wfn.org | Methodists congregations grow in Romania

["NewsDesk" <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

May 1, 2003   News media contact: Linda Bloom7(212) 870-38037New York
10-71B{248}

By United Methodist News Service

During the past decade, Korean Methodists have developed a small number of
congregations in Romania, training people there to continue the evanglism
work themselves.

Now, the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries is trying to help
Romanian Methodists make contact with their counterparts in other European
countries. The Rev. Peter Siegfried, a board executive, told United Methodist
News Service he is planning a fall consultation with church leaders there.

Besides the Board of Global Ministries, participants in the Romania
consultation would include representatives from the United Methodist
judicatories of Central and Southern Europe, the Korean Methodist Church in
Romania and the Church of the Nazarene, which has three congregations in
Romania. The Church of the Nazarene is a member of the World Methodist
Council.

Although the Methodist presence in Europe dates back 150 years, he said, no
mission or church was developed in Romania. But in 1992, Korean families, who
had business in Romania, invited the Korean Methodist Church to send a
missionary to that country. The Romanian Methodist Association was registered
and a church was built.

In 1995, Korean Methodists opened a theological institute to train pastors
and missionaries. A new building for the institute was constructed three
years later. By then, there were four local churches - two in Bucharest, one
in Pitesti and one in Constantza.

An imigri from Cameroon trained at the institute and started a congregation
in Judet Arges in eastern Romania in 2001. That congregation now has 35
members, according to Siegfried.

As of 2003, the number of congregations had risen to 11, including seven in
Bucharest. Adult membership includes about 60 Koreans and 200 Romanians.
Eight students are in training at the theological institute.

He noted that the Rev. Charles A. Green, a United Methodist pastor from
Philadelphia, has met with Methodists in Romania, who expressed an interest
in contact with the United Methodist Church.

Siegfried would like to hear from other United Methodists who have church
relationships in Romania or are interested in partnerships there. E-mail
psiegfri@gbgm-umc.org or phone (212) 870-3889. 

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United Methodist News Service
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