I have just completed my sixth teaching stint at the Emanuel Bible Institute in Oradea, Romania, on October 23-27 - or, as it's now called, the "Emanuel University of Oradea". As before, I flew into Budapest, Hungary, on Friday, the 20th, where I spent a day in order to recover from jet lag. I came to Oradea, just inside Romania's northwestern border with Hungary, on Saturday.
On both Sunday morning and evening I fellowshipped at the Emanuel Baptist Church, which is the "mother church" of the Emanuel University. This is a large and flourishing church, with perhaps 800-1000 in worship services every Sunday. I was asked to bring a short greeting Sunday evening (which meant a 10-15-minute talk!), which I was happy to do. I always am blessed immensely by the services at this church, most especially by the singing and the praying. The people sing with great passion and in beautiful harmony a great variety of songs, from old-time Western hymns that have been translated into Romania to indigenous Romanian hymns with beautiful, sweet melodies (like many of the 19th-century German "Lieder" or many of the sweet songs you'll hear in movies from Hollywood in the 1930's) to modern-day choruses. There will often be a time of prayer in which congregational members will be invited to pray, and from all over the auditorium people will pour out their hearts in passionate prayer. I don't understand a word of the prayers or the songs, but God's Spirit is clearly present in both.
Emanuel Bible Institute is now the Emanuel University of Oradea, as of only a few weeks ago. It was founded in 1990, after the revolution that overthrew the Communists, and it has grown steadily ever since. It now boasts more than 500 students, which, I'm told, makes it the largest evangelical Bible school in all of Europe! It is an undergraduate-level university, with four schools, in theology, music, social work, and business. Its graduates are well respected around the country, and they take jobs in both the secular market and in the churches. The school was one of 20 private schools that applied recently for governmental accreditation, and the only Christian one among them, and it passed with flying colors, at the top of the list of those applying. Yet, there are powerful vested interests in Romania that do not like what the school stands for. Some question the need for private schools in the first place, since they are used to the Communist system of government control of every area of life. Others, including many in the Romanian Orthodox Church, see a threat from a religious school of this sort. So, Emanuel needs much prayer, despite its successes.
The students at the school are a vibrant, enthusiastic group. I had the pleasure of teaching the second- and third-year students, both groups of which I'd had before. I taught a second module of Old Testament Theology to the third-year students, who were now having their fifth and last Old Testament course from me. I have enjoyed watching this group mature from a rather irrepressible, unruly, and even "squirrelly" group of 18-year-olds to a much more sober and responsible, yet still enthusiastic group of 20-year-olds. I taught a Psalms exegesis course to the second-year students (whom I'd taught for OT Survey last year), and they were very enthusiastic in their reception. This group is even more responsive than the third-year group, but it never has had the problems with unruliness that the third-year group did.
In the weekly chapel on Wednesday, several missions teams spoke about their experiences this past summer. About 37 students were involved this year in such trips, up from 17 a year ago, the first year they were sent out. Teams went to several places in Romania, as well as Siberia, Albania, and Ukraine (if memory serves me correctly). It was thrilling to hear the students share their experiences, and especially thrilling to see these students, from such an impoverished country as Romania, nevertheless embarking on missions trips to other places where the Gospel is needed, too.
I spoke on Thursday evening at the Credintsa ("Faith") Church just a mile from the school. It is less than two years old, having been started by Dr. Emil Bartos, the former Dean of the School of Theology here. Emil has had a wonderful ministry discipling students, and this church is testimony to that. On Thursday, the church was packed to the rafters with about 200 people, 95% of which were students. They were very attentive to the topic, a panel discussion on using the Scriptures for guidance.
I was asked in 1998, when I was recruited to come to Romania, to make a three-year commitment to the school here. The school had had a succession of Old Testament visiting lecturers, people of such stature as Walter Kaiser, Hassell Bullock, Carl Armerding, and others. However, there was a need for a stable, on-going presence, and someone who could be the Old Testament professor of record for purposes of Romanian governmental accreditation, and I have been able to provide that. This trip completes my initial commitment to the school. . However, I was invited last spring to make a longer-term commitment, which I have happily done. It is open-ended at this time, but I am happy to continue serving. The school is doing well, and many outsiders are coming to teach, in the business school, in psychology and counseling, etc. John and Ann Lenton, from the United Kingdom, are here for a four-year term, and have not only started the business school and made it a great success, but also now function as unofficial deans of men and women, resident house-parents, and all-round keepers and nourishers of a vibrant campus life outside of the confines of the classroom setting. They also are the unofficial hosts for foreigners such as I who come over, and the comforts of life have increased geometrically since I first began coming, due largely to their efforts.
On most trips, I usually run the gamut of emotions about being here, from wondering why I have come and whether I am making any difference at all to giving enthusiastic thanks that I can be here and seeing that I have indeed had an impact upon some, even many, students. I always come away blessed and encouraged in my own spiritual walk, from the example and guileless enthusiasm of those here. Upon reflection, I'd say that this was probably my best trip to date. I feel comfortable with the students, and they responded very well this time. I have settled into a teaching style more my own, compared to the awkward lecturing I did early on, made the more difficult by the translation process. My main translator, Silviu Tatu, the librarian and a Ph.D. student in Old Testament at Oxford University, does a fine job, now that we know each other's style, rhythm, etc.
I began coming to Romania while teaching at the New Orleans Baptist Theological
Seminary, with the permission and blessing of Dr. Steve Lemke, Provost of NOBTS.
I have now moved to Bethel Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and
I am most grateful that Dr. Leland Eliason, Provost of Bethel Seminary, has
also given his warm endorsement to this enterprise. It is gratifying to have
such unreserved institutional support. I also thank my students and colleagues
at Bethel, fellow church-goers at Salem Baptist Church, and family and friends
for their prayers and encouragement during this trip. And, I again thank Dr.
Don Church and the others involved in The Timothy Project for funding the trip.
I look forward to returning in March 2001, and to taking my wife Jan with me
this time. It will be wonderful to have her along and to give her a close-up
picture of this important ministry. It will help in our family's rallying around
this project twice every year.