About the history and the present time of the church from Capriana

Today I had the joy to participate at the divine service of the Baptist Church from the village Capriana, being previously invited by Sergiu Rutcovschi and by the pastor Valeriu Nistor. I took with me the Bible study books and I suggested Christians who came there to study the first lesson of the course “Do you want to be a disciple of Christ? You have to pay the price!” I have had a great pleasure to see the passion and love for God’s Word shown by all those who came there to worship. After studying that lesson, we made an evaluation of the price each of us pays as a disciple of Christ and of the way we tell others about Him.

In the end, deacon Vasile Nistor took the left books to teach this course those 30 street children served by the whole church and the Mission of Charity.

At the moment the church come to worship in a room of the new building that is currently under construction. Let us all pray for the progress of the building and that God may help the Church to finish the building this coming year.

Among the Christians who came to worship I enjoyed much to meet my friend, the artist Tudor Rotaru.

After the divine service, Sergiu and Tatiana Rutcovschi invited us to take lunch with them and we had a good Christian fellowship. Sergiu is among the first disciples that the Lord gave me to teach His word. Being disabled from childhood, this did not stop and limit Sergiu to share the Gospel with others. I remember him since he was a student at the College of Banking and Financial Studies and he went weekly in the village Ciobanca, close to Capriana, to tell people the Gospel and to teach them the Holy Scriptures.

While having the lunch, Pastor Valeriu Nistor told me interesting things about the history of the church from the village Capriana. Sava Jitari, during the First World War was taken as a prisoner and was imprisoned in Poland. There he received the New Testament, he read it and then he brought it with him when he returned home in Capriana. In the village, he began to tell his wife and others about the power of the Gospel and repentance. Shortly after, his father in law, Mr George Strut accepted Jesus Christ in his heart, and offered his own house as a place of worship.

In 78’s-80’s, the church from Capriana included over 100 members and that because people were looking for God even if everything was forbidden. The monastery was transformed into a sanatorium for people ill with tuberculosis, and churches were all closed. Baptist Christians were always sent to instances to pay heavy fines because they gathered and worshiped the Savior.

Tudor Ungureanu told us a story about a Christian, who is his relative, and once was called to an office. The official state tried to intimidate him and said: “Why you do not listen to the authorities and continue to gather together? Do you want war? The old man replied: “My friend, I took part in two wars, I was hurt and I supported all difficulties of the war. Can I want one more war?” Then he paid the fine and went home to go to the next church service and worship the Savior.

Currently, the church in the village Capriana include 19 members. Many people left for other countries and among them were members of the church. But people want and return to Christ. Thus, 6 men and women entered the covenant with Jesus Christ and expect to be baptized soon. God bless the church from Capriana.

Translated by Felicia Djugostran