MINISTRY HISTORY
The ministry of Kishinev Bible Church has been started by American missionaries in 1993. The founding Missionary was Ronald Helton who served with Gospel of John Mission Inc. (San Antonio, TX). Initially the small group of believers was gathering in a home of one of the workers from USA embassy.
In the fall of 1993 the congregation began to meet in the auditorium of a local music school. The church was also greatly assisted in its first year by four Campus Crusade for Christ american missionaries. In 1995 the church has started a Higher Educational Institution called Moldova Bible Seminary to train leadership for evangelical churches in Moldova and Eastern Europe. In 1997, after a bureaucracy battle and opposition from officials (common in a post-communist former USSR Republic), the church gained registration as an evangelical denomination with the Department of Religious Affairs in Republic of Moldova under the name Biserica Biblica din Republica Moldova. The local church in the capital city was registered under the name Biserica Biblica din mun. Chisinau (also know as Kishinev Bible Church or KBC). The seminary also gained registration under the official name of Seminarul Bisericii Biblice din Republica Molodva (aka Moldova Bible Seminary or MBS).
The church has experienced dynamic growth in 1993-1999 and beginning the summer of 2000 Kishinev Bible Church has been involved in a number of new church plants both in the capital city of Moldova as well as in towns and villages. Over the years Kishinev Bible Church has grown to reach into different areas of society and has developed a number of ministries. Most of the ministries have been initiated and are being led in partnership with churches and/or NGOs in USA.
Since November 2002 (the time the American missionary left back to USA) the ministries of Kishinev Bible Church are led by national leaders with very close ties to churches in the United States. The various partnerships allow for numerous projects led by the church such as summer camps, sports events, humanitarian aid assistance, medical missions in villages and others. From its foundation Moldova Bible Seminary depends on visiting faculty from USA such as pastors and university professors. Since 2008, due to the new law on Religious Freedom passed in Moldova that abolished the Department of Religious Affairs, the above mentioned organizations continue to function with registration transferred under the Ministry of Justice of Moldova under the same names.
In the fall of 1993 the congregation began to meet in the auditorium of a local music school. The church was also greatly assisted in its first year by four Campus Crusade for Christ american missionaries. In 1995 the church has started a Higher Educational Institution called Moldova Bible Seminary to train leadership for evangelical churches in Moldova and Eastern Europe. In 1997, after a bureaucracy battle and opposition from officials (common in a post-communist former USSR Republic), the church gained registration as an evangelical denomination with the Department of Religious Affairs in Republic of Moldova under the name Biserica Biblica din Republica Moldova. The local church in the capital city was registered under the name Biserica Biblica din mun. Chisinau (also know as Kishinev Bible Church or KBC). The seminary also gained registration under the official name of Seminarul Bisericii Biblice din Republica Molodva (aka Moldova Bible Seminary or MBS).
The church has experienced dynamic growth in 1993-1999 and beginning the summer of 2000 Kishinev Bible Church has been involved in a number of new church plants both in the capital city of Moldova as well as in towns and villages. Over the years Kishinev Bible Church has grown to reach into different areas of society and has developed a number of ministries. Most of the ministries have been initiated and are being led in partnership with churches and/or NGOs in USA.
Since November 2002 (the time the American missionary left back to USA) the ministries of Kishinev Bible Church are led by national leaders with very close ties to churches in the United States. The various partnerships allow for numerous projects led by the church such as summer camps, sports events, humanitarian aid assistance, medical missions in villages and others. From its foundation Moldova Bible Seminary depends on visiting faculty from USA such as pastors and university professors. Since 2008, due to the new law on Religious Freedom passed in Moldova that abolished the Department of Religious Affairs, the above mentioned organizations continue to function with registration transferred under the Ministry of Justice of Moldova under the same names.
Role in Country: The Bible Church in Republica Moldova was represented as the consultation with the Moldovan government were conducted as to development of law on Religious Freedom in Moldova. In partnership with Advocates International KBC presented an evaluation of the draft of the law that promoted freedom for religion and conscience. Bible Church in RM is one of the evangelical denominations aspiring to impact the country and play an active role in th society which is demonstrated through ministries of the church.
Church Connections: The ministries of Kishinev Bible Church and Moldova Bible Seminary as well as missionary efforts are in majority connected with churches and organization in United States of America. The mission teams for churches in Texas, Arizona, South Carolina, Georgia, Minnesota, Florida, etc. have regularly come every year since 1996 and helped in various projects and outreaches of KBC. Moldova Bible Seminary hosts an average of twenty USA pastors and university professors every year who teach on regular basis. MBS has also used correspondence classes from schools in USA.
Non-Church Connections: Since 2007 the chairman of the KBC ruling council has been invited to annual event hosted by USA Ambassadors in honor of religious freedom and conscience. In January of 2009 the chairman of Bible Church in Republic of Moldova was invited by USA Department of State to visit United States through IVLP program along side with three other leader of religious communities of Moldova.
Church Connections: The ministries of Kishinev Bible Church and Moldova Bible Seminary as well as missionary efforts are in majority connected with churches and organization in United States of America. The mission teams for churches in Texas, Arizona, South Carolina, Georgia, Minnesota, Florida, etc. have regularly come every year since 1996 and helped in various projects and outreaches of KBC. Moldova Bible Seminary hosts an average of twenty USA pastors and university professors every year who teach on regular basis. MBS has also used correspondence classes from schools in USA.
Non-Church Connections: Since 2007 the chairman of the KBC ruling council has been invited to annual event hosted by USA Ambassadors in honor of religious freedom and conscience. In January of 2009 the chairman of Bible Church in Republic of Moldova was invited by USA Department of State to visit United States through IVLP program along side with three other leader of religious communities of Moldova.
