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Gelu Paul

Gelu Paul
Person Details
All Persons

Country

  • Romania
Participants Details

ELF Network

  • 2024 Leadership Foundations Network

Ministry Focus

  • Pastoring and Bible Teaching

Occupation

  • Christian Ministry

Funding Status (ELF)

  • Needs ELF Funding
Participants Answers
What is your ministry?

Missio Dei Baptist Church is a growing community of authentic and enthusiastic evangelical Christians who impact the academic community. The church’s mission is to make disciples of college students and graduates, starting in Timisoara and going to the ends of the world. I serve as the Coordinating Pastor. I am also the Strategic Coordinator for BIG Impact, a growing movement of evangelical leaders and churches with global impact. Finally, I help run the Estera Foundation, a crisis pregnancy centre for women with unplanned pregnancies. I also help coordinate the Romania Leadership Forum (RoLF).

When did you trust Christ?

I became a believer in 1974. Since then, I have been growing daily in knowing the Lord's love, joy, and peace as I learn to watch and pray. I am growing as a loving and faithful husband, receiving God's grace and Lidija's support despite my shortcomings. I am growing in my love for Ioana and Johnny as I enjoy their passion, care, understanding, and challenges. Finally, I am growing in my love for the Lord's church and in my commitment to serve the teens, new believers, and my friends, the leaders.

What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?

The period from 1982-1990 was a difficult time in Romania. There was a lot of persecution at the time because of Communism. I could not be publicly baptized for fear of persecution. In 1981 I moved to Timisoara for college and joined a small group of evangelical Christian students trained by Campus Crusade for Christ to share Christ on the college campus. By 1989, the underground college student ministry had reached 60 small groups and several hundred disciples. In 1995 I earned my M. Div at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and in 2013 I completed my Ph.D. in educational sciences at Trinity International University.

What do you hope to gain from participating?

I need to keep the fire burning, learn and improve my leadership competencies, develop my perspective, and develop strategic partnerships to develop the Romanian Leadership Forum.

What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?

I served as the pastor of Vox Domini Baptist church for 19 years and am now the pastor of a new church plant called Missio Dei. I also lead a crisis pregnancy center and a leadership development ministry.

Why should someone invest in your ministry?

To help me prepare for the 2023 Romanian Leadership Forum launch, where I lead the Church Life, Leadership, and Planting Network.