By William Anderson, Bucharest, Romania
Looking at the photo we took at a recent pastors’ meeting, I remember that in the beginning it didn’t look like they were ever going to work out. So I praise God for what He has done in and through these meetings.
In June of 2003 I attended the Foundations Conference at the Bible College in Vajta, Hungary and in one of the sessions I heard about how God had used the pastor meetings in Hungary to develop and grow the Calvary Chapels in Hungary. So when I got back home to Romania I emailed everyone involved in pastoring and planting Calvary Chapels in Romania and shared with them what I heard and how I thought that this would be good for us.
Right away I got an email from Shane Herman, who pastors the Calvary Chapel
in Bucharest, and he was excited about doing it but his was the only response I
got back. I was disappointed but realized that most were real busy with their
ministries. So Shane and I started meeting the first Tuesday of each month and
would have a time of worship, prayer and fellowship. Sometimes other servants
from the fellowship in Bucharest would join us, but for the most part it was
just Shane and I. Each month we would send out emails and call the others up
encouraging them to come but for several months no one else came.
I began to wonder if we should continue meeting since there didn’t seem to be
any interest except for the two of us. Shane kept encouraging me and pointing
out how important it was for us to keep meeting. If it wasn’t for him I know I
would have stopped long ago. Finally after many months of only us two meeting I
emailed a lot of people back in the States and asked them to pray. Then the next
month around six guys started showing up regularly.
Those of us who were attending consistently began to see how much we were
blessed from our times together and that we were getting to really know each
other as brothers and share our common calling and passion to serve God in
Romania. Soon the walls started coming down and we began to become more real
with one another, sharing our hurts, struggles and problems and praying for one
another. There is something about knowing that others are struggling and hurting
with the same things that really encourages you and helps you to grow closer to
them.
Over time our meetings have grown. A few times a year we get together for an
extended time at a cabin in the mountains and every third month everyone brings
their families to the meetings. We plan out conferences, work on projects such
as translating books and developing a website, visit each other’s churches and
cover for each other on Sundays when needed.
God has really blessed us as we have been faithful to make time to minister
to one another at these meetings. The bonds of love, purpose and unity continue
to grow as we seek together to see God’s kingdom expanded here in Romania. So I
praise God for what He has done, is doing and will do in the future by His grace
in our ministries and our relationships with one another. To Him be the glory
forever and ever.
