Moldova

The Spiritual Need in Moldova

Moldova is a beautiful country in Eastern Europe bordered only by Ukraine on the north, east, and south, and Romania on the west. It is home to 3.4 million people, most of whom are nominally Christian because of their historical and cultural identity strongly rooted in the Eastern Orthodox Church. After years of limitation on religious practice under Soviet rule, the country gained its independence in the early 1990’s. Moldovans became open to the gospel as never before as they adjusted to new freedom.

The vast majority—upwards of 75% of Moldovans—identify as Christians in the Eastern Orthodox Church, but for most this is a cultural identity that lacks understanding of the lordship of Christ and the hope of justification by faith alone. In fact, many that profess the cultural identity of Orthodoxy also identify as atheist, having either been raised in the communist era or having learned secularism from their parents’ generation.

Moldova has struggled to find its way after gaining independence, with political and economic challenges that have caused it to become the poorest of the European nations. As many Moldovans emigrate to find work in other countries, the family structure is dissolving, and young people find less reason to stay. In this sense, they are deeply searching, and there is great opportunity to share the gospel among all generations. Not only this, but Moldova offers a gateway for Christian workers to access the peoples of Central Asia, who are politically and culturally much more averse to Western missionary influence.

ABWE in Moldova

A growing number of Moldovans are seeking truth amidst the struggles with poverty, corruption and hopelessness in their country, and finding it in Christ. The community of believers, though small in number (about five percent of the population), is a united and welcoming community with excitement to share their faith with their neighbors. Evangelical churches are growing in number despite some persecution and lack of resource.

Through partnership with Universitatea Divitia Gratiae (University of Divine Grace, UDG) in Chișinău, ABWE has a critical opportunity to ignite church-planting efforts among the unreached, Islamic peoples of Central Asia. Muslim-background believers (MBB’s) travel from Central Asian nations to study biblical theology, culture, and church planting at UDG. Many of these MBB’s return to their lands of origin to bring the gospel to unreached people groups that North American missionaries could not normally access. UDG has a critical need for theological educators serving short-term, mid-term, or long-term who have a heart for disciple making and catalyzing pioneering missionary movements. ABWE is also seeking those with a heart for evangelism and church planting to reach Moldova itself.

Is calling God you to bring hope to generations and share the gospel in Moldova?