Christian Evangelical Church of Romania

The Christian Evangelical Church of Romania (

Under the influence of foreign Plymouth Brethren missionaries active in Romania in the late 19th century, a group of "free Christians" was founded in Bucharest in 1899.^[1][2] Initially, members were foreign residents of the capital city; they were later joined by Romanian converts.^[2] Also known as "Darbyites" after John Nelson Darby, the British 19th century founder of their movement, the group was outlawed in the 1920s and was accused of spreading communist ideas.^[1] In 1933, the Romanian state recognised them as a religious association, the Christian Evangelicals. In 1939, they were compelled by the National Renaissance Front regime to merge with the Christians of the Scriptures (also known as Tudorites). The Christian Evangelical Church was thus formed, with two branches: branch I, which practised believer's baptism, and branch II, which employed infant baptism.^[2] (The difference stemmed from the tradition whence each emerged: Plymouth Brethren and Romanian Orthodox, respectively.)^[3]

Banned under the

Members see as their forerunners those who thought the church had lost its ability to preach the Gospel after

According to the 2011 census, the church had 42,495 members, making up 0.2% of the population; it was the country's 11th largest recognised religious body.[7] There is no hierarchy; instead, the church is completely reliant on a lay ministry. Bible readings and expositions, prayers and fervent singing are a feature of services. There is a spontaneity that leads to considerable member participation, and individual churches express a strong measure of autonomy.^[3] At the local level, each church or "gathering" has at least twenty adult members and is led by two to five "elders" or presbyters, who also function as preachers of the Gospel. As of 2008, there were 678 churches and 724 preachers. In 1994, a new structure, the zonal community, was introduced. There are sixteen of these, led by a brethren assembly that elects a leadership committee and is itself elected by the general conference. At the national level, the Union of Christian Evangelical Churches is led by a national brethren assembly that elects the permanent leadership, a president and two vice-presidents. The union's highest body is the quadrennial general conference, which elects the national brethren assembly and confirms the union's permanent leadership.^[2]

The church runs the university-level Timotheus Theological Institute in Bucharest and five Bible schools.^[2] Since 1949, it has edited Calea Credinţei ("The Path of Faith"), as well as the magazine Ecouri creştine ("Christian Echoes"),^[2] expressing its pietistic orientation to life.^[3] It has also published a number of theological works. Since 1990, it has run some forty associations and foundations. These involve most church members, and among their activities are teaching, orphanages, kindergartens and relief work. Also since that time, the church has re-established links with evangelical churches outside Romania, and joint projects have included evangelisation, exchanges of Biblical studies and charitable activities.^[2]

Notes

References

• Earl A. Pope, "Protestantism in Romania", in Sabrina P. Ramet (ed.), Christianity under Stress. Vol. III: Protestantism and Politics in Eastern Europe and Russia: The Communist and Postcommunist Eras,
  ISBN 0-8223-1241-7