Stephen Jackson (IFES)

Supporting students sharing the gospel in Chișinău, Moldova

Nearly 90% of Moldovans are familiar with the traditions of Orthodox Christianity but have never heard the gospel.

Moldova is an Orthodox country, but very few Moldovans have been told anything about Christianity beyond the traditions and superstitions that accompany cultural Orthodoxy. They have never heard the gospel. But there is a great thirst for the gospel, and when it is shared clearly and people are called to repentance and new life, many respond positively.

However, under 4% of the population are evangelical Christians, meaning that there’s a shortage of people who can clearly explain the gospel to their neighbours. Just as Jesus said in Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”

I’m working with students as part of Comunitatea Studenților Creștini (CSC), Moldova’s branch of IFES. While the country has over 50,000 students, CSC has only five student workers. I first got to connect with CSC in 2022 when I spent some time in Moldova to learn Romanian. Since they only have female student workers in the Chișinău team, there was a need for a men’s worker – and so here I am.

For many people, university is their biggest life shift yet, and they start to experiment with new ideas and ways of living. The gospel is one of these new ideas. My dream is that every student in Chișinău would hear the good news, so they have the chance to start building their life on Jesus.

My main focus is on encouraging and discipling the young men involved in the student ministry here as they seek to follow Jesus and share his love with those around him at their universities and colleges. Apart from this, I run an English club as a way of connecting with new students and allowing them to build relationships with Christians, and I’m also involved in outreach to international students who are studying in Chișinău.

My dream is that every student in Chișinău would hear the good news, so they have the chance to start building their life on Jesus.

^{Main photo: Vitalie Sitnic/unsplash.com}