WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (BP)–More than a decade after the fall of the brutal 45-year dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu, Romania has only just begun its recovery to democratization. Life there is harsh and spare of prosperity for the masses of people; most lack all material comforts. With few jobs and a very poor infrastructure, life crawls along at a pioneering pace.
Just as in most countries, even in highly industrialized nations like the United States where poverty is rampant, children are the ones who suffer for it the most. This is equally true, if not more so for poor children in Romania and in Moldova. Thousands of children in both countries are abandoned — their parents simply cannot afford to feed and house them.
Despite this heart-wrenching dilemma, the remarkable resilience and heartiness of the people can be seen clearly in their day-to-day determination to stave off the effects of poverty on their human spirits.
Greek Orthodoxy is the largest denomination in Romania and Moldova, with membership between 80 to 90 percent of the Christian population. According to Daniel Maris, pastor of Golgotha Baptist Church, with 1,200 members, one of the largest in Bucharest, there are approximately 450 Baptist churches in the nation, encompassing 100,000 Baptists. And since the fall of communism, these numbers are growing.
Baptists are gaining influence and with that influence an infusion of hope for Christians of Romania and Moldova.
For instance, one Baptist congregation in Moldova has undertaken to build a new sanctuary. It is nowhere near complete and the congregation has no idea when the building will be completed. They know assuredly that one day it will be so; in the meantime, they carry on with their love, their faith and their hope in God.
In another instance, nearly 400 teenagers showed up for a midweek young people’s rally; it is evident that gathering with believers to celebrate Jesus remains a vital point of inspiration.
Also in Moldova, 30 God-hungry students joined an intensive seminary workshop to prepare themselves for missionary work, much of which will occur in the dangers of Muslim nations. What as many as half of these also have done is to prepare themselves for certain martyrdom in the cause of Christ.
In Romania and Moldova, Christians worship God with sincerity and profundity. They worship Him because He is God, and in such circumstances it is not only possible to see hope where there appears to be no hope, but also to witness hope in its truest form and to have it imparted as well.
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Terriel R. Byrd, Ph.D., is assistant professor of religion and director of urban ministries studies at Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, Fla.
