Why we minister in Romania

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble.
—James 1:27

Goals of Chapel Missions Romania

1. To meet the physical and spiritual needs of the poor and orphans.
2. To proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.
3. To build a strong foundation of Romanian disciples.

Why Romania?

We know from the Bible that as Christians our call is to love God with all our heart and strength and to love our neighbor as yourself. So the question of why we minister in Romania really comes down to, "Who is our neighbor?"

Fortunately, someone asked Jesus the same questions, and we have His answer recorded in Luke chapter 10. Jesus responded by relating the now well-known parable of the Good Samaritan:

A traveler is attacked by thieves and left for dead. Out of three passerby the one who shows love and mercy is the most culturally foreign of them all—a Samaritan. Jesus concludes the parable by asking, "So which of these three do you think was a neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" The religious expert who asked the question answered correctly saying, "He who showed marcy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

A false dilemma is created by asking, "Why be mission focused when we have many here in the U.S. who need help?" It's not an either/or situation—we have the privilege to express the love of Christ both near and far. By ministering to our Romanian neighbors we are not suggesting that ministry to our local neighbors should be neglected. The eternal perspective from which we operate as Believers has no place for distance, cultural differences, or race—we are all members of the same Church through our baptism into Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12:13 & Galatians 3:28).

As American Believers we've been uniquely equipped by God to focus on those who are far away. We live in one of the wealthiest and freest countries in all of history. Without neglecting our call to love others at home, we seek to reach out in the name of Christ to meet the needs of those who have been abandoned Romania—orphaned by the world both physically and spiritually.

Consider joining with us in seeking to continue the work of the Samaritan in Romania and to be true to Christ's call to, "Go and do likewise."

Additional insight on the needs, ministries, and history of Romania is available in past issues of Renew Romania, available on our resource page.