The work of Presbyterian World Mission in Romania centers around the care of the country’s many orphans and other youth and children in the country. Our partners in Romania are dealing with rapid, substantial change in the country, including the end of communism and changes in healthcare, education, environmental issues and shifting relationships. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) supports Christian witness and service in Romania through partner churches and organizations and our mission personnel, who work closely with these bodies.
Romania
Burkhard Paetzold, regional liaison
As regional liaison, Burkhard focuses much of his ministry on work among the Roma people, Europe’s most marginalized group. He facilitates and supports the efforts of mission personnel, church leaders and local community leaders. Working alongside the Roma people, they strive to fully include the Roma people in congregations and society, improve their economic well-being, and develop Roma leaders. “The premise of the ministry is that Roma and non-Roma must find together an integrated approach to address diversity,” Burkhard says. He devotes a major portion of his work to connecting U.S. Presbyterians interested in Roma ministry with partner churches. He is married to Christine.
To find out more about his work, visit his profile page, which you can find here.
Write to Burkhard at burkhard.paetzold@pcusa.org.
Reformed Church in Romania
Reformed Church of Transylvania
Bunici Inimosi — NOROC
NOROC is a Christ-based, nonprofit organization whose mission is to share God’s blessings by providing New Opportunities for Romanian Orphaned Children spiritually, developmentally, socially and medically. (Noroc is a Romanian word meaning “God Bless.”) NOROC was founded to find ways to nurture these abandoned children. NOROC sponsors several programs that specialize attention to children in different ways. One of these, Big Hearted Grannies, provides abandoned children with loving care and gives retired Romanian citizens a chance to make a positive difference in the innocent lives of God’s children.
Casuta Noastra
A Christian foundation based in Iasi, Romania, Casuta Noastra is focused on meeting the needs of the orphaned and abandoned children of Romania. It carries out projects in three areas: assisting in the deinstitutionalizing of the state orphanages, assisting in the educational, social, emotional and spiritual development of institutionalized children and assisting the children in the transition from life in an orphanage to life in a family or on their own.
Ecumenical Association of Churches in Romania
Friends of Romanian Orphans
Friends of Romania (FoR) raises funds for sponsorship of social service and environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) as well as educational programs.
United Protestant Theological Institute
Conference of European Churches
The Conference of European Churches is a regional ecumenical organization. The movement that led to the creation of the CEC dates back to the Cold War, when a group of church leaders brought into conversation churches in European countries separated by different political, economic and social systems. CEC has sought to build bridges not only between Eastern and Western Europe but also been between minority and majority churches and between Christians of different confessional traditions.
BurkhardPaetzold, regional liaison
Brittney Burrus, Mission Specialist for the Middle East and Europe, Presbyterian World Mission, brittney.burrus@pcusa.org