June Update: Ends and Beginnings

Today is Ascension Sunday here in Romania and in other parts of the world which follow the Eastern Orthodox Christian calendar. As I sat in church this morning and listened to the message, I thought about the transition the disciples were facing during the 10-day period between Jesus’ ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It must have been difficult to see past the “end” of Jesus’ ministry on earth while also anticipating the new “beginning” which would come with the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

We all face transitions – when one period is coming to an end and another is about to begin. In this update, I want to focus on several of the transitions we’re experiencing here in Romania.


COVID-19 Pandemic

The end of the pandemic is much nearer now than just a few months ago. It’s still premature to say that the pandemic is over, but things are definitely feeling more optimistic here in Romania. As people get vaccinated and the number of COVID cases decreases, restrictions are being relaxed. Since May 15, we no longer need to wear masks outdoors (except in crowded places) and the 10:00 PM curfew was eliminated. Two weeks later, when the number of COVID cases in Sighisoara dropped, students in all grades returned to the classroom. Additional restrictions were lifted on June 1. After receiving my second vaccine shot in May, I have enjoyed returning to more normal activities. Romania is currently averaging 131 new cases per day, the lowest since March 2020.

Source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/romania/

As the end of the global pandemic gets closer and our lives begin to return to normal, join me in praying for those parts of the world which are not experiencing the same decline in COVID cases and related deaths that we are seeing here in Romania.


EuNC Romania

Students finished the course on the Pentateuch last
week and will begin their final course next week.

Five students from the Romania Learning Center are on track to complete the course of study for ordination in the Church of the Nazarene and are expected to be ordained at our district assembly in November. Four of them will also graduate from European Nazarene College with the Diploma in Christian Ministry. A sixth student will graduate with EuNC’s degree that corresponds to a Bachelor in Theology.

As most of our students will be graduating this year, please join me in praying for the Romania Learning Center – that God would call men and women to Christian ministry, for wisdom in knowing how to plan for the next academic year, and for creativity in presenting EuNC to those who are unsure if they should begin theological studies.


The Herndon Family

We will soon be saying good-bye to the Herndon family. Josh Herndon currently serves as Romania District Superintendent, and Shannon serves as director of our compassionate ministries organization (amongst their many other responsibilities). The Herndon family will be relocating to Italy this summer to work with the Church of the Nazarene’s West Mediterranean Field.

Join me in praying for the Herndon family during their move: as they wrap up ministry here and as they settle in Italy. Pray also for the Romania District’s upcoming leadership transition and organizational restructuring.

Long-Term Residency Visa

Although I’ve lived in Romania for almost 12 years, I have never qualified for a long-term residency visa due to the fact that I am usually out of Romania for too many days in a given year (for home assignment and to various conferences in other countries). One of the positive side-effects of a year of pandemic-related travel restrictions is that I now qualify for long-term residency status! My application was approved a few weeks ago, and in just a few days I will pick up my new identity card which will say “long-term residency” instead of “temporary stay.” This means that I no longer need to renew my short-term visa every 2 years. Then, when the time does come to renew my identity card in 5 years, the process will be much easier (and less expensive!) because I’ve already been approved for the long-term visa.


Home Assignment

Using Zoom to speak at a missions
service earlier this spring.
Click here to watch the full video.

Even though I had to cancel home assignment in the spring of both 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, I am grateful for the continuing generosity of individuals and churches which have supported me financially during the past year. I’m also thankful for the churches which have invited me to connect via Zoom and other platforms during the past year. 

I will soon begin preparing my next home assignment for the spring of 2022. If you’d like to be informed when I have more specific information, you can write to me or visit my website.


More Updates on Facebook

There's a lot more happening here than I can highlight in this blog post. During these past few months, I've continued to post periodic updates on my Facebook page ("Jonathan Phillips in Romania"), including news about EuNC, the link to a new book to which I contributed, transitions underway at Veritas in Sighisoara, testimonies of women from the Open Door shelter in Bucharest, and a video interview for a missions service.

Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support for me and for Nazarene ministries here in Romania.