Romanian Missionary Society

Summary

Romanian Missionary Society ("RMS") was founded in 1968 by a group of Romanians in the US who had a desire to broadcast the Word of God to the people of Romania living under the shadow of communism. Over the years, the mission of RMS has broadened significantly. It now prepares pastors, teachers, evangelists and missionaries through student scholarships. It proclaims the Gospel in Romania through Christian radio through six stations. It propagates the church through sponsorship of pastors and church building programs. It publishes Christian literature and training materials in the Romanian language. It provides compassion and witness to orphans through the Teen-age Orphan Ministry. In December 1989, after the Romania Communist dictatorship fell, RMS moved the majority of its ministry operations from the US to Romania. RMS was incorporated in Romania to operate a publishing house for printing and selling Christian books. The proceeds from the sale of books are distributed to other RMS ministry projects. RMS-Romania operates under the control of a Romanian board of directors. This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. It is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).

Contact Information: [ Back to top ]

Organization Details [ Back to top ]

Purpose [ Back to top ]

Romanian Missionary Society ("RMS") was founded in 1968 by a group of Romanians in the US who had a desire to broadcast the Word of God to the people of Romania living under the shadow of communism. Over the years, the mission of RMS has broadened significantly. It now prepares pastors, teachers, evangelists and missionaries through student scholarships. It proclaims the Gospel in Romania through Christian radio through six stations. It propagates the church through sponsorship of pastors and church building programs. It publishes Christian literature and training materials in the Romanian language. It provides compassion and witness to orphans through the Teen-age Orphan Ministry.

RMS' mission is accomplished through a number of ministries including the translation of Christian books and training materials, the Radio Voice of the Gospel network in Romania, the Sponsor-a-Pastor program, the Teen-age Orphan Ministry, and the Christian University scholarship program.

In December 1989, after the Romania Communist dictatorship fell, RMS moved the majority of its ministry operations from the US to Romania. RMS was incorporated in Romania to operate a publishing house for printing and selling Christian books. The proceeds from the sale of books are distributed to other RMS ministry projects. RMS-Romania operates under the control of a Romanian board of directors, which is appointed by the general director, who is also a RMS board member and officer. As such, board-level control exists over RMS-Romania and its financial statements are included in the audited financial statements.

This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. It is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).

Mission Statement [ Back to top ]

Romanian Missionary Society's Mission Statement is:

To prepare Romanian Christians to become effective pastors, teachers, evangelists, missionaries and Christian leaders
To proclaim the Gospel through Christian radio
To propagate churches in Romania
To provide for orphans and abandoned children
To publish Christian literature and training materials in the Romanian language

Program Accomplishments [ Back to top ]

The Preparation
The Adopt A Student scholarship program links a Christian student in Romania with a Christian sponsor in America who provides full tuition and prayer support. Students attending approved Christian institutions are eligible to apply for scholarship grants from RMS. This program has helped hundreds of young people who now serve in many Christian ministries.

The Adopt A Student program links a Christian student at a theological institution in Romania with a Christian sponsor in America, who prays for the student and provides full tuition. As a result of this program, over 400 graduates are now involved in ministry in Romania, Moldova and other former communist-bloc nations.

For further training, Dr. Josef Tson, RMS president, conducts Discipleship Training Seminars in churches all across Romania to train and encourage young and inexperienced pastors. These seminars have also been a tremendous evangelistic outreach to the many unbelievers who attend.

The Proclamation
Christian radio has a tremendous impact on the spiritually hungry Romanian people. The Radio Voice of the Gospel (RVG) network broadcasts daily from FM stations in six major cities within Romania. Surveys show that our radio audience is between three and five million listeners.

Letters are received each week from people who accept Christ while listening to RVG. Christians write to say the broadcasts strengthen their faith, and the only way we can minister to the evangelical churches without pastors is through Christian radio. The importance of this far-reaching medium makes it imperative to continue to strengthen our radio network.

The Propagation
Two programs assist in the establishment of new churches that are desperately needed in villages without an evangelical church.

The Sponsor A Pastor program links churches in Romania with sponsors in America. Qualified new graduates are ready to pastor, but the downfall of communism has been accompanied by unbelievable inflation. Until Romania's economy becomes stabilized, they need someone to assist them in their ministry.

During the years of communistic oppression, evangelical Christians were not permitted to build new churches. In post-communist Romania, a new church building sparks growth and rapid expansion. The Build A Church program provides prefabricated buildings at very reasonable prices to congregations without buildings. It also lends assistance to congregations that were able to begin constructing new buildings, but were unable to finish them due to exorbitant inflation.

The Publishing
To counter decades of atheistic teaching, RMS has translated and printed over 140 Christian titles in the Romanian language. These books equip pastors and lay-leaders with the tools needed for effective ministry.

Since Bible-based literature is so scarce in Romania, RMS translates and prints Christian devotional and theological books, training materials for leaders involved in ministry to children and teenagers, and curriculums that promote character development and strong moral values for use in Romanian public schools.

