Country Profile

CRWRC began its ministry in Romania in 1998.  Over the past several years, CRWRC has been narrowing its focus across the world – going deeper in fewer places for great impact and increased efficiency.  Because of this, CRWRC decided in 2007 to phase over its presence in Romania.  A few staff members still feel God’s call to continue the ministry with churches in the South East part of Romania (near Bucharest, the capital).  In this area, they have started Church Based Community Development – community development with the church being the salt and light in the community.  Because of this call, Gabi Achim (Team Leader, CRWRC Romania) and Sharon Bemis (CRWRC Program HOPE! Intern in Romania) along with the support of others are beginning a new Romanian foundation: Nehemiah Foundation for Development (“Fundatia pentru Dezvoltare Neemia”)!  The vision of The Nehemiah Foundation for Development is “Holistic community transformation based on Biblical principles, in partnership with the local church!”  And the mission is to assist and equip local churches in thes process of developing holistic ministries for the transformation of their communities in a God honoring and glorifying way.  If you are interested in financially supporting The Nehemiah Foundation for Development in Romania, you may currently send support to CRWRC specifying that it is for ministry in Romania, Fundatia pentru Dezvoltare Neemia.  In the meantime we are researching development of a 501c3 in the United States.  Please continue to prayer for the ministry of the Nehemiah Foundation for Development!

Fast Facts

Population: 22,276,056 (July 2007 est.)
Area Comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon
Literacy Rate: 97.3%
Life Expectancy: 71.91 years
Population below the poverty line: 25% (2005 est.)
Gross Domestic Product per Capita: $9,100 (2006 est.)
Religions: Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%, Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% (2002 census)
Languages: Romanian 91% (official), Hungarian 6.7%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 1.2%

(From the World Factbook. CLICK HERE for more information on Romania )

CRWRC Partners in Romania

CRWRC has two partners in Romania:

Bonus Pastor Foundation (BPF)
BPF, which is affiliated with the Hungarian Reformed Church, is a program whose aim is to reach out to addicts and their families, offering them Christ-centered treatment, counseling and follow-up programs. Currently serving about 600 families, Bonus Pastor and its volunteers are committed to meet the needs of alcoholics, drug addicts, the poor and the homeless.

A few years ago, in partnership with Service Link, Partners Worldwide and volunteers from Canada, a new dairy farm project was launched. A lot of volunteer teams have helped in repairing farm buildings and preparing the site for activity. Through this program, community members (including a number of recovering alcoholics) are able to run a farm, produce & sell milk, and earn an income. It is expected that the farm will make profit over the next year, which will be used to support the ministry of BPF.

Diakonia Foundation (Fundatia Diakonia)
Diakonia, a diaconal ministry of the Hungarian Reformed Church of Transylvania, serves as a medical and social outreach to people from a variety of ethnic and socio-cultural backgrounds. CRWRC supports Diakonia's work in Cluj and Mera. This includes programs in:

a) Community development

• In Cluj - a one-year project to help bridge the cultural gap between Romanian and Hungarian youth in the city. Youth from Romanian and Hungarian high schools are developing posters on certain topics which will be displayed together,showing that even if they are of different ethinic backgrounds, they have very similar needs and understandings.
• In Mera - an afterschool program for students that provides them with homework assistance and help with their writing, while also providing games, crafts, and singing. There is also a new program to help women from Hungarian and Roma (gypsy) ethnic background come together for fellowship and to improve their community.

b) Justice Education

• This program is designed to aid community members in obtaining legal documents (ID, birth certificates) so they can be employed. Participants can also receive information about job opportunities through the Employment Office.

Research & Development
CRWRC Romania is working with FHI-DC, a local partner in Romania, to see how they can best work together to improve communities. They are also exploring relationships with Pro Christi et Ecclesia and Dorcas Romania.

CRWRC Staff in Romania

CRWRC- Romania
STR. DR FELIX No. 41
BL C2, SC. 3, AP 83,
BUCURESTI, SECTOR 1
ROMANIA

Gabi Achim - Gabi is the Team Leader for CRWRC’s Eastern Europe Ministry Team. He is also a Country Consultant in Romania. He has been with CRWRC from its beginnings in Romania in 1997. Gabi has studied Electrical Engineering for 3 years at the Bucharest Politechnic University, and graduated with a BA in Theology and Missions from Mid America Nazarene College. Gabi has a passion for missions and people’s development from a Biblical perspective. He has experience in cross cultural ministries having worked in Romania with foreign missionaries for more than 15 years. He is also skilled in technical/electrical areas. In his church, Gabi serves as elder and youth pastor.

Gabi is married to Angela, who is English, and together they have 3 children: Peter Daniel (10), David Henry (7), and Hana Caitlin (1).

EMAIL: achimg@crwrc.ro

Zsuzsa Bakk – Zsuzsa has been working as a consultant for CRWRC since November 2005. She has a BA in Sociology and an MA in Community Development. During college, Zsuzsa worked on a research project that focused on interethnic communication, and participated in a research exploring the community of the Hungarian Baptist young people in Romania. Her native language is Hungarian. She also speaks English, Romanian, and German.

EMAIL: zsuzsab@crwrc.ro

Sharon Bemis - Program Hope! Intern
(July 2006-September 2008)
Read about Sharon's experiences by visiting her blog.

EMAIL: bemis91@hotmail.com

CRWRC Staff Newsletter from Romania

Take time to read a staff newsletter- direct from the field!

Achim_Jan06.doc

Bemis_March2008.pdf
Bemis_Dec2007.pdf
Bemis_Sept2007.pdf
Bemis_June2007.pdf
Bemis_Mar07.pdf
Bemis_Dec06.pdf

Romania_Jun06.pdf
Romania_Jun05.pdf
Romania_Jan05.pdf