How Great is Our God

Many of you have asked me to post some Romanian Christian songs. This is one many of you will recognize: "How Great is Our God" by Chris Tomlin. This is sung by a Romanian group called "Ekklesia" and in Romanian is called "Ce mare eşti Tu". The translation is below:
The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice

He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end

The Godhead Three in One
Father Spirit Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God

How's that for a moving truck?

It never ceases to amaze me what some of my fellow Romanians are able to pack onto their Dacia cars! Who said you need an SUV to carry the cargo :)!

Bucharest: In Need of a Revival

The city of Bucharest is divided into six legislative sectors, each with its own governing body. In a city of over 2 million people, there are just around 80 evangelical churches, or simply put, less than 1 percent of the population is evangelical Christian. Compare that to the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area in Minnesota, with over 3000 evangelical churches, and one of the best population to church ratios in the United States and you will see why Bucharest is in such need of a spiritual revival.

Ask anyone who works in Romania, and they will tell you that NOTHING happens either quickly or easily in Bucharest. The bureacracy is extensive and certainly has played a part in limiting church growth throughout the city. Some sectors, such as sector 6 above, have well over 100,000 people per evangelical church. That is simply not acceptable! It is extremely difficult in these European Union days for a church to obtain a building permit in Bucharest, and the price of land per meter is absolutely skyrocketing. All this has contributed to making Bucharest an extrememly dark city spiritually.

Yet I am convinced that better days are ahead for this city that was once called the "Paris of the East". This year I hope to be involved in some city-wide projects with youth pastors and church leaders to specifically pray over our city and to begin revolutionizing the evangelical churches in Bucharest to be not just a building or a group of people, but rather, a real PRESENCE in the community. Please join me in praying for a spiritual revival in Bucharest, for barriers to be knocked down, and for the light of God's grace to shine through.

Fulfilling a Lifelong Wish

This past week I was invited to speak at a camp near the city of Oneşti, Romania for a day to youth from a church I have a connection with in Târgu Mureş. I spoke on the role Romanian youth can play today in world missions, especially in Europe. The youth were an energetic bunch who seem to have a desire to be a part of church growth both in and outside of Romania. I had a great time sharing my testimony with the youth and listening to their stories. The campfire, complete with smores, was an added bonus.

Yet the real treat for me was visiting the city of Oneşti and the gymnastics training facility there. This city was home to Nadia Comăneci, the first woman to ever score a perfect ten in gymnastics, and who many (no, not just me) consider to be perhaps the best athlete the world has ever known. She was simply dominating at a time when gymnastics was at its prime--and well, she was perfect! It had always been a goal of mine to see for myself where she trained (although it has since been remodeled) and lived. I'm a huge Romanian gymnastics fan, and Nadia Comăneci was always one of my athletic heros. Today, the gym that Nadia, and her coaches, Bela and Marta Karolyi, made famous is now home to the Romanian National Junior Gymnastics Team. Watching 6-7-year-olds tumble and do all sorts of difficult moves was stunning. I was told that the girls who train here were chosen by the toughest and strictest of qualifications. These are said to be the next Romanian medalists. They are a very close community and train 5-7 hours each day. Their progress is evident and their workouts quite intense! Glad I don't have to do it. Anyway, here are some pictures of the camp campfire and of the gymnastics training facility.

A welcome campfire
A mosaic of Nadia is on the wall of the training facility

The outside of the facility, with a Nadia memorial

Romania: Where we Stand Today

Romania stands at a unique place in world evangelization. Currently, about 2.4% of Romania's population is evangelical Christian, with about 89-90% of the population identifying themselves as Eastern Orthodox Christians. This is an extremely "nominal" Christian population, of people who honestly never step foot in a church other than Easter or Christmas, while indulging themselves in every sort of sin imaginable the rest of the year. Still, Romania ranks in the top three countries (including Ukraine and England) in terms of European countries with the most evangelicals. Personally, I consider that both positive and depressing. To rank in the top three in Europe with only 2.4% of the population being evangelical Christian is pathetic and more a testament of the secularism and the fall of Europe. THERE ARE STILL OVER 10,000 COMMUNITIES IN ROMANIA WITHOUT AN EVANGELICAL CHURCH. Christianity has really shifted to the global south (Africa, Latin/South America). The LEAST evangelized continent in the world today is Europe. How times have changed!

This is why the country of Romania is so strategic in the world evangelism movement. Some of the largest churches in Europe are in Romania. For example, I am told, but have yet to confirm, that the largest Baptist church in Europe is in Oradea, Romania. Also, some of the largest evangelical churches in western Europe are Romanian churches (in Rome, Paris, Dublin, Barcelona, Vienna, etc.). Thus, other countries in Europe look to Romania with the hope that Romanian Christians will offer help.

Some Romanians have a vision for missions and are already involved in cross-cultural missions and church planting in neighboring countries. Praise the Lord! It is my belief that in Europe today, Romania is that city on a hill that cannot be hidden. God has prepared Romania for such a time as this to be salt and light to the people of Europe with the message of hope and eternal life in Jesus' name. What a contrast? A country so utterly oppressed and persecuted just 17 years ago under the ruthless regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu is now looked at as the evangelical Christian example and hope of Europe today!

Considering the current mobilization of the Romanian Church and the emerging missions movement, we here at OC International Romania feel the time is now to add kindling to the fire and promote Romania's role in furthering the cause of the Great Commission around Europe.

What are we doing:

• OC International has helped network the organizations that are promoting missions in Romania
• OC International has taught, trained and equipped Romanians for missions and taught in numerous evangelical churches throughout the country on the importance of missions. We are working to mobilize the troops here in Romania.
• OC International has written articles promoting missions and assisting in the broader Romanian missions movement.
• OC International distributes resources on missions used by local churches here
• OC International has mentored Romanian missionaries going out on the field

As you can see, there remains a lot of unfinished work! Please pray that God would send more people to attend the fields here in Romania and that Romanians will continue to respond to the call of the Great Commission!