Ratimir Pilja is a pastor and professional counsellor in Croatia.
When did you trust Christ?
I decided to follow Jesus in 1998. After 25 years, I am still in Christ, but this road is bumpy and sometimes very hard. I still hang on, but sometimes it is challenging and scary. In 2001, I quit economics at the university and attended an evangelical theological seminary. I finished with degrees in applied theology and Christian counseling. I lost my father when I was six years old, and my mother was mentally ill. She died when I was 25, and I have no other family. For me, as I remember, there was a choice between street and addictions or life following Jesus Christ.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
I have had a few life-changing experiences. My conversion was a process that lasted a couple of years. There is no one defining moment; instead, when I look back, God was always with me and guiding my steps. In short, my life is like Psalm 23. I have enemies and walk in the valley of the shadow of death, but the Lord is with me.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
I want to meet and connect with more people who aim to expand the Lord’s Kingdom. I also want to expand my opportunities to serve and have access to quality books at a discounted price. I bought many books in 2024 and have been reading them faithfully.
For YRM, I need mentoring and guidance to move to the next level. I feel that I cannot improve alone and need some push forward. I need some wise guidance to move on. I think I can give more, but I feel stuck in some idle pattern in my life and hope that this YRM will help me even more. My wish so far is to specialise in psychotherapeutics, assisting people with trauma and PTSD by offering a Christian perspective of forgiveness that is needed. Also, I am aware that during mentoring, I will learn that some other topics in my life need to be addressed, and I am happy to see what I can do to improve myself.
What is your ministry?
I am a pastor. I am also a professional counsellor. I am in training for integrative Gestalt psychotherapy. My goal is to focus on helping people recover from trauma. I enjoy working with blue-collar workers and providing mental and practical support.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
I pastor a small rural church in a poor area of Croatia. I was the director of a small construction company in Sisak, Croatia, for seven years. I led the intervention team in crisis/disaster situations in the Croatian Red Cross. I have participated in flood events, migrant crises, and earthquake events in the last ten years. Now, my focus is working with people who have PTSD.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
Someone should invest in my ministry because I do serve people who are in need.
