Church in Vinga, Romania
On Sunday, April 28, we attended church in Vinga, a small village about 40 minutes from Arad. The church in Vinga is very unique for many reasons. First, it was planted and is pastored by a woman (Jackie) in a male dominated culture. Second, it is made up almost entirely of Romi, but the Word of God is preached in English and translated into Romanian. Jackie has hired and worked with many Romanians who serve as translators, which is a very beneficial skill to have in Romania, and a huge asset when teams come to volunteer.
My favorite aspect of the Vinga church is the freedom to be the church. There is no worship leader. There is no order of events. The service always opens and closes in prayer, but what happens between those two prayers is not always planned and honestly is far from smooth. People give testimonies about their week. They request prayer for healing. They give updates on sick people in the congregation that they visited during the week. They stand and read, recite, or sing Scripture. They choose any song they like in any key they like (even minor keys), and then sing it with all their heart. Jackie always prepares a message, but often one of the elders or someone else in the congregation has a word to share. As long as the word and the person offering to share is sound, they are given permission to share with the congregation.
Everyone at the Vinga church knows they they are the church. It is not about the building; it is all about Jesus and His gift to us.
