‘I never thought I would have to counsel a young man going to war’

I have had the pleasure of working with Biserica Crestina Emanuel in Galati since 2017. Galati is my paternal homeland and Romania has a special place in my heart. 

Over the years I have made friends with the most beautiful devout Christians who stood firm under the brutality of the Ceaușescu regime and in more recent history have kept the church growing despite the mass exodus west of 30% of all their 18–30-year-olds since Romania joined the European Union in 2007.

Biserica Crestina Emanuel is a thriving church welcoming hundreds through their doors each week. They have a school, an extensive youth and music programme, and a variety of other ministries. They are just 10km from the Ukrainian border, and in February 2022 the church rose to the challenge of supporting Ukrainian refugees. They converted their buildings into hostels and provided a safe place for thousands of families to stay as they were processed. Many came to faith through this ministry.