Romanian Evangelical Alliance

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Romanian Evangelical Alliance
Alianța Evanghelică din România
AbbreviationA.E.R.
TypeCommunion
ClassificationProtestant
OrientationInterdenominational Evangelicalism
ScriptureBible
PolityCongregationalist
StructureFull communion
PresidentMoise Ardelean
Branch Leaders
RegionRomania
LanguageRomanian
HeadquartersStr. Carol Davila nr. 81, Sector 5, Bucharest
FounderIosif Țon
Origin21 October 1990
Palace Hall, Bucharest
Members528.436 (in 2011)
Official websitealiantaevanghelica.com

The Romanian Evangelical Alliance (Romanian: Alianța Evanghelică din România) is a protestant Christian organization that comprises three distinguished denominations that are in full communion with each other: the Baptist Union of Romania, Pentecostal Union of Romania and Christian Evangelical Church of Romania.

History[]

Formation[]

The alliance was directly inspired by the Evangelical Alliance and the National Association of Evangelicals, who managed to unite multiple Christian denominations both in UK and USA with the hope of preaching the gospel to more people. Established in 1990 from the initiative of multiple protestant religious figures, most notably Baptist pastor Iosif Țon, the idea of a Romanian Evangelical Alliance took birth in January, after the fall of communism, when Iosif first came back in the country after years of exile. On 25 April, alongside Silviu Cioată, Vasile Taloș and Emil Bulgăr, Iosif organised a meeting between all evangelical leaders. Together they analysed the doctrinal differences and after realising how few they were, decided to form the union. The first congress of the alliance was held in October 1990 at the Palace Hall in Bucharest.[3]

List of Presidents[]

This is a list of the Alliance presidents since its formation:[4]

Nº Name
Born - Died 		Term start Term end Duration Denomination
— Vasile Taloş
(1944–2020) 		5 April 1990 21 October 1990 6 months and 16 days Baptist Union of Romania
1 Paul Negruţ
(1953–) 		21 October 1990 9 October 1994 3 years, 11 months and 18 days Baptist Union of Romania
2 Emil Bulgăr 9 October 1994 31 October 1998 4 years and 22 days Pentecostal Union of Romania
3 David Ciucur 31 October 1998 26 October 2002 3 years, 11 months and 26 days Christian Evangelical Church of Romania
(1) Paul Negruţ
(1953–) 		26 October 2002 23 September 2006 3 years, 10 months and 28 days Baptist Union of Romania
4 Moise Ardelean
(1955–) 		23 September 2006 January 2007 c. 4 months Pentecostal Union of Romania
— Ioan Moldovan January 2007 4 June 2011 4 years, 5 months and 3 days Pentecostal Union of Romania
5 Virgil Achihai 4 June 2011 2 October 2015 4 years, 3 months and 28 days Christian Evangelical Church of Romania
6 Viorel Iuga
(1962–) 		2 October 2015 12 August 2020 4 years, 10 months and 10 days Baptist Union of Romania
(4) Moise Ardelean
(1955–) 		12 August 2020 Incumbent 1 year, 5 months and 25 days Pentecostal Union of Romania

Doctrinal differences[]

Although similar in their beliefs, the three Romanian evangelical denominations are divided over 3 major aspects of the Bible that define them as being their own denomination:

Eschatology[]

Pentecostals and evangelical Christians believe in the rapture of the Church prior to the Second Coming. After the great tribulation, Jesus will descend in Jerusalem and reign in the Earth for 1000 years before the Final Judgment.[3]

On the other hand, Baptists are generally amillennials, believing that Jesus's "1000 years reign" from Revelation 20 is metaphorical. They believe that the universal resurrection and Final Judgment will happen at the same time with Jesus's second coming and immediately after the Eternal Kingdom will be established.[5]

Ordination[]

While Pentecostals and Baptists ordain their ministers, the evangelical Christians do not.[3]

Speaking in tongues[]

Pentecostals believe that speaking in tongues is not only something to aspire to, but also an indicator of salvation.

Baptists and evangelical Christians are officially cessationists considering that speaking in tongues was a power that ceased with the end of the Apostolic Age. However, there are some Baptists and evangelical Christians who recognise speaking in tongues, not as an indicator of salvation, but rather as a gift from the Holy Spirit that is given to some, but not all christians.[3]

References[]

  1. ^ a b (in Romanian) Comunicat de presă privind rezultatele preliminare ale Recensământului Populaţiei şi Locuinţelor – 2011, at the 2011 census official site; accessed October 28, 2012.
  2. ^ Sorin Negruți (2014). "The evolution of the religious structure in Romania since 1859 to the present day" (PDF). Revista Română de Statistică (6): 46.
  3. ^ a b c d "Ce este si cum a inceput Alianta Evanghelica din Romania - de Iosif Ton" (in Romanian). alfaomega.tv. 29 January 2015.
  4. ^ "Istoricul Alianţei Evanghelice" [History of the Evangelical Alliance] (PDF) (in Romanian).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ Mărturisirea de credință a Cultului Creștin Baptist, Uniunea Bisericilor Creștine Baptiste din România, Bucharest, 2009, p. 36-39
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