and for everyone to hear about Jesus.”
When a plot of land with a partially built house became available a few doors down from Marin’s house, it seemed like the perfect solution. Bob and Gayle Hill, workers with the International Mission Board, were able to secure funds from a special project through LifeWay/Centrifuge to purchase the land. Romany believers will do the work to finish the house on their own. They are excited about the possibility of having a place for both Romany and Romanian believers in their village to worship together.
“My heart is bursting with joy, for all that God has done for us,” John said.
LifeWay began a three-year partnership with the Roma two years ago, allowing funds and volunteers to aid in ministering to the people group in Europe.
In Lacul Dulce, a Romany neighborhood in the city of Braila, members of a house church were kicked out of two homes before finally securing a building of their own, with LifeWay’s help. The building is only a one-room concrete block on a sliver of land, but it belongs to the believers—no one can ask them to leave. There they hold church services and missionary Tamara Banks teaches English and holds a weekly Bible study for young people.
The LifeWay partnership also made it possible to hold the first ever Romany Worship Conference May 21-23. Approximately 25 church leaders met to learn about biblical worship through the teaching of Marius Mezin, a Romanian pastor with a heart for the Roma.
“Many times Romany worship songs focus on their problems instead of on God and His glory,” Marius said. “I want to help them understand that worship is vertical, not horizontal.”
With this partnership, LifeWay has blessed the Roma through many projects, including three Romany family summer camps, sending Romany youth as missionaries to their own people through FARM (Far and Away Romany Missions), and bringing International World Changers and Fuge volunteers to help in ministry.
“We praise God for LifeWay,” Bob said. “Their volunteers and generosity have made so much possible.”
To find out more about the partnership, click here.
For more information of how to be a part of all God is doing in Romania among the Roma, visit TeamRomany.com.
Posted by Karen Pearce on May 25, 2009
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