The Provision
Since its beginning, RMS has been committed to supplying food, clothing, medicine and other material needs to Romanian Christians in times of disaster or catastrophic illness. This program also provides a ministry of compassion and evangelism to the disabled and to hundreds of unloved and unwanted orphan children. Special ministries to teenage orphans are provided year-round, as well as summer camps and networking with Christian families and local churches.

Statement of Faith [ Back to top ]

Romanian Missionary Society's Statement of Faith is:

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God written through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; and hold it to be the only authoritative rule for Christian faith and practice.

We believe in the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth; His sinless life; His vicarious death and the atoning power of His shed blood. We believe in His bodily resurrection; in His ascension to the right hand of God, the Father.

We believe that man was created in the image of God and that man has fallen from the state of perfection by sin.

We believe in the necessity of the restoration of man, through regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

We believe in Christ's imminent return to take His church unto Himself, and in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost.

We believe that a Christian should maintain a strong and consistent testimony, striving always to walk in the footsteps of our Savior and Lord, and working under the direction of the Holy Spirit for the salvation of lost souls and the edification of the body of Christ.

We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ and in the possibility of unified cooperation in evangelical missionary work at home and abroad.

History [ Back to top ]

In 1968, Dr. Peter Trutza, with a group of 25 Romanian and American church leaders, founded the Romanian Missionary Society. At the outset, the focus of ministry to Romania was radio broadcasting and relief. In 1982, Dr. Josef Tson, who had been exiled by the communist Romanian government for preaching the Gospel, was elected to serve as president.

Dr. Tson believed the Iron Curtain would come down some day, and he had a vision for training young men and women for ministry. He began the process of translating and and publishing Christian books and training materials into the Romanian language. Today, more than 130 titles have been completed.

In December 1989, after the Romania Communist dictatorship fell, RMS moved the majority of its ministry operations from the US to Romania. RMS was incorporated in Romania to operate a publishing house for printing and selling Christian books. When the communist rule ended, a Bible institute was established, and many graduates are now serving in Christian service. A scholarship fund assists young men and women in training for ministry through the Adopt-a-Student program. RMS is committed to the propagation of churches in Romania, and the Sponsor-a-Pastor program provides temporary financial support and assistance in ministry to pastors.

RMS has extended its radio broadcasting ministry by establishing a radio network of six radio stations that operate in six major cities in Romania. A foster care and summer camping program addresses the growing tragedy of orphaned and abandoned children and teenagers. From its inception, RMS has tailored its missionary strategy to carry out the biblical commission effectively.

Ministry Needs [ Back to top ]

Students at Christian colleges and theological seminaries in Romania want to make a difference in their culture, but they need help to fulfill their dreams. Many students are being equipped for pastoring or church work. Others are training as evangelists, missionaries, broadcasters, social workers and writers. Some students are preparing to teach religion in Romanian public elementary and high schools.

To sponsor a pastor, simply contact RMS for a link between you or your church and a Romanian pastor. Sponsorship for the first year's support is $235 a month. After one year, the relationship will be reviewed by both parties.

For short-term mission trips, the churches in Romania will also openly welcome groups from your church to assist in evangelistic outreaches, building construction, children's work -- whatever the combination of need and resource might be. The opportunities for effective ministry are as numerous as the needs.

Pastors or missions chairmen will probably be the most interested in the Sponsor A Pastor program, but it's not limited to just church leadership. Sunday school classes, Bible study groups, youth ministries or even individuals can choose to sponsor a pastor. This unique opportunity is sure to enhance missionary vision by giving American Christians a way to participate in a direct relationship with a Romanian pastor, reaching people halfway around the world with the love of Jesus Christ. You can be united together for the equip-ping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).

RMS has found a way to help neglected young people -- through a camping program. The focus of this unique outreach is to tell them about God's love for them and the gift of His Son. The camp experience is also designed to contribute to sound physical, emotional, mental, moral and spiritual development. We have three years of experience in providing the family atmosphere that has been lacking in these kids lives, along with an environment where they can experience love and unconditional acceptance for the very first time.

Unfortunately, lack of financial resources has limited this effort to one camp a year in just one area of Romania. In order to expand the program, we need to build a camping facility in the central area of the country. Once land is purchased, facilities will be constructed for a year-round conference center that will accommodate 150-200 beds, conference hall and seminar rooms, kitchen and dining hall, and facilities for both indoor and outdoor sports.

The camp will be staffed by capable Romanian young people with college degrees in social work. In addition to their educational training, they are given specialized workshops prior to the beginning of the camp. And certifying our program with Romanian state agencies assures that the leadership of each orphanage in Romania will allow their orphans to attend the camp for two or more weeks.

Research Analysis

Transparency Grade [ Back to top ]

MinistryWatch.com 5 Star Financial Efficiency Ratings [ Back to top ]

Ranking Category	Rating	Overall Rank	Evangelism Support Sector
Overall Efficiency Rating		321 of 353	32 of 35
Fund Acquisition Decision		295 of 353	29 of 35
Resource Allocation Decision		233 of 353	24 of 35
Asset Utilization Decision		302 of 353	29 of 35