Spain: Baptisms in a Romanian Baptist Congregation in Almeria
Spain: Baptisms in a Romanian Baptist Congregation in Almeria
R o q u e t a s d e M a r – No one knows exactly how many Romanians have moved to Spain since Romania became a member of the European Union. The government in Madrid speaks of 400.000; other sources report of as many as one million. Many Romanians in Spain are Christians – including Baptists. Eight Romanian Baptist congregations have come into being, including one founded two years ago in the tourist city of Roquetas de Mar in Almeria province on the Mediterranean coast of Andalusia. Recently, these congregations joined together to form the Union of Romanian Baptist churches in Spain, which cooperates closely with the Spanish Baptist Union.
According to Manfred Folk (Lörrach/Germany), whose father Hans Folk had been a pastor of German-speaking congregations in Romania, this congregation presently has 40 members. It had been founded by four families. Mission outreach stations are located in Motoril, 90 km to the west, and at Campohermozo 30 km to the east. For reasons of health, Manfred Folk and his wife spend six months of each year in Andalusia, where he serves the Romanian congregations. He speaks Romanian fluently. The Romanian Baptist Union has ordained him officially for his service in Spain; the congregation in Oravitza delegated him to go there.
A Baptismal service recently took place in the congregation at Roquetas de Mar. All 150 seats in the new assembly hall were taken; Romanian Baptists had arrived from throughout the country. The guest who had traveled the farthest was the mother of one the four baptismal candidates who spent two days on a bus traveling from Romania to Spain. She was greatly impressed by the service and stated: ‘Now I still have only two children and a husband for whom I need to pray. All others have been saved.’ This Romanian Baptist congregation has two services every Sunday. Folk reports that Almeria alone has six Romanian-speaking Pentecostal congregations.
But now the political authorities have begun efforts to convince Romanians to return home, for Romania is lacking workers. In addition, the economic crisis in Spain has left many Romanians jobless. As a result, 20 members of the Roquetas de Mar congregation have already returned home. The Spanish Baptist Union consists of 91 congregations with a membership of roughly 10.000.
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According to Manfred Folk (Lörrach/Germany), whose father Hans Folk had been a pastor of German-speaking congregations in Romania, this congregation presently has 40 members. It had been founded by four families. Mission outreach stations are located in Motoril, 90 km to the west, and at Campohermozo 30 km to the east. For reasons of health, Manfred Folk and his wife spend six months of each year in Andalusia, where he serves the Romanian congregations. He speaks Romanian fluently. The Romanian Baptist Union has ordained him officially for his service in Spain; the congregation in Oravitza delegated him to go there.
A Baptismal service recently took place in the congregation at Roquetas de Mar. All 150 seats in the new assembly hall were taken; Romanian Baptists had arrived from throughout the country. The guest who had traveled the farthest was the mother of one the four baptismal candidates who spent two days on a bus traveling from Romania to Spain. She was greatly impressed by the service and stated: ‘Now I still have only two children and a husband for whom I need to pray. All others have been saved.’ This Romanian Baptist congregation has two services every Sunday. Folk reports that Almeria alone has six Romanian-speaking Pentecostal congregations.
But now the political authorities have begun efforts to convince Romanians to return home, for Romania is lacking workers. In addition, the economic crisis in Spain has left many Romanians jobless. As a result, 20 members of the Roquetas de Mar congregation have already returned home. The Spanish Baptist Union consists of 91 congregations with a membership of roughly 10.000.