Romania teaching trip

Romania is a country with numerous openings for Christian teaching. Ian Crossley, Rosi and I are teaching Baptist pastors how to improve their preaching. Our vision is to equip preachers in rural areas to handle God’s word with insight and passion.

The village of Sanpetru is typical. Last year the local school closed down for lack of children to teach. As young families are magnetically drawn towards the cities many villages are left with an ageing population whose poverty is clear to see. There is no obvious disenchantment with rural life with its beauty and simplicity. In fact, young people still say they would like to live here. But as jobs have migrated towards larger conurbations, people have had to follow.

The pastors we are working with are mainly leaders of churches less than 60 strong with all the challenges that brings. Resources are scarce compared with their British counterparts and many of these pastors are bi-vocational. But what they lack in facilities they more than make up for in enthusiasm. There is a desire for good instruction on how to preach well and they join in our exercises without coaxing.

The place of women in the church, particularly in teaching, is still a sensitive matter here. Their cautious attitude to female involvement has deep roots and is as much cultural as it is theological. On Sunday morning we were late for church after a long car journey. Instinctively Mircea, Rosi and I crept into the back row and sat down. After a few moments I realised we might have done the wrong thing. On the left of the church sat all the women and on the right sat all the men. I leaned over to Mircea wondering if we would be expected split up. “It’s OK” he whispered, and with a sweeping gesture reassured us that, as visiting guests, this wouldn’t be considered a cultural gaff.

On the journey to Bicaz, Mircea and I had spent most of our time talking about the ups and downs of church life. Lively conversation about their difficulties with a charismatic movement and the need for high quality preachers filled the time as we sped through the Romanian countryside. Mircea was going to translate my preaching, so I thought I should tell him about the message I was about to preach. Hopefully, then, he wouldn’t have too many surprises.

“I’m going to preach on 1 Kings 19” I began “about Elijah running into the desert and hearing God’s whisper”

Mircea laughed

“Problem?” I said

“No, except that I preached on the same passage at the same church last Sunday”
For an instant my heart sank.

“They’ve had some teaching” he continued “that the Spirit only moves when there’s lots of yelling and dancing around. Scripturally I just don’t see it, so I taught them about God speaking through the whisper, not the fire and earthquake”

“My line of approach will be very different. I’m going to talk about Elijah reaching rock bottom and God speaking to him at his lowest ebb. Will that do, or would you prefer me to change topic?”

“That’s a very different tack” he assured me “It sounds like our teachings will complement each other – so just go for it”

I admit to feeling relieved. With only my Bible and a single set of notes I’d be scrambling if he had wanted a change. As we sidled into that back row I glanced at the clock, made a mental calculation, and settled finishing by 11.15. A typical service time to me.

I preached.

Mircea reproduced my voice and gestures with typical passion. We finished on time and I went to resume my seat. As I did so, Mircea shuffled across the platform and whispered in my ear.

“You finished too early. They usually go on till 12”

“12? – you’re kidding me!”

“Nope. Can you and Rosi fill 45 minutes for them?”

I know I’ve sometimes preached too long, but I don’t think I’ve ever been told I preached too short by as much as 45 minutes! After a brief chat Rosi and I settled on telling our story about losing our daughter Esther and how God helped us through that period of darkness.

They were locked on to what we were sharing with nods and ‘Amins’ (‘Amin’ is Romanian for ‘Amen’) coming from various parts of the church. This turned into a genuine God-moment and we both feel they haven’t seen the last of the blessing granted to us yesterday.

 

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