Every Day is a School Day: Lessons from Moldova

I’ve just returned from a 60-hour visit to Moldova, and it’s left a real impression on me. During my time there, I had the privilege of preaching three times, meeting many inspiring leaders, and speaking with the help of translation into Romanian and occasionally Russian.

My main purpose was to meet the new Baptist Bishop, Mihai Malancea, and to visit the Baltața Centre, where hundreds of Ukrainian refugees have been welcomed with compassion, dignity, and thoughtful care over several years. Yet, what I experienced went far beyond what I had anticipated.

A Deep Commitment to Mission

Again and again, I saw a deep commitment to holistic mission and beautifully integrated support systems.

At one level, church life is refreshingly simple: traditional services shaped by choir music, solo singing, prayer, and preaching. Mission is understood as faithfully sharing the gospel, and it was encouraging to see how freely and confidently people live out and express their faith.

One church I visited, led by a volunteer pastor, gathers around 250 people each Sunday across two services and is already nurturing three new church plants.

Training That Transforms Lives

The Baptist University offers three main programmes:

• Theology and Business,

• Theology and Social Work,

• Theology and Intercultural Studies.

It was inspiring to see how pastors who have received this training are using both sides of their learning in practical, life-giving ways.

Foster care, for example, is often embraced by pastoral families, supported by the Baptist Union through respite care and creative initiatives. These include small enterprises such as beekeeping, a bakery, and even a motorbike workshop where young people learn valuable skills by repairing and restoring bikes to a high standard.

Serving Communities Holistically

The Union also runs a medical centre with mobile care units, bringing healthcare directly into communities.

In many places, church planting can begin with the arrival of a medical team, serving local needs, building trust, and gently laying the foundations for new faith communities.

Reaching the Next Generation

I was also struck by the role of sport and the arts in reaching children and young people.

As schools increasingly focus on academic achievement, churches are stepping in to offer a wide range of extracurricular activities, from sports programmes to music lessons, creating space for young people to grow and belong.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, there are exciting plans to further support ministers through ongoing education, as well as to provide pensions and healthcare.

There is also a continued commitment to supporting Baptist communities in Türkiye and Central Asia through training and mission opportunities.

Learning That Shapes Us

Truly, every day is a school day. In just a short time, I learned so much about engaging with local culture, understanding the needs of each context, and sharing the good news in ways that are thoughtful, connected, and deeply human.

Please join me in praying for the new leadership team and their continued ministry across the whole nation and beyond.