STORIES FROM
EUROPE

It started with a hunger to understand God’s Word. That desire took Ionel through a master’s program and eventually a PhD in theology. His path seemed clear: study, teach, and write about Scripture. But as he began serving people in his local church, he discovered something that changed his direction entirely.

“Without planning for it,” Ionel says, “I found myself needing to be equipped in biblical counseling to meet the needs of the people I serve.” What began as a pursuit of knowledge became a calling to walk alongside others, listening and guiding them toward Jesus and His truth.

Before joining ECMI, Ionel helped plant a church in his hometown of Timisoara with a close friend who now pastors that congregation. A few years later, another pastor in the city invited him to join his team and strengthen and equip the church through preaching, studying the Bible, counseling, and mentoring. Ionel accepted, and soon he discovered that this was exactly where God wanted him to be.

His desire is simple but profound: to see the church in Romania grow spiritually healthy, biblically grounded, and equipped to fulfill its divine calling. That vision has shaped everything Ionel does.

Along the way, he recognized another pressing need: access to solid, biblical resources in Romanian. Many pastors and believers had little to draw from in their original language. So Ionel and his wife, Simona, launched a small publishing house dedicated to translating and producing Christian books that build up the Body of Christ. Through it, they hope to provide quality materials for churches, families, and ministry leaders across the country.

And their vision doesn’t stop there. With God’s help, they plan to open a biblical seminar next year to train pastors and Christian leaders in biblical interpretation, counseling, evangelism, and how to meet contemporary challenges with wisdom and grace.

“We want to see leaders equipped to guide others faithfully,” Ionel says. ‘That’s how transformation will spread.”

Through every season, Simona has been a steady and faithful partner in ministry, encouraging, praying, and serving alongside Ionel. Together, they ask for prayers for wisdom to manage their time well, for spiritual strength amid opposition, and for God’s provision to sustain their ministry.

Your support helps make work like this possible—equipping leaders, strengthening churches, and advancing the gospel in Romania. But there is still much to do. Only 2.5% of people across Europe identify as evangelical followers of Jesus. If Jesus leads you to support our ministry, we would be deeply grateful. We are in this mission together. Thank you!