letter from Romania
‘I never thought I would have to counsel a young man going to war’
John-Edward Funnell
I have had the pleasure of working with Biserica Crestina Emanuel in Galati since 2017. Galati is my paternal homeland and Romania has a special place in my heart.
Over the years I have made friends with the most beautiful devout Christians who stood firm under the brutality of the Ceaușescu regime and in more recent history have kept the church growing despite the mass exodus west of 30% of all their 18–30-year-olds since Romania joined the European Union in 2007.
Ministry burnout? Rest is part of the work
By God’s grace I have a busy life. I pastor a large church in a deprived area. I am a husband and a father of four wonderful children and have many other ministries and responsibilities that cause much worry to dear Christian friends.
Many have gifted me books filled with advice on how to prevent “ministry burnout.” Not only do these books add to my burden, they are often embarrassingly out of date, reminding me of the same Human Resources (HR) rhetoric I heard in business 20 years ago.